Rooted at Al Nassr and absent from action in his last match against Al Riyadh by personal decision, as a form of “strike” due to his dissatisfaction with the club’s sporting and institutional direction, River Plate fans quickly took notice and spearheaded a movement that set social media ablaze. For what purpose? With a bold request: to push for his arrival at the Millonario, right on the eve of his birthday, which is celebrated this February 5th.
Thousands of fans saw a glimmer of hope amid the uncertainty surrounding the Portuguese legend’s future and made the hashtag #CR7aRiver go viral, to the point that it became the second trending topic in Argentina, with the buzz even reaching as far as Saudi Arabia.
In the country where the forward, now turning 41, plays, the movement made waves, but no media outlet opened the door to a hypothetical departure, since the player is already training with his teammates. In fact, in recent hours he made a post that was read between the lines as an attempt to calm the waters amid so much tension.
Jerseys with his name, the iconic “7” printed, and hundreds of AI-generated photos flooded the X platform, along with messages about the dream that Cristiano Ronaldo might cross the world and be tempted to play for River. Of course, the fans’ hope is not only based on the player’s current situation, but also clings to that call that “El Muñeco” made to CR7 last year as another reason to dream big.
It’s worth remembering that Gallardo himself admitted he tried to tempt him almost a year ago and shared details of that seduction attempt: “It was in mid-March, an informal contact through a mutual friend. I said, ‘Hey, there’s a Club World Cup and a player like you, who defined an era… Are you interested in playing it?’ Not only did he feel recognized, but he considered it, he thought about it.”
Ultimately, the top scorer in football history (961 goals at age 41) thanked the River coach for the offer but decided to stay in Saudi Arabia: “He told us he had to prepare for the next season.” And he added with a laugh: “If it had worked, it had worked, ha.”
Unlike back then, today in Núñez there has been no new approach nor are there any real chances of Ronaldo’s transfer happening; it was all just part of a digital movement led by La Banda’s fans.
