Ajit Karn
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After defeating Portugal, Morocco became the first African Arab country to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Weeks after his dream of winning the World Cup was shattered, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has left European football club Manchester United to join Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nasr.
The deal between Al Nasr and Ronaldo is said to be the costliest deal ever. Al-Nasr will pay Ronaldo about 1800 crores every year till 2025.
When Ronaldo formally joined his new club on Tuesday, he said that he has made many records in Europe and now wants to make some records in Saudi Arabia.
The past World Cup was nothing special for Ronaldo. In the last two games, he was made to sit out of the field in the beginning. Ronaldo scored only three goals in 16 matches for Manchester United this season, one of which was also due to the penalty.
Despite this, huge enthusiasm is being seen in Middle-Eastern countries on Ronaldo joining Al-Nasr.
Al-Nasr Club has also shown this enthusiasm by sharing Ronaldo’s picture with the team’s jersey on social media.
However, some experts are also linking Al-Nasr’s expensive deal with 37-year-old Ronaldo to the reformist policy of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose goal is to leave behind Western countries and establish Saudi Arabia as a global power. To do.
Saudi Arabia’s football team defeated Argentina 2-1 in the opening match in the Qatar World on November 22, making a big upset.
On the day of the match, Saudi ministries, government agencies, schools and even universities were closed ahead of time so that people could watch the exciting match.
After the victory of Saudi Arabia, King Salman declared a national holiday the next day.
The Saudi victory was filled with enthusiasm not only for the country but for the entire region. On social media, people of other Arab countries also started seeing Saudi’s victory as their victory.
This victory was not a coincidence. biSaudi Arabia’s Sports Minister Prince Abdulazizn Turki Al Faisal told that his team had been preparing for this occasion for three years. The Sports Ministry’s promotion of football in this way gives a clear indication of its direction and goal.
Sports is an important aspect of Saudi’s Vision 2030
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was seen several times during the Qatar World Cup with FIFA chief GV Infantino. Sports were included in the priorities under Mohammed bin Salman’s ‘Vision 2030’ in the year 2016.
Since then, big changes are being seen in the sports world of Saudi Arabia.
Vision 2030 sets three goals, which aim to increase public participation in sports by 40 percent by 2030, improve the performance of Saudi athletes abroad, and boost the sports economy.
Uri Levi, a football journalist, tweeted a video of Mohammed bin Salman. He has told that Ronaldo reaching Saudi Arabia is a sign of big change.
“In the next five years, Saudi Arabia will be completely different. Bahrain will be completely different. Kuwait…even Qatar…despite our differences with them..they have a strong economy and in the next five years,” the crown prince is quoted as saying in the video. In five years it will be completely different. UAE, Oman, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and the opportunities here… If we are successful in the next five years, many countries will follow in our footsteps.”
“The new global renaissance will happen in the Middle East in the next 30 years. This is Saudi’s fight. This is my fight and I don’t want to die in this fight until I see the Middle East leading the world. I think This target will be achieved 100%.
Gokul Sahni, who has given his opinion on geopolitical issues after studying at Oxford University, also shared the same video of MBS, writing that perhaps Saudi Arabia is now a standard and more practical “power” except for the priority of putting religion forward. wants to emerge.
Ronaldo’s arrival in Saudi Arabia is not for financial motives alone. There’s much more to this move than just money, or football. This take by MBS demonstrates a mindset that is yet to sink in in the west. Many things are changing. And CR7 knows it too. pic.twitter.com/WJQ2HH6pdw
— Uri Levy (@Levyninho) January 3, 2023
