‘Cristiano Ronaldo to River’: fans spark a social media frenzy | OneFootball

Planting himself at Al Nassr and not participating in his last match against Al Riyadh due to a personal decision, as a form of "strike" because of his dissatisfaction with the club's sporting and institutional direction, River fans quickly took note and spearheaded a movement that revolutionized social media. For what purpose? With a daring request: to push for his arrival at the Millionaire, just the day before his birthday, which is celebrated on February 5th.

Thousands of fans saw a small light amid the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Portuguese legend and made the hashtag #CR7aRiver go viral, to the point that it became the second trend in Argentina, and the repercussions reached Saudi Arabia.

In the country where the forward, who is turning 41, plays, the movement was echoed, but no media opened the door for 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 a way to calm the waters amid so much tension.

Shirts with his name, the mythical "7" printed, and hundreds of AI-created photos flooded the X platform along with messages related to the dream of Cristiano Ronaldo crossing the world and being 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 made by the Muñeco to CR7 last year as another factor to dream big.

It's worth remembering that Gallardo himself acknowledged that he tried to entice him almost a year ago and shared the details of that seduction operation: “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 has marked an era... Do you have any intentions of playing it?’. Not only did he feel recognized, but he also evaluated it, he thought about it.”

Finally, the highest goal scorer in football history (961 goals at 41 years old) thanked the River coach's proposal 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 would have worked, ha.”

Unlike back then, today in Núñez no new negotiations have started, nor are there concrete chances of Ronaldo's transfer happening; it was all part of a digital movement led by La Banda fans.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.