The sponsor of Cristiano Ronaldo’s wealth is the Saudi Arabian football league: saudi pro league.
The star of the number 7 will not be able to fulfill the dream of playing in the next UEFA Champions League from his new club Al Nassr, but in exchange, he will receive great bonuses, the most significant being salary.
At 37 years of age (almost 38 in February) and not having been the undisputed starter with the Portugal National Team in the Qatar World Cup, Cristiano became the highest-paid athlete in the world before the end of 2022, since the contract with the Arab team is estimated at 200 million dollars with a validity until June 2025. On the other hand, Cristiano’s current market value is the lowest of his entire career, estimated at 21.4 million dollars, far from the 128 million that it reached in 2014 with Real Madrid, according to figures from Transfermarkt.
Even before signing the contract, Mbappé has the place of the highest paid player in soccer. The Frenchman signed a new contract with Paris Saint-German in May 2022. Elsewhere on PSG’s roster, Lionel Messi made $65 million and Neymar made $55 million in on-pitch money last year.
“I am excited to experience a new soccer league in a different country,” said the Portuguese.
In the summer, Ronaldo turned down an offer from another Saudi club, Al Hilal, which would have given him a contract worth around €350 million over several years. At that time, he chose to stay at Manchester United.
With five Ballon d’Ors, CR7 arrives at a home with a stadium with a capacity for 25,000 people and until the last day of December 2022, the team is the leader of the tournament. In the saudi pro league a direct ticket to the African Champions League is awarded to the champion.
Cristiano will have to adapt to a dimension that cannot be compared to the large audiences such as those attracted by Real Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United, that is, brilliant teams among the five major European leagues. Today he put those scenarios aside for a better financial reward.
Al Nassr, founded in 1955, is one of the oldest clubs in Saudi Arabia and has won nine Saudi Premier League titles. The broadcasting rights are held by the Saudi Sports Company (SSC) and they broadcast the games in the Middle East and North Africa. With Ronaldo, more eyes will be added to the region. The club presented him as the best player in its history and also gives him a touch of prestige, a bulwark that seeks Arab football and sport as an engine of the economy and soft power.
(At the end of 2022) Ronaldo has a total of 819 goals in his career. He scored 450 goals for Real Madrid, 145 goals in 346 games for Manchester United, 118 for the Portuguese national team and 101 for Juventus.
Ronaldo played in his last World Cup during the 2022 Qatar tournament, setting a new record as the first player to score in five different World Cups. Subsequently, the Portuguese team was eliminated from the tournament by Morocco.
The money that Cristiano will receive comes from the coffers of Musalli Al-Muammar, president of the club for 39 years, supported by Prince Khalid bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz.
“Happy to have one of the best players in the world starting his new career in Saudi Arabia. Welcome Christian to the kingdom,” Saudi Arabian Sports Minister Turki Al-Faisal tweeted.
