At Al-Nassr, some were still waiting to be paid. According to statements by former Spanish player Álvaro González, he and other teammates were having payment problems before Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in January 2023.
González reportedly said that the Portuguese player asked for his first salary to be used to pay other people at the club; before receiving any payment, he wanted his teammates to be taken care of.
The gesture would have been tangible support amid uncertainty. Cristiano’s first move took place off the pitch and was applauded by everyone.