Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly became the highest-paid footballer in the world after signing a contract with the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr for the next two and a half years. Ronaldo is the captain of Portugal’s national team. As a result of Ronaldo’s decision to compete in Asia, his years of dominance in Europe will end.
In a televised interview in November, Ronaldo made critical remarks about his former club Manchester United, its owners, and manager Erik ten Hag. As a result, Manchester United and Ronaldo mutually agreed to terminate his contract with the soccer team. Ronaldo didn’t have a club contract when the World Cup was played, and there were rumblings about his club future. As a result, his performance was subpar.
Al Nassr, who compete in the Saudi premier league, released a statement on Saturday confirming Ronaldo’s signing and revealing that the 37-year-old signed a contract that will keep him with the club until the summer of 2025.
Al Nassr did not disclose the contract’s financial terms, although Reuters reported that Ronaldo’s contract is for “above 200 million euros” (USD 214.04 million).
The addition of Ronaldo will strengthen the Saudi Arabian club’s chances of adding to its nine Saudi Pro League titles. Al Nassr, which won the league championship for the last time in 2019, will also attempt to win the AFC Champions League for the first time.
Asian Relocation
Ronaldo explained his choice to sign with Al Nassr by stating that the moment was ripe to relocate to Asia. The senior competitor, regarded as one of the greatest in the world, is travelling to Asia for what could be his final race.
Ronaldo suggested he would continue to play for Portugal despite the team’s early elimination from the World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo is unlikely to continue playing international football until the 2026 World Cup. Notably, Ronaldo was benched for Portugal’s knockout matches by Fernando Santos, who resigned following the team’s elimination in the quarterfinals.
Ronaldo emphasised that he has won the majority of the most prestigious awards in European football.
Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, and two League Cups during his first stay with the Old Trafford club. In 2021, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United amid considerable excitement and anticipation. However, his relationship with Erik Ten Hag deteriorated, and a departure appeared imminent. Just before the World Cup, Ronaldo’s incendiary chat with Piers Morgan led to the end of his affiliation with Premier League heavyweights.
From 2009 to 2018, Ronaldo played for Real Madrid, where he won two LaLiga titles, two Spanish Cups, four Champions League trophies, and three Club World Cups.
He has scored 451 goals for Real, which is a club record, and more than 800 goals for club and country. At Juventus, Ronaldo won two Serie A crowns and one Coppa Italia trophy in three years.
