Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the middle-east after enduring a disappointing FIFA World Cup tournament in Qatar. However, this time, the 37-year-old was all smiles as he announced his move to Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr as a free agent. A transfer which was being speculated for last few weeks has been confirmed by both the player as well as the Saudi side, who marked the move as ‘history in making’.
The Portugal captain was without a club ahead of January market, and was expected to find one in time before the window shut. His agent, Jorge Mendes too was working vigorously to find his client a suitor in the next days as reports of him holding talks with Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid emerged. However, Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr has come as a bit of a shocker as it bids adieu to his European journey.
Cristiano Ronaldo to earn a mindboggling €200 per-year
Ronaldo met an abrupt end to his Manchester United journey after falling out with the club over his interview to Piers Morgan wherein he slammed them left and right. As a result, both the parties agreed to mutually terminate his contract before the Portuguese international kick-started his World Cup campaign. Another disappointment for Ronaldo in the Portugal camp as after starting the tournament with a goal in the first game, his form started fading away.
It went from bad to worse for the striker after a fallout with coach Fernando Santos led to his axing from the starting line-up in Portugal’s last 16 and quarterfinals fixture. And eventually they were shocked by Morocco in the quarterfinals as the African side sent Ronaldo’s team packing. Back in Europe from Qatar, Ronaldo was desperately searching for a club and wanted to sign a agreement before the January window opened.
The former Real Madrid striker has now accepted the proposal of Al Nassr which was lying on his table from months. Cristiano Ronaldo sent shockwaves across the world after announcing his move to Al Nassr, where he will now become the best paid athlete of all time. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at the club which will run till the summer of 2025.
Furthermore, he will pocket a gigantic salary of €200 million net per-year, which also includes image rights and other commercial deals, making it the biggest wages any sport has seen. While Al Nassr previously too had made attempts to entice Ronaldo, they have now finally tasted success in landing the most glamorous personality in world football. After completing his move to the Saudi side, Ronaldo expressed:
“I can’t wait to discover a new football league in a different country. 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. The vision with which Al Nassr operates is very inspiring and I am looking forward to joining my new team mates and together with them help the club to achieve success.”
A Champions League winner on five occasions, Cristiano Ronaldo also leaves the competition as its all-time top scorer and appearance maker. Its a shame the former Man United striker had to say goodbye to European football in this way, with his last game in the continent being a devastating 3-1 loss to Aston Villa last month in the Premier League. However, with a staggering 949 games and 701 goals in Europe across spells with Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo scripted an unparalleled legacy.