Cristiano Ronaldo ‘loving it in Saudi Arabia’ says Piers Morgan

In an interview with British magazine Tatler, TV presenter Piers Morgan said he has exchanged text messages with Ronaldo since the football icon joined Al Nassr in Riyadh.

Asked if Ronaldo is happy with his new life in Saudi Arabia, Morgan said: “I’ve swapped a few texts with him, and he’s absolutely loving it, on and off the pitch.”

Ronaldo ‘loving Saudi Arabia’

Cristiano Ronaldo signed a contract worth a reported $214m a year when he joined Al Nassr early in January.

It was a landmark moment in the history of football in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general. High profile players have played in the region’s leagues before, but never any with the star power of Cristiano Ronaldo.

CR7, as he is sometimes referred to online, was a free agent after departing Manchester United following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

In the Tatler interview, Piers Morgan said: “Thanks to the fall-out from our interview, Ronaldo signed the biggest transfer deal in football history, and is now the world’s highest-paid athlete, at the age of 37.

“He’s also doing what he’s done throughout his career, and which for me gives him the edge over Messi, and that’s challenge himself in a new country, and new league, at a time when football in the Middle East is really taking off, as we saw at the Qatar World Cup where Morocco reached the semi-finals and Saudi Arabia beat the eventual winners, Messi’s Argentina.”

Even as he approaches the end of his playing career the Portugal star garners attention from all corners of the world and has put the Saudi Pro league on the sporting map.

Ronaldo’s first game in Saudi Arabia was an all-star exhibition game that saw a team made up of players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal take on Lionel Messi’s PSG.

A Saudi businessman paid $2.6m for a VIP ticket to watch the match, with proceeds going to the Kingdom’s Ehsan charity fund.

The game was a nine-goal thriller that ultimately ended in defeat for the Saudi All-Star team, despite two goals for Cristiano Ronaldo.

In the colours of Al Nassr, Ronaldo has had a slow start. Having played two matches he has yet to score. One victory and a loss to Al Ittihad, which saw Al Nassr nocked out of the Saudi Super Cup are the sum total of his achievements on the pitch so far.

Away from the football pitch, especially financially, things have gone better for Ronaldo.

Before even landing in Saudi Arabia he was gifted a $780,000 Jacob and Co watch inspired by the Kingdom. It is made of white gold and 338 ultra-rare tsavorite gemstones.

As they settle into life in Riyadh Cristiano Ronaldo and his family are staying in a lavish suite at the Four Seasons hotel.

The Four Seasons Riyadh is housed inside one of Saudi Arabia’s most recognisable buildings, the 302m Kingdom Centre building.

According to media reports Cristiano Ronaldo and his entourage, made up of family, friends and staff, have taken 17 rooms at the property.

The total cost is estimated at more than $300,000 a month.

Piers Morgan also claimed the former Man Utd star would have preferred to move to a club playing in Europe’s Champions League, but no offer materialised.

“Ideally, I think he’d have preferred to play for another top club in the Champions League for a year or two, but Al Nassr made him a staggering offer, and I think the fresh challenge of raising the profile of football in a new region of the world, at the twilight of his incredible career, really appealed to him,” said Morgan in the Tatler interview.