Cristiano Ronaldo Experiences Surreal Start in Saudi Arabia

Cristiano Ronaldo Experiences Surreal Start in Saudi Arabia
Cristiano Ronaldo greets Saudi fans during his official unveiling as a new member of Al Nassr soccer club in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 3, 2023. Amr Nabil/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—The palm trees lining the desert roads leading out of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport were wet with rain drops when Cristiano Ronaldo arrived this week in Saudi Arabia’s capital city.

The surprising weather greeted the soccer great’s shocking move to the Middle East, where the gray skies in Riyadh were more akin to the often overcast conditions of Manchester—his previous home.