Cristiano Ronaldo adopted Saudi Arabian culture and traditional fashion to celebrate Founding Day in the Middle-Eastern nation – and the Portuguese was all smiles as he enjoyed a celebratory day out with his Al-Nassr team-mates.
Ronaldo fitted in seamlessly alongside his colleagues as he joined in with an array of team-bonding activities on a special day for the Saudi Pro League leaders.
The Portuguese superstar donned an authentic daglah robe to mark the occasion on the day that Saudi Arabia celebrates the forming of the very first state in the country three centuries ago.
World leaders sent congratulations to the nation’s leaders, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with Ronaldo a new addition to the historic event.
Starring alongside his team-mates off the field, Ronaldo was pictured drinking coffee, posing for photos and dancing with a celebratory sword.
Cristiano Ronaldo in a daglah robe worn by men and considered national dress in the country
Ronaldo (middle) also smiled as he held a celebratory sword during the event on Wednesday
The 38-year-old striker has began to make his presence known in the Saudi league since his bitter Manchester United exit and appears to have found form after a disappointing start to life in the desert.
Ronaldo failed to score in his opening two games but has since bagged five league goals, including a stunning four-goal haul against Al-Wehda to break 500 career club goals.
One striking image see’s Ronaldo pose with his arms crossed and looking directly down the camera as he smiles while dressed in a gold-printed daglah.
A daglah is considered national dress in the country and worn by men throughout Saudi Arabia, however Ronaldo’s striking design certainly makes him standout. He also wore a traditional white thobe during the day.
Another highlight of the afternoon was captured as Ronaldo joined in with an uplifting Ardah dance that featured Arab swords and plenty of singing.
He waved a curved traditional sword in the air while those in the star’s company further encouraged him to join in with the dancing and light-hearted fun.
Ronaldo enjoyed a moment of respite as he sipped a coffee while he waited for the next event
Ronaldo (three from right) stands alongside others at the Founding Day event with a Saudi Arabian flag round his shoulders
Ronaldo was also seen joining in with a traditional Ardah dance while holding a sword
Ronaldo clearly enjoyed his time off the training pitch and was also seen with a Saudi Arabian flag draped around his shoulders as the event got into full swing.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner later posted a video recap of the day on his Instagram account, captioning the day: ‘Happy founding day to Saudi Arabia.’
‘Was a special experience to participate in the celebration at Al-Nassr!’ he added.
This year’s Founding Day was just the country’s second ever national holiday in honour of the special occasional and saw workers around the country given the day off.
