Problems for Cristiano Ronaldo? Nike-sponsored superstar spotted wearing adidas shin pads during Al-Nassr friendly

After allegedly being caught wearing adidas shin pads, Cristiano Ronaldo may find himself in trouble with long-time sponsors Nike.

On Monday, the Portuguese superstar played for Al-Nassr, a Saudi Arabian club, in a friendly match against Celta Vigo. Ronaldo’s first preseason game was also his first with the captain’s armband. Despite the fαct that Al-Nassr lost 5-0 after Ronaldo and new addition Marcelo Brozovic were taken off the field, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner generated post-game headlines by wearing what appeared to be equipment supplied by Nike’s competitors.

Ronaldo has been affiliated with Nike since 2003, and in 2016, the two parties reportedly agreed to a lifetime contract worth a total of $1 billion (£775m). Ronaldo has been in numerous Nike commercials thanks to his rich deal, and the player has gone through at least 70 different pairs of Nike footwear. However, Ronaldo appeared to be using adidas X Pro shin pads in his match against Celta.

Ronaldo typically wears shin pads that include representations of his own face, so he must have a good reason for switching them up for the 2023-24 season. Although the 38-year-old has some explaining to do with Nike, he continues to earn the largest annual salary in football at Al-Nassr ($228 million for a contract worth £177 million).

Ronaldo ‘disappeared’, Al Nassr lost 0-5 before the day of meeting PSG

On July 18 at daybreak, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr team faced off against Celta Vigo in a friendly at the Algarve Stadium in Portugal. This is the third game of the team’s friendly tour, but CR7’s first game starting from the beginning.

In addition, Marcelo Brozovic, a rookie, is making his first appearance. What followed on the field, though, was a major letdown for both the fans and the organization. The performance of the Portuguese superstar was lackluster, and he made little impact.

After 48 minutes, coach Luis Castro pulled Ronaldo from the game. Then things started going downhill rapidly. The 51st minute saw Al Amri, a midfielder, receive a straight red card and be sent off the pitch. Al Nassr too gave up since he had to play alone. Then, from the 57th to the 74th minute, Ronaldo’s team conceded five straight goals.

But this is merely a friendly, and Al Nassr has shown improvement under new coach Luis Castro. The first preseason game saw both Ronaldo and rookie Marcelo Brozovic play at least half a game, which is good news for the Portuguese captain.

After suffering a 0-5 defeat at the hands of Celta Vigo on July 21, Al Nassr will face Benfica in a return match at Portugal’s Algarve Stadium. Then, on July 25 and 27, Ronaldo and his squad will go to Japan to face PSG and Inter Milan.