Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez will be allowed to live together in Saudi Arabia, despite the country’s laws forbidding unmarried couples from doing so.
The 37-year-old wore an Al-Nassr shirt earlier this week for his unveiling since his big-money move in Tuesday’s unveiling, which brought out a big crowd.
He was joined on the pitch at Mrsool Park with his long-term partner Georgina and their children.
Ronaldo has never been married, which seemed likely to pose a problem for him and Rodriguez with Saudi laws strictly prohibiting ‘cohabitation without a marriage contract’.
However, Saudi lawyers have told the Spanish international news agency EFE that authorities will ‘turn a blind eye’ to the superstar couple living together.
An anonymous lawyer told EFE: “Although the laws of the kingdom still prohibit cohabitation without a marriage contract, the authorities have recently started to turn a blind eye and no longer prosecute anyone.
“Although these laws are used when there is a problem or a crime.”
Another lawyer added: “Nowadays Saudi authorities no longer interfere in this matter – for expatriates – even though the law prohibits cohabitation without marriage.”
Despite the allowances, Rodriguez, who is the mother of two of Ronaldo’s children, will still need a visa to live in the Gulf nation as she doesn’t automatically receive citizenship through marriage.
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The Argentine-Spanish model has been alongside Ronaldo for much of his recent career and recently made headlines at the World Cup.
Rodriguez hit out at Portugal manager Fernando Santos for dropping her partner after a disappointing group stage campaign in Qatar and posted a number of messages on her Instagram account.
She told her 44 million followers that Santos made the ‘wrong decision’ by benching the captain, and described him as the ‘best player in the world’.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, was hoping to make his debut on Thursday, but the weather meant the game was postponed.
And the game has been rearranged for Friday.
However, he won’t play. He is due to serve a two-game ban, which he picked up in England, and despite suggestions, Al-Nassr will defy the suspension, they have decided to postpone Ronaldo’s debut.
Al-Nassr was due to play against Al Ta’ee in a Saudi Pro League clash on Thursday but put the fixture back 24 hours “due to heavy rain and weather conditions impacting the stadium’s electricity”.
