Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of Portugal, put an end to weeks of rumours regarding his club future by agreeing to a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. This deal will reportedly make him the highest-paid player in the world. Ronaldo leaves for Asia to play, putting an end to Europe’s long reign.
After the Portuguese star made derogatory remarks about the team, its owners, and manager Erik ten Hag in a scathing television interview in November, Ronaldo’s contract with his previous club Manchester United was amicably terminated. Ronaldo was playing in the FIFA World Cup without a club contract, and his performance suffered as a result of rumours regarding his future with the team.
Al Nassr, who compete in the top Saudi division, said on Saturday that Ronaldo has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the team that would keep him there through the summer of 2025.
Reuters, a news agency, reported that reports indicated Ronaldo’s contract is worth “above 200 million euros (USD 214.04 million)” despite Al Nassr not disclosing the financial terms.
The Saudi Arabian team, which is aiming to add to its nine Saudi Pro League trophies, will benefit greatly from Ronaldo’s arrival. Al Nassr, who last won the league championship in 2019, will also aim to become the first team to win the AFC Champions League. When discussing his choice to join Al Nassr, Ronaldo claimed that the moment was right to relocate to Asia. The veteran campaigner, who is regarded as one of the best in the world, is travelling to Asia for what could be his final campaign.
Despite Portugal’s early elimination from the World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo gave the impression that he would still play for them. Ronaldo, 37, is unlikely to continue playing for his country until the 2026 World Cup. Notably, Fernando Santos, who resigned after Portugal’s quarterfinal elimination, benched Ronaldo for Portugal’s knockout games.
According to Ronaldo, who was reported by Al Nassr, “I feel that this is the appropriate time to share my experience in Asia because I am lucky to have won all I set out to win in European football.”
“I am looking forward to working with my new teammates and achieving success with the Club.”
Ronaldo emphasized that the Portuguese player has won the majority of the top awards in European football.
During his debut season at Manchester United, Ronaldo won three Premier League championships, as well as the Champions League, FA Cup, and two League Cups. In 2021, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United to great acclaim and anticipation. However, things turned ugly between him and Erik Ten Hag, and his departure seemed inescapable. After Ronaldo’s heated conversation with Piers Morgan right before the World Cup, his relationship with the Premier League’s powerhouse clubs came to an end.
Then, from 2009 to 2018, Ronaldo enjoyed an incredible run at Real Madrid, where he won three Club World Cups, four Champions League titles, two Spanish Cups, and two LaLiga championships.
He went on to score 451 goals for Real, a club record, and has more over 800 senior goals for club and country total. In his three years at Juventus, Ronaldo won the Copa Italia and two Serie A championships.
