How Did Felix Choose Al Nassr Over Benfica? Cristiano Ronaldo Played A Part: Report
Cristiano Ronaldo has convinced Joao Felix to join Al Nassr for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, emphasising national team synergy.
Star Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo raised a plan, citing the national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to convince Joao Felix to join him at Al Nassr, according to a report in Portuguese outlet Record. After two weeks of facing an uncertain future, Felix is reportedly all set to complete a move to Al Nassr.
The report says that Ronaldo removed the youngster's concerns about choosing Al Nassr over Benfica by using a very powerful argument: the national team.
Ronaldo said that by playing together at the Saudi team, both he and Felix could develop a profound understanding of themselves throughout 40 to 50 official games, besides 300 joint training sessions before the FIDE World Cup.
According to the report, Ronaldo said that their playing together could prove decisive in manager Roberto Martinez's final choice for the Portuguese national side. Felix understood the implication of that, which played a crucial role in his decision to join Ronaldo at Al Nassr.
Felix signed for Chelsea last year for a reported fee of £44.5m, after joining the team on a loan deal in 2023.
Felix is one of several players Chelsea have put up for sale this summer, along with the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson.
Felix hoped to revive his career in Serie A but continued to struggle, forcing AC Milan to change their plans and reject the opportunity to sign him.
Despite his struggles, Felix still had supporters at Benfica and his boyhood club was in advanced negotiations to bring him back, but it seems like Ronaldo's words had a bigger impact on him.
view comments
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Can't stan this: How to stop being a crazy fan
Wearing a red football jersey every game day? Normal. Knowing the lyrics to all of Taylor Swift's songs and dancing to Love Story? Normal. But fighting strangers, friends and family because they believe DC makes better movies than Marvel, or that Chelsea saves goals better than Liverpool, or that Danish Sait is overrated? You may want to check yourself, Stan. Someone says they don't like Shah Rukh Khan? Relax; it isn't a personal attack. Fandoms are wonderful things. They help you find your tribe, make you believe in something larger than yourself. Daniel Wann, who researches the psychology of sports fandom at Murray State University in the US, describes being a fan as a 'very psychologically healthy activity,' in his public posts. Being around like-minded people lifts us up. It satisfies our human need for belonging, he says. Besides, where else will you spend your expendable income, if not on overpriced merch? But there's a clear line between loyalty and toxic obsession; between the ARMY and a troll army. Heed these signs. Fans of late Argentinian footballer Maradona set up a church in his honour. Bit much. Everything seems personal, suddenly. American marketing agency Buzz Radar used AI to scan 100 million posts on 2,47,000 Formula 1 fan accounts since 2016. They published their findings in February. Turns out, the community has become much more negative over the decade. The AI tool calculates that we can expect a further increase in toxicity (including death threats against drivers) over the next 18 months. Don't be that person, even outside of F1 fandom. Someone says they don't like Shah Rukh Khan and your blood pressure spikes? Pause. If you're constantly reaching out to strangers in comment sections to defend your idol, treat that as the first red flag. It means your identity is so tightly bound to a celebrity, team or a fictional character that criticism towards them feels like a personal attack. It means, you're no longer defending art. You're defending yourself. Jodie Foster's stalker John Hinckley believed he could 'impress' her by killing someone. You hate on people for having a different favourite. Of course, there's a Team Selena and a Team Hailey – competition is what keeps fandoms alive in the first place. But if you spend more time attacking the opposition than having a good time, and find yourself liking hate posts, smack talk, personal put-downs, and hateful language simply because they're aimed at an opposing group, it's a good sign that you're not a fan, you're a bully. Betting firm AceOdds used the main subreddit for every 2024/25 Premier League club to rank the most toxic fanbases in the league. Turns out Fulham fans are the nicest (3.23% vulgar comments). The worst: Wolverhampton Wanderers (7.43%), Nottingham Forest (7.12%) and West Ham (6.59). Supporting one side, one team, one idea, one band should feel good. It shouldn't make you want to tear someone down. The word 'stan' originated from Eminem's 2000s song of the same name. You feel like you 'know' your idols. Consuming all that content – all the films, all the promo clips, all the matches, all the GRWM vids, all the interviews – can trigger indigestion. Most superfans believe their devotion puts them in their idol's VIP zone, the inner circle. They believe they're now buddies with a famous person they've never met. Dr Laurel Williams, psychiatry and behavioural sciences researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in the US, says celebrities actively cultivate this artificial intimacy. They give people a peek into their lives and create a persona that their fans can emotionally invest in, because more interaction means more prestige and more money. On the flip side, some fans start to believe that they have power over