Ronaldo’s international retirement is a reminder for Al-Nassr fans to savor every moment

RIYADH: It was December 2023, Friday night football under the lights, the Riyadh Derby between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. I was staying in a small hotel near King Fahd Stadium and there was a real sense of excitement among guests over breakfast.

There was a Chinese woman who had just dropped off her son at Edinburgh University, and on her way back home to Guangzhou she took a detour to attend the game. A family of four from Baghdad were also there, all of them wearing the yellow shirts of Al-Nassr, as well as a father and son from Cairo.

This international audience had come to see Al-Nassr’s new signing: Cristiano Ronaldo.