Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portuguese soccer star, has set a new record after joining the Saudi Arabian Pro League team Al-Nassr. He is now the highest-paid footballer in history, with a reported yearly salary of $200 million. After leaving Manchester United, Ronaldo relocated to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and is expected to add significantly to his wealth, which he has acquired both through his on-field achievements and off-field endeavors.
The highly-acclaimed forward was previously earning an impressive $600,000 per week with Manchester United, but his new contract with Al-Nassr is said to pay him more than $1 million each week. As reported by ESPN in 2020, Ronaldo became the first footballer to surpass $1 billion in career earnings. He had previously left Juventus to return to Manchester United in 2021 but abruptly left the club prior to the 2022 World Cup due to a disagreement with its management.
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Recently, a comedian named “bajancomedian” included a skit about Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Manchester United to Al-Nassr in a stand-up comedy performance. Where he made several jokes about Ronaldo, one of his jokes was “The guy got offered 172 million per year and talking about integrity What? Listen, I would pay for Al Qaeda if they promise me to pay my gas bills. I am there mate”
According to ESPN, Ronaldo expressed excitement about playing in a new league in a different country and stated that after achieving all of his goals in Europe, he is now focused on contributing to the success of Al-Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s staggering Al-Nassr contract
Cristiano Ronaldo recently signed with the Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr on a highly lucrative two-and-a-half-year agreement. This contract will result in the Portuguese legend, who was a free agent after departing from Manchester United in November, receiving one of the largest salaries in the sports world.
State-owned media in Saudi Arabia reported that Ronaldo will receive $200 million annually at Al-Nassr. CBS Sports states that of this salary, $74 million is for playing football, while the remaining $133 million is for commercial agreements and image rights.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the Highest Paid Athlete at 37 years old 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳. pic.twitter.com/nEEhDwGoyq
— Renmi (@mistaremi) December 31, 2022
In addition to his salary, Ronaldo will also serve as an ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2030 World Cup. Ironically, their bid, which is a collaboration with Egypt and Greece, will face strong competition from Portugal, who is planning to submit a bid in conjunction with Spain and Ukraine.
Ronaldo’s salary far surpasses that of his rival Lionel Messi, who earns approximately $43 million annually at Paris Saint-Germain Football Club.