their idols. They lash out when there's a new partner in the picture, when a movie casts a non-White actor, or when an actor keeps part of their life private. If you haven't realised that celebrity personas are curated to harvest fan attention, you might be in too deep. You crumble when they crumble. When a sports team loses, commiserating as a group helps individuals hold on to their self-esteem. But when a celebrity messes up morally, it's a test as much of the fan as the idol. Fan support, however strong, doesn't right a wrong. Rational fans should be able to appreciate someone's work while also holding them accountable for bad behaviour. A true supporter would expect better from their idol, instead of condoning their bad behaviour. If you can't process that someone criticising your favourite celebrity has nothing to do with you, that line's been crossed already. From HT Brunch, August 02, 2025 Follow us on
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
7 hours ago
- First Post
Messi set to face off against Dhoni, Kohli and other cricket stars at Mumbai's Wankhede: Report
Argentine football superstar Messi will reportedly play a seven-a-side exhibition cricket match alongside some of the biggest names in Indian cricket at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium as part of his promotional tour of India in December. read more Lionel Messi could be sharing the field with the likes of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium in a once-in-a-lifetime-event later this year. Image: AP/BCCI Lionel Messi could be sharing the field with some of the biggest names in Indian cricket later this year with the Argentine football superstar reportedly set to play an exhibition cricket match at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium in December. Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami in USA's Major League Soccer (MLS) and is best known for his 17-year association with FC Barcelona, could thus be seen sharing the field with Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in a seven-a-side cricket match that is scheduled to take place on 14 December. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Messi appears set to dazzle Wankhede Messi will be on a promotional tour of India later this year and according to The Indian Express, a well-known event management agency has requested the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to reserve the iconic venue on 14 December for what is a once-in-a-lifetime event in Indian sport. 'Messi will be at Wankhede Stadium on December 14. He is likely to play a cricket match, too, with former and current cricketers. The organisers will come up with a complete schedule once everything is finalised,' an MCA source told the newspaper. More from Football Messi, who had fulfilled his dream of lifting the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in 2022, is likely to visit India from 13 to 15 December and is also expected to visit New Delhi and Kolkata. This will be the 38-year-old's first visit to India in 14 years, with the iconic forward having previously played an international friendly against Venezuela at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium in 2011. Argentina had won that game 1-0 with Nicolas Otamendi scoring the only goal of the match in the 70th minute. There were also reports of defending world champions Argentina playing a couple of games in October, as per State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman. That plan, which would have also included Messi, has been put on hold for now.
Mint
8 hours ago
- Mint
Lionel Messi's India tour: Argentina legend set to meet MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar
The football fans in the country will be up for a treat when Lionel Messi lands in India in December later this year in a three-city tour. Messi, who won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar with Argentina and is current playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS), will be India from December 13 to 15 and visit Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. Based on an Indian Express report, Messi will be attending an event at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on December 14 which will also see the likes of Indian cricketing legends like MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. If all goes well, Messi will be seen with a cricket bat in a seven-a-side game against Dhoni and Kohli. The report also added that the event agency, which is bringing Messi to India as a part of a promotional tour, has asked the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to block the date. 'Messi will be at Wankhede Stadium on December 14. He is likely to play a cricket match, too, with former and current cricketers. "The organisers will come up with a complete schedule once everything is finalised,' a MCA source was quoted as saying. However, it is still unclear which cities Messi will be in the other two dates. Although the date of Messi's Kolkata visit is yet to known, it is learnt that the former Barcelona superstar has a series of events lined up in the City of Joy. In Kolkata, Messi will felicitated at the iconic Eden Gardens in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. During his time in Kolkata, Messi will be attending a launch event of a football clinic and also conduct a football workshop. A seven-a-side game called 'GOAT CUP' is also in line to be organised at Eden Gardens. The last time Messi visited India was in 2011 when the then Barcelona star played for Argentina against Venezuela at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Nicolas Otamendi scored the only goal for Argentina.
