In addition to his club salary, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo will receive EUR 200 million to support Saudi Arabia’s joint 2030 World Cup bid, a source close to his club told AFP on Monday.
The 37-year-old Portuguese superstar is without a doubt the most well-known player to sign for a club in Saudi Arabia or any other Gulf nation. He was introduced to thousands of Al Nassr supporters in Riyadh last week. Along with Egypt and Greece, the oil-rich kingdom is considering a bid to host the world championship of football in 2030, and Ronaldo’s ambassadorial role will increase his reported earnings in the nation to over EUR 400 million (USD 428 million).
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus player arrived just a few weeks after Qatar’s neighbor, who is also its neighbor, became the first Arab country to host the World Cup.
On January 22, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has also won the Champions League five times and holds the scoring record for that competition, is anticipated to make his Al Nassr debut. Senior royals who support Al Nassr supported the agreement, according to the source, including Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as “MBS.”
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The source said that MBS (and his brothers), Naif, Turki, and Rakan, are all honorary members of Al Nassr and have been since before their father even became the crown prince.
“They wanted to give their beloved club the upper hand and make it famous around the world. Bringing the best player in the world was the best course of action.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF), the conservative kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, has funded the transaction, the source continued. Al Nassr and the other Saudi clubs lack this enormous fund for such a significant event. The source claimed that PIF had made the payment secure.
The PIF recently engaged in other high-profile sporting endeavors, such as buying the majority of Newcastle United’s stock in the English Premier League. The lucrative LIV Golf League, which has divided the elite golf community by luring away top players from the US PGA Tour and DP World Tour, has also been funded by it.
Another source close to Al Nassr claims that the princes were responsible for initiating the unexpected Ronaldo deal. He claimed that “MBS’s brothers were the ones who suggested and sought to close the deal at any cost.”
The source continued, using the nickname for Al Nassr, “They are all Al Nassr fans and they wanted to prove their team really is the International.”
Al Hilal and Al Ittihad have each won the Asian Champions League twice, while Al Nassr has won the league nine times in Saudi Arabia but has never taken home the trophy.
