When he touched down in Saudi Arabia to complete his move to Al-Nassr, it was no surprise to see Cristiano Ronaldo flanked by his close friend Ricardo Regufe.
The pair have been almost inseparable since meeting back in 2003, with Regufe a constant presence in every step of Ronaldo's career, from the teenage prodigy at Sporting Lisbon to the global icon signing a record breaking deal in Saudi Arabia.
Regufe was responsible for orchestrating Ronaldo's sensational £175million-a-year move, with the 43-year-old a vital presence in the star's life as both his friend and personal manager.
Known as Ricky, he has constantly been pictured by Ronaldo's side throughout his career. Whether that's when the star has collected the Ballon d'Or, gone on holiday, and even within the Portuguese national team set-up - much to the alleged annoyance of the star's team-mates.
The pair's friendship stretches back 20 years having first met back in 2003. Regufe had himself given up on his own dream of becoming a professional footballer at the age of 21, when he began pursuing a career in sports marketing.
He was recruited by Nike to look after their interests in his native Portugal, with the junior PR man meeting a then 16-year-old Ronaldo at Sporting Lisbon.
Regufe was a big influence in ensuring Ronaldo formed close ties with the sportswear giant, successfully convinced the teenage winger to sign a boot deal with Nike, which has become more lucrative ever since.
Regufe admitted himself that the deal was a gamechanger for Ronaldo, Nike and himself.
'Having started working for Nike at the age of 21 was a dream come true! And I was far from knowing that it would change my life forever! 2 years after I started I have signed the best player of all time,' Regufe wrote on LinkedIn.
'That was a complete game changer for Nike, for CR and for me obviously! What an amazing journey it was! 18 years working for such a great company with so many talented colleagues, players, coaches, agents, etc.
'Have learned a lot with all of them. It helped me to reach the best I could through a lot of dedication, passion, hard-work, resilience and consistency! There's no finish line...!'
While managing Ronaldo's commercial endorsements was the initial role for Regufe, the bond has stretched well beyond the superstar forward's business interests.
Ronaldo has regularly posted photos for Regufe alongside his family, sharing meals with him and his son. The closeness between the pair led to their relationship being given the monkier 'Cricky'.
The executive's social media accounts have also documented his travels with Ronaldo, including visits to see UFC star Conor McGregor and boxer Gennady Golovkin.
Despite becoming a fixture in Ronaldo's life including serving as the camerman on occassions for major events, including his arrival in Saudi Arabia, Regufe has also shared photos of his personal life on Instagram.
He is married to fashion blogger Claudia Dinis - who were both seen sporting Ronaldo shirts on their social media channels - with the pair having a daughter.
Regufe overall work throughout his career has earned praised, with Liverpool's current sporting director Julian Ward among those to have spoken fondly of him. Ward endorsed the executive on LinkedIn in 2013, having previously worked at the Portuguese FA between 2008 and 2010.
'Ricardo is an intelligent and organised professional who has established strong relations with coaches, players and practitioners working in elite level sport,' Ward wrote.
Ricardo has a clear appreciation of the demands of the international and professional sport. His knowledge of the football industry allowed him to identify and support top athletes representing the Nike brand.
'His excellent personal skills, integrity and approachable manner meant he was always a pleasure to work alongside.'
According to the Athletic, Regufe was viewed similarly by Manchester United, with Ronaldo's personal manger seen as an 'effective operator' but the club, possessing the 'ability to convince the star to do things'.
The club's hierarchy reportedly considered Regufe as the first point of contact should they require the star to make appearances for the club off the pitch.
The extend of Regufe's role in Ronaldo's life has, however, rubbed others up the wrong way, with his presence having been a source of controversy during Portugal's World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Regufe was claimed to have an 'excessive influence' over the star, according to reports in Portugal, with number of players having not been able to 'understand the reason' for him joining up with the squad.
Ronaldo's personal manager was said to be sharing spaces designated for players, with some questioning why he is always in close proximity with the team - including during match-days.
Yet, Regufe has long been seen within the Portuguese set-up, sharing in Ronaldo's successes and disappointments with the national team.
Regufe has since been seen pitchside on numerous occasions, most notably becoming the first to celebrate with the forward when Portugal triumphed in the Euro 2016 final, a match where Ronaldo had tearfully been forced off with an injury.
Such is their relationship, the pair were seen collapsing into each other's arms on the pitch following the extra time triumph against France.
Having largely managed the commercial side of Ronaldo's career, Regufe's influence has reportedly expanded in recent years, since leaving Nike to become his personal manager in 2018.
His involvement grew further following Ronaldo's split with super agent Jorge Mendes, who had overseen Ronaldo's big money moves throughout his career.
The split followed an alleged disagreement over Ronaldo's controversial interview with Piers Morgan, with hastened his exit from Manchester United in November.
Like Mendes, Regufe is believed to have advised Ronaldo against the interview, which was seen to have ended any lingering hopes of joining a major European side.
Regufe however instead stepped forward to lead negotiations for his move to Al-Nassr, making his increased involvement in his sporting career.
With Ronaldo embarking on a new journey in Saudi Arabia, the 'unique player' will undoubtedly have Regufe by his side every step of the way to support the new life he and his family are set to have in the Middle East.