Suffered Rare Heart Condition Before Leaving Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, Lionel Messi’s $5,000,000 Teammate Reminisces ‘Wonderful Treatment’ in Saudi Arabia

Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have had illustrious careers. The pair, after all, are the most decorated players in the modern game. But Messi and Ronaldo have been blessed with negligible injuries and no health scares. But there are stories of a few struggling with health and injuries throughout soccer history. Two such players are Messi and CR7’s former teammate Gonzalo Nicolas Martinez, known most commonly as Pity Martinez. Now, the $5 million worth Pity Martinez has recounted his spell in Saudi Arabia fondly where he received “wonderful treatment.”

Martinez spent some time in Saudi Arabia playing for Al Nassr between 2020 and 2023. This was before Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival at the SPL club. But, he did get to train with and play with Ronaldo this year in 2023, before his move to River Plate in the summer. However, it was in Saudi Arabia that he reportedly suffered from a rare heart condition. Martinez was once touted as one of Argentina’s most promising young players. But his career panned out quite differently.

Pity Martinez recounts excellent treatment at Al Nassr before the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo

Pity Martinez is most widely known for his goal in the 2018 Copa Libertadores final between River Plate and Boca Juniors which took place at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. But in September of 2022, he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called ‘pericarditis’. This was when he was playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Now, the current River Plate attacker has looked back on that period and the excellent treatment he received while he was in the Middle East. As a Saudi Arabian media person revealed recently on X, Martinez said, “My days with the Saudi #AlNassr Club were the best in my sports career.” “Wonderful treatment, attractive environment, and great fans.” “Truly, the days of victory were the most beautiful in my life.”

Pity Martinez also played in the MLS for Atlanta United in the 2019/20 season. Of course, this was much before the arrival of Messi to the MLS. But the Argentine attacker did get 3 caps for the Argentina national team. He even scored one goal in La Albiceleste‘s 3-0 win over Guatemala in 2018.

Also read: After Branding Own Nation a ‘Circus’, Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo Torn to Shreds Over Criticism on Portuguese TV Show

Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi share mixed fortunes during recent international break

However, for both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the recent international break served up mixed fortunes. Messi scored what was Argentina’s winning goal in their 1-0 win over Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. It was a game where Messi scored a stunning free kick to give his country the win.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, put in a sub-par performance captaining Portugal against Slovakia; a performance he was widely criticized for. Both Messi and Ronaldo would miss their countries’ second games, i.e. against Bolivia and Luxembourg respectively; Messi was rested, while CR7 was suspended.

But both national sides came away with big wins despite their captains’ absences. Argentina won 3-0 against Bolivia while Portugal smashed 9 past Luxembourg. However, now it’s back to club soccer for both players as Messi returns to Inter Miami, while Ronaldo goes back to Saudi Arabia, in their bid to win titles for their new employers.

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