Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr FC, according to the club.

The 37-year-old joins on a two-and-a-half-year deal after leaving Manchester United last month.

It followed an explosive television interview in which the forward said he felt betrayed by the club and did not respect their Dutch manager Erik ten Hag.

A statement on the Al-Nassr’s Instagram says: “This is more than history in the making.

“This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves.”

Ronaldo is set to undergo a medical at Mrsool Park, the modern home to Al-Nassr, before completing formalities and being revealed to fans in the club’s yellow and blue colours in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh in the coming days.

“I am eager to experience a new football league in a different country. Al-Nassr Club’s vision is very inspiring,” the Saudi club quoted Ronaldo as saying.

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While the signing will likely prove a massive boost for Middle Eastern football, it will also fuel the debate about Saudi Arabia using so-called “sportswashing” to boost the country’s image internationally.

The World Cup in Qatar saw him score in Portugal’s opening group game against Ghana, his 118th goal for his country, before being dropped from the starting XI for the knockout rounds, in which the team made a quarter-final exit with a 1-0 loss to Morocco.

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