Cristiano Ronaldo Begins Saudi Arabian Career With Embarrassing ‘Brain Fart’

Cristiano Ronaldo is getting absolutely rinsed by fans after talking up his move to South Africa… When he meant Saudi Arabia.

At the very end of 2022 after the World Cup, the 37-year-old controversially announced that he would be leaving Manchester United – one of the best teams in the world – for Al Nassr, a little-known Saudi Arabian football club.

Plenty has been said about his decision to ditch the English Premier League for an uncompetitive, cushy Middle Eastern sojourn. What we’re here to talk about is the hilarious gaffe he made during his first press conference in front of Saudi Arabian media.

“The football is different, so for me, it’s not the end of my career to come to South Africa… This is why I want to change and to be honest, I’m really not worried about what people say,” the star accidentally said.

It begs the question: was this just a slip of the tongue, or did Ronaldo really think he was moving to South Africa instead of Saudi Arabia? He’ll be disappointed when he finds there are no boerewors to be had…

WATCH Cristiano Ronaldo’s gaffe below.

Naturally, fans and the media alike have had a field day clowning the Portuguese superstar – with the controversial nature of the move only fanning the flames.

“Blud doesn’t even know where he is,” one fan commented on Twitter, while another confirmed, “this is bad”. Another even tagged top South African Premier Division team Orlando Pirates FC saying “here’s a potential player”.

Ronaldo might be having the last laugh, though. His new contract at Al Nassr reportedly gives him the highest football salary in history, worth a juicy €200 million per year. He also got a sign-on bonus worth another €100 million.

“In Europe, my work is done,” he explained during the press conference, adding “I had many offers in Europe, many in Brazil, Australia, the US, even in Portugal… Many clubs tried to sign me but I gave my word to this club.”