Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Nassr 2022-23Getty Images

Ronaldo's Al-Nassr debut: No goal for CR7 but ex-Man Utd star has his smile back

Cristiano Ronaldo's first outing in the Middle East came in the Riyadh All-Star XI's glamorous exhibition match against Paris Saint-Germain last week, which he marked with a brace to outshine his eternal rival Lionel Messi.

Both men came off after 60 minutes as PSG went on to earn a 5-4 victory, but while Messi then returned to Europe to resume Ligue 1 and Champions League pursuits, Ronaldo remained in Saudi Arabia to begin his career with Al-Nassr.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner insisted the time was right for a "new challenge in Asia" after signing his eye-watering £177-million-per-year contract with the Saudi Pro League outfit, having seen his previous deal at Manchester United terminated by mutual consent in November.

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Ronaldo's second spell at Old Trafford ended in controversial circumstances, and he cut a frustrated figure during his final months at the club, but already looks to be embracing a fresh start at Al-Nassr.

Rudi Garcia's side beat Ettifaq 1-0 in the Portugal striker's first competitive appearance, and although he failed to get his name on the scoresheet, there were plenty of positives to take from his performance as Al-Nassr moved back to the top of the league.

GOAL breaks down his long-awaited debut...