Latest news with #Félix
Saudi Gazette
5 days ago
- Sport
- Saudi Gazette
Cristiano Ronaldo denies role in Félix transfer, hails Saudi Pro League
Saudi Gazette report LISBON — Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed suggestions he played a role in persuading compatriot João Félix to join Al Nassr, stressing that recruiting players is not part of his job. Speaking after Al Nassr's 4-0 friendly win over Rio Ave on Thursday, the Portuguese star said: 'I don't do that, I don't talk on the phone. That's not my job. You said it, but my job is to train and play.' On Félix's arrival from Chelsea, Ronaldo rejected speculation of any wrongdoing in the move from Benfica, adding: 'Stealing is a bad word. Nobody stole anything from Benfica. Everyone knows João, he's very talented and I believe he'll help us a lot in the Saudi league.' The Al Nassr captain also praised the league's competitiveness, citing the level seen at the FIFA Club World Cup: 'The Saudi Pro League is very competitive. You don't know — you're far from the pitch — but we've seen it.' Ronaldo said moving to Saudi Arabia was a smarter career step for Félix than remaining in the Portuguese league.'It was a better choice than playing in Portugal. Look at the number of stars in Saudi. Even without the Champions League, it was a very wise decision,' he to Al Nassr's preparations, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner emphasized the importance of preseason fitness: 'The most important thing is fatigue, good training, and getting back to full fitness. We want to be ready for our first official match on the 19th in Hong Kong in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final against Al Ittihad.'Ronaldo, who found the net against Rio Ave, added: 'Scoring goals is always good. I'm happy, and preseason is going well.'On the start of the Portuguese league season, he concluded: 'I hope it's competitive. I always wish the best, and I hope Sporting Lisbon can win the title again.'
Arab Times
30-07-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
Félix links up with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr
MANCHESTER, England, July 30, (AP): João Félix took his total transfer cost to around $260 million Tuesday when completing his latest move - this time to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. The Portugal forward has teamed up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, joining from Chelsea for a reported initial fee of 30 million euros ($34.6 million) and signing a two-year contract 'I'm here to spread joy. Let's win together,' Félix said in a video announcing his arrival, shared on Al Nassr's social media channels. He is the latest star player from Europe to move to Saudi Arabia as part of the kingdom's bid to become a major force in soccer. But his transfer from Club World Cup winner Chelsea is the latest in a long line of moves for a player who holds the record for the fourth most expensive signing in history, but has failed to live up to the expectations placed on him so early in his career. Still only 25, Félix has time to hit the heights he seemed destined for when joining Spanish giant Atletico Madrid from Benfica for $140 million in 2019. But his career has stalled since then with a series of loans to top teams including Chelsea, Barcelona and most recently AC Milan failing to see him establish himself among the very elite. According transfer date website Transfermarkt, Félix is behind only Neymar (222 million euros ($256 million)), Kylian Mbappe (180m euros ($208 million)) and Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele (both 135m euros ($155.8 million)) on the list of highest transfer fees in soccer. Al Nassr will hope Félix's arrival will see it win the title it has been waiting for since signing Ronaldo in a spectacular move late in 2022.
Fox News
29-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Portugal's João Félix Joins Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr on $35 Million Deal
Joao Felix took his total transfer cost to around $260 million Tuesday when completing his latest move — this time to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. The Portugal forward has teamed up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, joining from Chelsea for a reported initial fee of 30 million euros ($34.6 million) and signing a two-year contract. "I'm here to spread joy. Let's win together," Félix said in a video announcing his arrival, shared on Al Nassr's social media channels. He is the latest star player from Europe to move to Saudi Arabia as part of the kingdom's bid to become a major force in soccer. But his transfer from Club World Cup winner Chelsea is the latest in a long line of moves for a player who holds the record for the fourth most expensive signing in history, but has failed to live up to the expectations placed on him so early in his career. Still only 25, Félix has time to hit the heights he seemed destined for when joining Spanish giant Atletico Madrid from Benfica for $140 million in 2019. But his career has stalled since then with a series of loans to top teams including Chelsea, Barcelona and most recently AC Milan failing to see him establish himself among the very elite. According transfer date website Transfermarkt, Félix is behind only Neymar (222 million euros ($256 million)), Kylian Mbappe (180m euros ($208 million)) and Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele (both 135m euros ($155.8 million)) on the list of highest transfer fees in soccer. His value has dropped significantly — joining Chelsea for a reported $60 million last year, with his fee almost halving again to join Al Nassr. The move to Saudi Arabia is not guaranteed to reignite his career. While some have flourished, including the likes of Ronaldo and Aleksandar Mitrovic, Neymar left after an injury-disrupted time at Al-Hilal and Jordan Henderson and Jhon Duran only stayed for months before moving on. Al Nassr will hope Félix's arrival will see it win the title it has been waiting for since signing Ronaldo in a spectacular move late in 2022. While the Portugal great has helped raise the profile of Saudi Arabian soccer and continued to score at a prolific rate, he has had to watch rivals Al Ittihad (twice) and Al-Hilal crowned champion during his time in the league. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Hamilton Spectator
