Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is joining Saudi Arabian club team AI Nassr in a deal. That will see him play until 2025.
“History in the making,” AL Nassr FC wrote in a Twitter post on its official English-language account.
“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 Saudi club quoted Cristiano Ronaldo as saying he is “eager to experience a new football league in a different country”.
The 37-year-old captain of Portugal’s national soccer team. Who left Manchester United after a spectacular altercation with part of the club’s administration, is now a free agent.
Following months of rumors and conjecture. The news of Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract was made public on Friday,. Regardless of whether he would choose a Saudi team after receiving numerous significant offers totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.
Cristiano Ronaldo Rejects offers
Cristiano Ronaldo rejected a contract offer from Al Hilal. A different Saudi team, in the summer, would have paid him almost $370 million over several years.
According to some publications, Cristiano Ronaldo makes almost $200 million annually with Al Nassr. When commercial deals are taken into account. If this is accurate, it would be the highest wage in the history of sports.
Fabrizio Romano, a well-known soccer reporter, detailed the contract in a tweet. Who referred to it as the “highest pay ever in the sport.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract prolongs his career and provides a large financial return because at 37 he is already past the typical retirement age for a professional soccer player. Ronaldo received a staggering $605,000 each week as part of his deal with Manchester United. He is one of the all-time highest-paid athletes.
AI Nassr Establishment
Al Nassr, one of Saudi Arabia’s first soccer clubs, was founded in Riyadh in 1955. And has won nine Saudi Premier League championships. Rudi Garcia, a French national who has managed elite European clubs like Roma, Olympique de Marseille, and Lille, is the team’s current manager.
As the oil-rich and conservative monarchy develops its sports, entertainment, and other industries to draw tourists, talent, and investment. The country’s economy would become more diversified. If this were done because it is commonly known that Saudi teams can provide big remuneration to foreign players. Saudi Arabia has made a proposal to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030.
Ronaldo holds the record for the most Goals scored
With 819 goals scored in his career as of the end of 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most goals scored in the history of professional soccer. He amassed an incredible 450 goals for the Spanish team Real Madrid, 145 goals in 346 games for Manchester United, 118 goals for the Portuguese national team, and 101 goals for the Italian club Juventus.
In addition to his soccer accomplishments, Cristiano Ronaldo has a sizable social media following. which, without a question, is very important to the Saudi Arabian administration. As it works to promote its nation. In 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo, who presently has 525 million Instagram followers alone, became the first athlete to surpass a combined 500 million followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Cristiano Ronaldo participated in his final World Cup in Qatar 2022. When he became the first player to score in five different FIFA World Cups by scoring a game-winning goal against Ghana. Later, Morocco’s team eliminated Portugal from the competition.