Saudi Pro League superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has now reportedly found himself in the middle of a political storm in Japan of all places.
The controversy stems from Al Nassr's friendly clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Asian country in July this year.
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According to Marca, Nagasaki governor Kengo Oishi opted to not attend an "important" meeting and instead made his way to the exhibition match that featured the Real Madrid star and Brazil star Neymar, although the latter did not get on to the pitch despite being in the French giants' matchday squad.
The meeting the governor was supposed to attend is believed to have been the July 25-26 prefectural leaders meeting held in Yamanashi, which put a spotlight on issues in the country that include a declining birth rate, the consequences of global warming, and the shrinking of population in rural areas.
It is said that some are now calling for the Oishi's resignation after he said that he paid for the ticket to the match with money out of his own pocket, but was found to have used funds from the Japanese government to pay for his travel and accommodation.
The government official also reportedly claimed that he used the opportunity to pitch to Ronaldo the opportunity to promote the city of Nagasaki.
The Portugal captain has come in for his share of off-field controversy in recent weeks.
Just last month, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was reported to be facing a huge lawsuit after being accused of assisting Binance, a company that provides an online platform allowing users to trade cryptocurrencies, in getting his millions of followers to invest in "unregistered securities".
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On the pitch, however, the 38-year-old's performances have been impressive, with 20 goals and 10 assists in 22 appearances across all competitions so far in this campaign, while his Al Nassr side, of which he is the captain, is currently second on the Saudi Pro League table and top of Group E in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League.
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