200 million euros – per season! Cristiano Ronaldo becomes a Saudi

His career highlight could be the World Cup title in Qatar: This Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo will play against Switzerland with Portugal’s national team. And despite his inglorious and hasty split from his former club Manchester United in the middle of the current season, he has apparently already made provisions for the time after Qatar.

The Spanish sports newspaper Marca first reported it exclusively: the 37-year-old national hero of Portugal will play for the Saudi first division side El Nassr from 1 January. For this, Portugal’s record international will receive 200 million euros per season. This, however, already includes the advertising revenue. Financially, the exceptional footballer should be well provided for, but in sporting terms it is a descent into insignificance.

According to reports, “CR7” was originally keen to continue playing for a top European club so that he could continue to set records in the Champions League. But after his unhappy return to Manchester, there was apparently a lack of financially strong interested parties. Not so overseas: in Saudi Arabia, his weekly wage is likely to settle at around four million euros.

Ronaldo will not be alone in Saudi Arabia. El-Nassr is coached by former Olympique Lyon and AS Monaco coach Rudi Garcia.

The former Hoffenheim and Bayern Munich striker Luiz Gustavo and the Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina are already under contract there. So far, it is only an offer from the club, but one that CR7 will find difficult to refuse.