Recently, 6 time Ballon d’Or and 5 time UEFA Champions League Winner Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr in a $200 million a year, 2.5 year contract, lasting until June 25, 2025.
After leaving Champions League soccer club Manchester United, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo remained a free agent heading into the World Cup.
In 2021, Ronaldo switched clubs from Juventus, where he had spent 3 seasons, to Manchester United, where he had previously played for 6 seasons (2003-2009). In November 2022, Ronaldo left Manchester United again after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, a British broadcaster. In this interview, Ronaldo revealed that he felt “betrayed” by the club management and that he was being forced out.
Ronaldo said, “Yes I feel betrayed, and I felt some people don’t want me here, not just this year, but last year too.”
Previously in October 2022, Manchester United coach Ten Hag said Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur. Ronaldo was then kept on the bench against Chelsea the following Saturday.
When speaking of Ten Hag, Ronaldo said, “I don’t have respect for him because he doesn’t show respect for me. If you don’t respect me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
Ronaldo’s contract with Manchester United was set to expire in June 2023, but after mutual agreement following the controversial interviews, his contract was terminated in November 2022. On December 30, 2022, Ronaldo announced his new contract with Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Nassr.
Before his move to Al Nassr, there had been rumors circulating for months that Ronaldo would join a Saudi Arabian team, as he had already received multiple, lucrative offers, with contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. More specifically, during the summer of 2022 when he was still at Manchester United, Ronaldo turned down a $370 million contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.
Ronaldo’s current contract will see him play for Al Nassr until June 2025, making him the highest paid soccer player in history, with a salary of $200 million per year.
Al-Nassr was founded in Riyadh in 1955. It is one of Saudi Arabia’s oldest soccer clubs, and has won nine Saudi Premier League titles. The team’s current manager is Rudi Garcia, who has previously managed prestigious European clubs such as Roma, Olympique de Marseille, and Olympique de Lille.
On December 30, 2022, official social media pages of Al Nassr announced Ronaldo’s signing with the club, saying, “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.”
Ronaldo commented on his new contract saying, “I am excited to experience a new football league in a different country. The vision of what Al Nassr is 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.”
Ronaldo further said, “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. I am looking forward to joining my new teammates and together with them, help the club to achieve success.”
By signing with Al Nassr, Ronaldo is now the highest profile player to ever play in an Asian football league.
On January 19, 2023 Ronaldo made his debut for Al Nassr in a friendly match against Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (PSG). Ronaldo not only made history with this game, but also continued his rivalry with Lionel Messi, another of the greatest players of all time. Ronaldo scored two goals in the match, but ultimately, PSG prevailed 5-4.
All across the world, fans are excited to see Ronaldo enter a new stage in his career. He has contributed so much to the sport already and looks to cement an already storied legacy in the coming years.
Additional Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/13/football/ronaldo-manchester-united-betrayal-intl-hnk-spt/index.html
https://www.forbes.com/profile/cristiano-ronaldo/?sh=301a16f565dc