Cristiano Ronaldo accused of joining Saudi’s Al-Nassr ‘for money and not passion’

VAM News Update

Nigerian striker, Odion Ighalo striker has accused Cristiano Ronaldo of only moving to Saudi Arabia for money.

After his departure from United last year, Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr in December and is earning £175million-a-year at Al-Nassr. Several high-profile players have since headed to Saudi Arabia, including Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, and Jordan Henderson, who is now the highest-paid England player in the World.

Former Super Eagles captain, Odion Ighalo, who is currently a free agent had a spell on loan at United from January 2020 to January 2021. He also spent time at Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Shabab and Al-Hilal.

Speaking in a new interview, the striker said Ronaldo only moved to Al-Nassr for money rather than passion for the game.

Ighalo told OmaSportsTV: ‘When you are young, yes, you play for passion. Back then, you don’t care about money. But at my age, I am in the final stretch of my career, I don’t know if it will be one, two years or when God will tell it to stop.

‘I know it won’t be more than three years. I’ve played for passion all my life, now it’s for money. I’m not one of those players who come and say: ‘I play for passion’. Brother, it’s money. At the end of the day, it’s money.

‘Is Ronaldo still playing out of passion? Ronaldo has earned 100 times more than I have in my entire life and yet he went to Saudi Arabia. Did he do that out of passion? It’s for money, bro.’

Since moving to Al-Nassr, Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in 19 games and he will be determined to help his side win the title this season after they finished second behind Al-Ittihad last campaign.