Ronaldo's New Deal With Saudi's Al Nassr FC Sets multiple records for the Club

Cristiano Ronaldo's Contract With Saudi Arabian Al Nassr Football Club Makes Him the Highest-Paid Athlete in History

Soccer's megastar, Cristiano Ronaldo, has joined the Al Nassr Club of Saudi Arabia after signing a 2.5-year deal with the club. The contract is said to be worth around $75 million annually without commercial deals, making it the most expensive 'transfer' in Saudi Arabian football history.

Reports estimate Ronaldo's total annual compensation to be close to €200 million ($214.5M), including commercial deals. With such a whooping sum of over $214 million annual (£173million per seasonal) pay, C. Ronaldo is not only the highest-paid player in the world but the highest-paid athlete in history, through the deal with Saudi's Al Nassr Club. This is a huge sum over Kylian Mbappé who held the title of the highest-paid footballer with $128M annual pay as of 2022. "C. Boy's" contract with Al Nassr is set to expire by 2025 after the two-and-a-half-year period.

The Portuguese international, and former Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus player, Ronaldo, said in a statement that he was delighted to join the Al Nassr Club as an opportunity to have a new experience in a different country.

"The vision with which Al Nassr operates is very inspiring, and I am delighted to join my teammates so that together we can help the team achieve greater success," he tweeted.

Confirming the deal last week, Al Nassr FC tweeted, "History in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation, and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome @Cristiano to your new home @AlNassrFC". The club also hailed the deal as history in the making.

In just a few days after Ronaldo officially signed a deal with the club, Al Nassr FC's Instagram account followers skyrocketed from 860k followers to 7.5M as of the time of this report. The photo of Ronaldo holding the club's jersey had also seen over 32.5 million reactions.

(ads1)

About Ronaldo's New Football Club, Al Nassr FC

Al Nassr FC is one of the most successful in Saudi Arabia and had claimed a total of nine league titles in the Saudi League. Their most recent domestic success came in the 2018/19 season.

The club is managed by former French player and professional football manager, Rudi Garcia, and is currently top of the Saudi Professional League. Al Nassr FC finished second in the Saudi's league last season and qualified for the 2019 AFC Champions League. They are currently in first place in the league table with 26 points.

What Ronaldo's Contract Mean for Al Nassr FC

Ronaldo, 34, is one of the most decorated players in the history of the game, having won five Ballon d’Or awards, five Champions League titles, and two La Liga titles.

The Portuguese captain left Manchester United last month after a controversial television interview in which he accused the club of betrayal, and that he would not respect his Dutch Manager, Erik ten Hag. The statement led to the termination of his contract with Man U. This left him clubless during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, giving Al Nassr a unique opportunity to get their luck.

With 700 goals in club football and 100 goals in international football, Ronaldo is seen as a savior to the Saudi club. His move is seen as a major coup for Al Nassr, and it is expected to bring a huge surge of interest in the club from both inside and outside the country. However, it might also see Ronaldo's retirement which he already announced during the World Cup period.