Credit: X
Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo missed the highly-anticipated friendly clash against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, which was touted as the Last Dance, on February 1 after he failed to recover from a muscle injury. However, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is likely to reunite with his former club Real Madrid after reports emerged about Saudi giants Al-Nassr being invited by the Spanish club to play a friendly at the newly-renovated Santiago Bernabeu.
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According to multiple reports on social media, Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have been invited by record 14-time UCL winners Real Madrid to play a friendly in the Spanish capital. The game between the two sides will mark the inauguration of the new-look Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Earlier in December last year, Saudi Arabia-based journalist Ali Al-Harbi claimed that the Spanish Football Federation is likely to host a "mini-tournament" between Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Al-Nassr in Spain. The Saudi journalist wrote on X, "There is an idea from the Spanish Football Federation to extend an invitation to the Saudi Al-Nasr Club to come to Spain and play matches with Real Madrid and Barcelona “as a mini-tournament” in early 2024 AD “to fulfill the desire of the fans there."
Real Madrid postpone Santiago Bernabeu's inauguration until end of season
The Spanish giants began the revamp process for the stadium in 2019, which was designed by Spanish studios L35, Ribas & Ribas, and German studio GMP Architecten. Initially, the inauguration ceremony was planned to take place in December last year, however, Real Madrid postponed it until the end of the season.
The official inauguration of the revamped Santiago Bernabeu stadium is now likely to take place between the end of May and early June, which includes concerts by international artists Taylor Swift and Duki on May 31 and June 8, according to The Athletic.
The retractable pitch at the Santiago Bernabeu features six underground levels to cover large-scale events as the renovation reportedly raised the stadium's capacity from around 81,000 to 85,000. The new look Santiago Bernabeu is also expected to host other sporting events like an NFL game in 2025.