29-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Portugal star João Félix teams up with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — João Félix took his total transfer cost to around $260 million Tuesday when completing his latest move — this time to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. The Portugal forward has teamed up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo , joining from Chelsea for a reported initial fee of 30 million euros ($34.6 million) and signing a two-year contract. 'I'm here to spread joy. Let's win together,' Félix said in a video announcing his arrival, shared on Al Nassr's social media channels. He is the latest star player from Europe to move to Saudi Arabia as part of the kingdom's bid to become a major force in soccer. But his transfer from Club World Cup winner Chelsea is the latest in a long line of moves for a player who holds the record for the fourth most expensive signing in history, but has failed to live up to the expectations placed on him so early in his career. Still only 25, Félix has time to hit the heights he seemed destined for when joining Spanish giant Atletico Madrid from Benfica for $140 million in 2019. But his career has stalled since then with a series of loans to top teams including Chelsea, Barcelona and most recently AC Milan failing to see him establish himself among the very elite. According transfer date website Transfermarkt, Félix is behind only Neymar (222 million euros ($256 million)), Kylian Mbappe (180m euros ($208 million)) and Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele (both 135m euros ($155.8 million)) on the list of highest transfer fees in soccer. His value has dropped significantly — joining Chelsea for a reported $60 million last year, with his fee almost halving again to join Al Nassr. The move to Saudi Arabia is not guaranteed to reignite his career. While some have flourished, including the likes of Ronaldo and Aleksandar Mitrović, Neymar left after an injury-disrupted time at Al-Hilal and Jordan Henderson and Jhon Durán only stayed for months before moving on. Al Nassr will hope Félix's arrival will see it win the title it has been waiting for since signing Ronaldo in a spectacular move late in 2022. While the Portugal great has helped raise the profile of Saudi Arabian soccer and continued to score at a prolific rate, he has had to watch rivals Al Ittihad (twice) and Al-Hilal crowned champion during his time in the league. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer:
Fox Sports
29-07-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
Portugal's João Félix Joins Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr on $35 Million Deal
Joao Felix took his total transfer cost to around $260 million Tuesday when completing his latest move — this time to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. The Portugal forward has teamed up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, joining from Chelsea for a reported initial fee of 30 million euros ($34.6 million) and signing a two-year contract. "I'm here to spread joy. Let's win together," Félix said in a video announcing his arrival, shared on Al Nassr's social media channels. He is the latest star player from Europe to move to Saudi Arabia as part of the kingdom's bid to become a major force in soccer. But his transfer from Club World Cup winner Chelsea is the latest in a long line of moves for a player who holds the record for the fourth most expensive signing in history, but has failed to live up to the expectations placed on him so early in his career. Still only 25, Félix has time to hit the heights he seemed destined for when joining Spanish giant Atletico Madrid from Benfica for $140 million in 2019. But his career has stalled since then with a series of loans to top teams including Chelsea, Barcelona and most recently AC Milan failing to see him establish himself among the very elite. According transfer date website Transfermarkt, Félix is behind only Neymar (222 million euros ($256 million)), Kylian Mbappe (180m euros ($208 million)) and Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele (both 135m euros ($155.8 million)) on the list of highest transfer fees in soccer. His value has dropped significantly — joining Chelsea for a reported $60 million last year, with his fee almost halving again to join Al Nassr. The move to Saudi Arabia is not guaranteed to reignite his career. While some have flourished, including the likes of Ronaldo and Aleksandar Mitrovic, Neymar left after an injury-disrupted time at Al-Hilal and Jordan Henderson and Jhon Duran only stayed for months before moving on. Al Nassr will hope Félix's arrival will see it win the title it has been waiting for since signing Ronaldo in a spectacular move late in 2022. While the Portugal great has helped raise the profile of Saudi Arabian soccer and continued to score at a prolific rate, he has had to watch rivals Al Ittihad (twice) and Al-Hilal crowned champion during his time in the league. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! Get more from the Portugal Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
