Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasser that expires in 2025.
The Portuguese captain, who left Manchester United after a contentious interview in which he criticized the team, is now a free agent.
According to reports, Ronaldo will earn more than £177 million annually, the highest football pay in history.
“I’m keen to explore a new football league in a different country,” the 37-year-old claims.
“I am lucky to have achieved what I set out to achieve in European football, and I feel that this is the appropriate time to share my expertise in Asia,” Ronaldo continued.
Al Nasser, a nine-time winner of the Saudi Pro League, called the deal “history in the making.”
Rob Blanchette a broadcaster on Twitter added this Tweet
To “inspire our league, nation, and future generations, boys and girls to be the best versions of themselves,” the club declared.
Ronaldo declined a £305 million offer to join Al Hilal in the summer because he was content playing for Manchester United.
The striker expressed his views in a Piers Morgan interview for TalkTV earlier in November, saying he felt “betrayed” by United, didn’t respect manager Erik ten Hag, and was being ejected from the team.
In August 2021, 11 years after leaving Juventus to join Real Madrid, Ronaldo—who scored 145 goals in 346 games for United—returned to the Old Trafford club.
His £500,000 per week deal with United had just over seven months left, but his sudden departure was “mutually accepted.”
After United’s defeat at Goodison Park in April, he was given a two-match domestic suspension the day after leaving the club for striking a phone out of an Everton supporter’s hand.
Although it does not apply at continental club level, such as the Champions League, he will serve the suspension with any new team, whether they are in England or elsewhere.
Ronaldo recently got back from representing Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar, where he created history by scoring against Ghana to help his team win the opening match and become the first player to score at five different Fifa World Cups.
Previous transfers by Ronaldo
Date Club Entered Fee: August 12, 2003
Manchester United $12,24 million
Real Madrid £80m as of July 6, 2009
10.7.18 Juventus £99.2.11 31.08.2021
Manchester United $13.2 million
