"Ronaldo should draw attention to human rights issues in Saudi Arabia" (Amnesty International)

"Instead of offering uncritical praise of Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo should use his considerable public platform to draw attention to human rights issues in the country," said Dana Ahmed, Amnesty International's Middle East researcher, 04/01/2023.

"I want to give a different vision of this club (Al Nassr FC, Riyadh) and country. This is why I took this opportunity," said the 37-year-old Portuguese player after signing a contract with the Saudi club until June 2025 (for an estimated fee of $200m per season), on 30/12/2022.

Ronaldo's signing at Al Nassr is part of a pattern of sportwashing in Saudi Arabia. It is highly likely that the Saudi authorities are using Ronaldo's presence in the country as a way to divert attention from the country's appalling human rights record," said Ahmed.

"Saudi Arabia regularly executes people for crimes including murder, rape and drug smuggling. On a single day last year, 81 people were put to death, many of whom were tried in grossly unfair trials. The authorities are also continuing their crackdown on freedom of expression and association, with…