• Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Saudi Arabia's Founding Day wearing local traditional clothes at Al Nassr Football Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
    Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Saudi Arabia's Founding Day wearing local traditional clothes at Al Nassr Football Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters
  • Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo drinking Saudi coffee during Saudi Arabia's Founding Day celebrations. Reuters
    Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo drinking Saudi coffee during Saudi Arabia's Founding Day celebrations. Reuters
  • Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Saudi Arabia's Founding Day wearing local traditional clothes at Al-Nassr Football Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 22, 2023. Al-Nassr FC/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY
    Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Saudi Arabia's Founding Day wearing local traditional clothes at Al-Nassr Football Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 22, 2023. Al-Nassr FC/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY
  • Al Nassr and Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Saudi Arabia's Founding Day in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 22, 2023. Reuters
    Al Nassr and Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Saudi Arabia's Founding Day in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 22, 2023. Reuters
  • Cristiano Ronaldo joins in the celebrations on Saudi Arabia's Founding Day. Reuters
    Cristiano Ronaldo joins in the celebrations on Saudi Arabia's Founding Day. Reuters
  • Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Saudi Arabia's Founding Day wearing local traditional clothes. Reuters
    Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Saudi Arabia's Founding Day wearing local traditional clothes. Reuters

Cristiano Ronaldo joins Al Nassr's Saudi Arabia Founding Day celebrations


Steve Luckings
  • English
  • Arabic

Al Nassr's Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo joined teammates and officials to celebrate Saudi Arabia's Founding Day on Wednesday.

Ronaldo posted a video on his Instagram account with the message: “Happy Saudi Founding Day Everyone. That’s how we celebrate this special day at Al Nassr FC.”

The video shows the 38-year-old, who joined Al Nassr in December on a lucrative two-and-a-half-year contract, drinking Saudi coffee, then participating in dancing and performing the Saudi Ardah.

Ronaldo can be seen in the photo, performing Ardha with wielding sword in the air, surrounded by his Saudi hosts. The dance began with a single line of poetry that is repeated with drums beating in the background.

The former Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward can be seen wearing the traditional thawb and draping the Saudi national flag over his shoulders.

Last month, King Salman announced February 22 as an official holiday, to mark the establishment of the first Saudi state in the Arabian peninsula three centuries ago.

Updated: February 23, 2023, 4:55 AM