Ronaldo becomes highest-paid footballer ever after joining Al Nassr in record-breaking deal
CGTN

Cristiano Ronaldo (L) is presented with Al-Nassr's number seven jersey by club president Musalli Al-Muammar in Madrid, Spain, December 30, 2022. /Al-Nassr's official Twitter account

Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in men's international football with 118 goals, has joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr on an astounding 200 million euro ($214 million) a year contract, which is thought to be the highest salary in football history, following his rancorous departure from English giants Manchester United.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was pictured in a tweet from Al Nassr's official account holding up the club's blue and yellow shirt with his iconic number seven printed on the back. He has signed a two-and-a-half year contract to June 2025 and will be unveiled to fans in Riyadh in the coming days.

"The world's greatest athlete, officially signed for Al Nassr," read a statement. "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."

Cristiano Ronaldo holds up the Al-Nassr's blue and yellow shirt in Madrid, Spain, December 30, 2022. /Al-Nassr's official Twitter account


The stunning move to Asia has dramatically ended Ronaldo's trophy-laden career as the leading talisman at some of Europe's most prestigious clubs, including Spanish behemoth Real Madrid, Italian powerhouse Juventus and United, that spanned two decades.

"I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia," said Ronaldo. "I am looking forward to joining my new teammates and together with them help the club to achieve success.

"I am excited to experience a new football league in a different country. The vision of what Al Nassr are doing and developing in Saudi Arabia both in terms of men's and women's football is very inspiring. We can see from Saudi Arabia’s recent performance at the World Cup that this is a country with big football ambitions and a lot of potential."

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal walks off the pitch after his team's World Cup loss to Morocco at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, December 10, 2022. /CFP


Nine-time Saudi Pro League champions, Al Nassr are coached by the former Roma and Lyon boss Rudi Garcia and currently sit second in the league table. It has been claimed that part of Ronaldo's role at the club will be to help Saudi Arabia's joint bid with Egypt and Greece to host the 2030 World Cup.

The history-making deal with Al Nassr caps a tumultuous few weeks for Ronaldo, starting with an explosive, unauthorized interview that saw his United career come to a bitter end and a humiliating elimination from the World Cup in Qatar where the Portugal captain lost his place in the starting lineup.

Portuguese sports newspaper Record revealed that Ronaldo threatened to leave the World Cup after being told he would not start against Switzerland, but Portugal coach Fernando Santos denied that had happened and only admitted that his skipper was not happy.

Cristiano Ronaldo (R) of Portugal sits on the bench during his team's World Cup clash with Morocco at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, December 10, 2022. /CFP

"I've no regrets," Santos said about his bold decision to demote Ronaldo. "I do not think that what happened to Cristiano and all the criticism that he faced had any impact on the match... Cristiano is a great player and he came in when we thought it was necessary."

At club level, Ronaldo also experienced a miserable period. He refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham at Old Trafford in October before claiming he had been "betrayed" by United. He launched a sensational verbal attack on manager Ten Hag after he was benched by the Dutch tactician and publicly hit out at United's owners the Glazer family.

After terminating his contact with United last month, Ronaldo became a free agent. He had been linked with Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Napoli but none of those European titans made concrete offers.\

Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United looks on prior to the team's Europa League clash with Sheriff Tiraspol at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, October 27, 2022. /CFP


The fiercely competitive Ronaldo the world knows would have done something spectacular on the pitch to answer his critics and change the whole narrative. But regrettably, he was largely powerless in the twilight of his career and struggled to have any impact throughout his limited playing time.

"I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never change," said Ronaldo on social media after leaving Old Trafford. "But it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge."

Now the 37-year-old has to accept the cold reality that he will see out his last years as professional player far away from the mainstream of top level football.