Football star Cristiano Ronaldo was guilty of an embarrassing gaffe after mistaking Saudi Arabia for South Africa during his Al-Nassr unveiling.
The 37-year-old was presented to his new adoring fans on Tuesday after agreeing a £177million-a-year contract until 2025 in the Gulf nation.
He joined Al-Nassr as a free agent on Friday after leaving Manchester United.
But Ronaldo will be hoping his mishap during his press conference isn’t a sign of things to come as he embarks on his new adventure in Asia.
Speaking to the world’s media, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was commenting on his decision to depart Europe, which has been questioned by a number of pundits.
Insisting he has not taken a step backwards in his career, Ronaldo forgot what continent he is now playing in.
Cristiano Ronaldo accidentally said he was playing in South Africa ????pic.twitter.com/2wjlh5giQ5
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) January 3, 2023
“The football is different, so for me it’s not the end of my career to come to South Africa. This is why I want to change, and to be honest I’m really not worried about what people say,” Ronaldo told the media as he was presented at the Riyadh club.
He added: “I won everything, I played for the most important clubs in Europe and now it is a new challenge in Asia.”
After the media conference, he posed in his new Al-Nassr kit on the club’s pitch in front of thousands of fans.
Al-Nassr could welcome Ronaldo to the starting XI in their next match on Thursday against Al-Ta’ee.
