Mohammad Abrar, Daily Dawn, Dawn TV Report
Kerala: Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo made Indians cry. Yesterday, Al-Nasr Club refused to bring its most expensive and valuable asset to India in the Goa match. Argentina has also described India’s measures to welcome the world’s second most expensive footballer, Lionel Messi, as insufficient. Due to which the Modi government has to face humiliation at the global level.
The football scene in the Indian state of Goa had taken on a religious color in view of Ronaldo’s arrival. When the AFC Champions League match between Indian club FC Goa and Saudi giant Al-Nasr Club was scheduled, it was as if a world festival had been declared in Goa. A large-scale media campaign was launched across India for this historic match in Goa, and large-scale preparations were also made at the government level to welcome Ronaldo. The nearly 25,000 tickets allocated for the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa were sold out in minutes. The craze didn’t stop there. Some crazy fans claim that they got the most expensive Rs 2,500 tickets for up to Rs 50,000 on the black market.
Thousands of fans from different states of the country had camped in Goa two weeks ago to catch a glimpse of Ronaldo. But despite all the incentives, hotel bookings and extensive preparations, the Al-Nasr club management announced just a day before the match that Cristiano Ronaldo would not travel for the tour. The reason for his absence was attributed to workload management under his contract. But the announcement a day before the match proved to be a setback for thousands of fans in Goa and all those involved.
According to the report, after this incident, deep clouds of uncertainty have also overshadowed Lionel Messi’s expected visit to Kerala. Spanish media outlet La Nación has claimed that the Argentine football team’s scheduled tour of Kerala in November 2025 has been cancelled. The Argentine Football Association has cited the cancellation as the host country’s failure to meet the requirements and breach of contract.
Kerala’s state sports ministry officials have said they are ready to welcome the Argentine and Australian teams. But it is not certain that Lionel Messi himself will be part of the team. However, the organizers are constantly claiming Messi’s arrival to sell tickets and are calling reports of the match cancellation baseless rumours.
On the other hand, according to reports, Ronaldo’s decision not to come to the Goa match is due to his contract with Al Nasr. It is believed that the Portuguese star is focusing on maintaining his fitness ahead of next year’s World Cup and wants to avoid the long journey to India. Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the world’s most expensive footballer. He charges the Al-Nasr club 150,000 rupees per minute during his stay in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo extended his contract with Al-Nasr until 2027 in June 2025, which is said to be worth more than $400 million. His deal also includes a 15% ownership stake in the club.
Ronaldo’s annual total income has reached $275 million. He is paid huge sums by big brands such as Nike, Armani, Tag Heuer and Binance. His own brand, CR7, is another major source of his income. The brand consists of hotels, fashion lines, perfumes, gyms and a chain of hair transplant clinics called Inspiria, which is expanding its financial empire. The 40-year-old Portuguese star has decided to play football for another three years.
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