Cristiano Ronaldo signs with Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Nassr for reported record-breaking salary

Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is joining Saudi Arabian nine squad Al Nassr successful a woody that volition spot him play until June 2025.

"History successful the making," Al Nassr FC wrote successful a Twitter station connected its authoritative English-language account.

"This is simply a signing that volition not lone animate our nine to execute adjacent greater occurrence but animate our league, our federation and aboriginal generations, boys and girls to beryllium the champion mentation of themselves. Welcome Cristiano to your caller location AlNassrFC."

The Saudi nine quoted Ronaldo arsenic saying helium is "eager to acquisition a caller shot league successful a antithetic country."

The 37-year aged Portugal squad skipper is simply a escaped cause aft leaving large British nine Manchester United pursuing a melodramatic fallout with immoderate of its management.

The quality of Ronaldo's signing Friday follows months of rumors and speculation arsenic to whether helium would articulation a Saudi team, arsenic much than 1 had made sizeable offers successful the hundreds of millions of dollars. In the summer, Ronaldo turned down an connection from a antithetic Saudi club, Al Hilal, which would person fixed him a astir $370 cardinal declaration implicit a fig of years. A the time, helium chose to enactment astatine Manchester United, saying helium was blessed there.

Multiple outlets person cited Ronaldo's wage with Al Nassr astatine astir $200 cardinal per twelvemonth erstwhile commercialized agreements are included — which, if confirmed, would beryllium the largest-ever wage successful the past of the sport.

Prominent shot newsman Fabrizio Romano outlined the declaration woody successful a tweet, calling it the "biggest wage ever successful football."

At 37, Ronaldo is astatine the mean status property for a nonrecreational shot player, truthful his signing extends his vocation with a important fiscal return. Ronaldo's declaration astatine Manchester United saw him earning an eye-watering $605,000 per week. He is 1 of the highest-paid athletes successful history.

The Al Nassr declaration volition reportedly see Ronaldo taking location much than $1 cardinal per week.

Al Nassr, founded successful Riyadh successful 1955, is 1 Saudi Arabia's oldest shot clubs and has won 9 Saudi Premier League titles. The team's existent manager is French nationalist Rudi Garcia, whose resume includes managing top-tier European clubs similar Roma, Olympique de Marseille and Lille.

Saudi clubs are known for their quality to connection overseas players ample paychecks, peculiarly arsenic the oil-rich and blimpish kingdom builds up its sports, amusement and different industries to pull tourism, endowment and concern that volition assistance diversify its economy. Saudi Arabia has made a bid to big the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Ronaldo is the highest goal-scorer successful the past of nonrecreational soccer, with a full of 819 career goals scored arsenic of the extremity of 2022. He scored a whopping 450 goals for Spanish squad Real Madrid, 145 goals successful 346 games for Manchester United, 118 for the Portuguese nationalist team, and 101 for Italian nine Juventus.

In summation to Ronaldo's shot achievements is his immense societal media pursuing — thing apt of precocious worth to the Saudi kingdom arsenic it seeks to gully much affirmative attraction to the country. Ronaldo became the archetypal jock to surpass a combined 500 cardinal followers Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and different platforms successful 2021.

Ronaldo played successful his past World Cup during the Qatar 2022 tournament, mounting a caller grounds arsenic the archetypal antheral to people successful 5 antithetic FIFA World Cups erstwhile helium made the winning extremity against Ghana. The Portuguese squad was aboriginal knocked retired of the tourney by Morocco.