“Always very happy by your side” – Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother shares adorable picture with the Portuguese superstar in Riyadh

Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro has shared an adorable photo with her son in the Saudi Arabian capital.

She is seen sitting on a chair with the Portugal icon by her side. The photo's translated caption reads:

"Always very happy by your side ❤️"

The 68-year-old seems to be exploring Riyadh after landing in the capital city last week. Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Al-Nassr in late December has meant that the majority of his family members have been visiting Riyadh in recent weeks.

Ronaldo and his mother share a close relationship off the pitch. His father died in 2005 of liver failure and never got the chance to watch his son become one of the biggest sportspersons in history.

His mother has stood by the former Real Madrid forward's side through thick and thin. She even chimed in with her opinion when her son's second stint at Manchester United was nearing its end.

Journalist Luis Osorio notably criticized manager Erik ten Hag for his treatment of the five-time Ballon d'Or. He wrote (h/t Sun):

"As far as the Dutchman who has managed you in these last few months goes, I just want to laugh. How can you compare what you are to a miserable footnote in football history!"

Aveiro shared Osorio's post on her social media profile with clapping emojis to show her agreement with the journalist's opinion (h/t Economic Times). Cristiano Ronaldo subsequently became a free agent and went on to join Al-Nassr in late December.

He has since registered five goals and two assists in five games across competitions, including a brace of assists in his team's recent 2-1 win against Al-Taawoun.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has become a one-man army up front for Al-Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo has played a part in all of Al-Nassr's last seven goals across competitions this season.

He drew a blank in his first two official games for the club. The 2016 UEFA European Championship winner broke his duck in Saudi Arabia when he scored his team's second goal in a 2-2 draw against Al-Fateh on 3 February.

Ronaldo then scored four goals past Al-Wehda six days later as his team won 4-0. His latest exploits came in the form of two assists against Al-Taawoun on 17 February as his team retained their spot at the top of the league table.

Lionel Messi is quickly catching up to his tally of career goals at club level, which will be added motivation for the 38-year-old to continue his impressive form. The Argentina icon has 699 career goals at club level as compared to Ronaldo's 706.