Saudi Arabia are reportedly set to bend their marriage laws to allow football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to live with partner Georgina Rodríguez.
The 37-year-old Portuguese striker recently signed with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, following his bombshell exit from Premier League club Manchester United prior to the World Cup.
Currently, Saudi Arabia’s laws prohibit unmarried couples to live together. This posed potential problems for CR7, who is not married to long-time partner Georgina Rodríguez.
However, the Arab nation are set to bend their laws for the former Real Madrid man, with couple set to be granted an exemption to live together.
According to MARCA, Ms Rodríguez will still be subject to a number of other Saudi Arabian laws though. Although women have gained more freedoms in the country as of late, there are still more restrictions for women than in many Western countries.
This includes wearing an Abaya – a dark coloured talar tunic – in public and refraining from wearing any low-cut or tight-fitting clothes.
‘Rules are made for poor people’
Although the marriage law exemption is clearly beneficial for Cristiano Ronaldo and his family, some Instagram users took to the platform to express their annoyance at the rules being bended for the football star.
One user commented, “Rules are made for poor people.”
Another stated, “Nothing new here. Laws have never been applicable when they get in the way of profit.”
Ronaldo’s mega move – which will also see the legend become the world’s highest paid player earning $200 million (AU $290 million) a year – likely represents more to the Gulf nation than simply profit.
Similar to Qatar and the 2022 World Cup and the LIV Golf tournament, signing the footballing star reinforces Saudi Arabia’s bid of becoming a major sporting and diplomatic player in the Middle East.
It may open the door for more renowned players to follow Ronaldo in choosing to move Saudi Arabia to play their football and improves their rumoured bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup in collaboration with Greece and Egypt.
Clearly, if you are the most marketable asset in the country – as Cristiano Ronaldo is with Saudi Arabia – you are granted some bargaining power.
That is, if Ronaldo doesn’t accidentally rock up in South Africa instead of Al-Nassr’s training ground!
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