Cristiano Ronaldo will play for Al-Nassr from January 1, 2023

Cristiano Ronaldo will play for Al-Nassr from January 1, 2023. The Portuguese footballer will join on a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Saudi Arabian side, as reported last week by MARCA.

The striker ended his relationship with Manchester United just days before the World Cup in Qatar, making him free to negotiate with any team.

Despite the claims that he would have clubs in the Champions League lining up to sign him, Al-Nassr the one that showed more interest from the beginning. Cristiano had been hoping to stay in Europe’s elite club competition.

The contract, in addition to the hefty signing-on fee (just under 100 million euros) is accompanied by financial incentives via advertising, which will make the Portuguese the highest-paid sportsman in the world. The total worth of CR7’s contract with Al-Nassr will be close to 200 million euros per season.

Lionel Messi and Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain currently lead the way, but the 75 and 70 million euros that they earn per season fall far short of what Cristiano Ronaldo will receive in Saudi Arabia. Even going through the list of the highest-paid athletes in the United States, they all fall far short of the money promised to the Portuguese.

Cristiano Ronaldo will find himself in a team that is looking to regain its lost dominance in its competition, which is a long way off the world’s elite. The step backwards he is taking in sporting terms is evident, but his own level has declined a lot in recent seasons and he is even being criticised in Portugal.

Cristiano’s new club

At Al-Nassr, he will be coached by the Frenchman Rudi Garcia and will be partnered by Alvaro Gonzalez. The central defender arrived in Saudi soccer last summer after finishing his time in France.

The presence of David Ospina also stands out. The Colombian goalkeeper finished his contract with Napoli and decided to accept the Saudi Arabian proposal last summer.