Cristiano Ronaldo may have violated his Nike contract by using Adidas shin pads during his first pre-season outing for Al Nassr. On Monday, the 38-year-old Portuguese great played the opening 45 minutes of Al Nassr’s 5-0 loss against La Liga side Celta Vigo.
Nike has sponsored Ronaldo since 2003, and he is said to be one of the company’s highest-paid sportsmen. The American sportswear conglomerate allegedly paid him £147 million over a ten-year period. Cristiano Ronaldo may be in serious water with long-time sponsor Nike after being seen wearing Adidas shin protectors.
On Monday, the Portuguese superstar was in action for his Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, who played a friendly against Celta Vigo. Ronaldo made his first pre-season debut in that game, wearing the captain’s armband.
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All of Al-Nassr’s goals in a 5-0 defeat came after Ronaldo and new signing Marcelo Brozovic were removed. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner created post-match headlines after seeming to use equipment manufactured by Nike’s rivals.
Ronaldo has been associated with Nike since 2003. A lifetime agreement with the US athletic goods behemoth for a whopping $1 billion (£775 million) was alleged to have been struck in 2016.
Ronaldo has appeared in a number of commercial advertisements as a result of his hefty deal. He went through more than 70 different pairs of Nike footwear. Against Celta, he seemed to be wearing adidas X Pro shin protectors.
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Ronaldo typically wears shin pads imprinted with photos of his own face. As a result, there must be a basis for his decision ahead of the 2023-24 season. The 38-year-old may have some explaining to do with Nike, but he is still working on the world’s largest football deal.
If it is discovered that Ronaldo violated his contract with Nike, he may face legal action. His sponsorship agreement might potentially be terminated by the corporation.
It’s unclear whether Nike will take any action against Ronaldo. However, the episode has certainly raised eyebrows and will undoubtedly become a topic of discussion in the coming days.
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