Show Me The Money: Inside Cristiano Ronaldo's $75m deal with Saudi club

The most talked about transfer of last year came to a head in stunning fashion shortly after the World Cup as Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr announced football icon Cristiano Ronaldo had joined their ranks.

While competitively the Saudi Pro League isn't quite comparable to its European counterparts, there are clearly a lot of incentives on the table in Riyadh for Ronaldo.

ESPN highlighted that the Portuguese footballer would earn 75 million US dollars (over 70 million euros) per year, which would make him the best-paid footballer player in history to date.

Ronaldo, who parted ways from Manchester United just before the World Cup, had claimed during the tournament that the news that he was signing with the Saudi club was “not true”.

Previously, during an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan (pictured), the Portuguese footballer had stated that he was still aiming for a Champions League team. Apparently, he changed his mind.

The agreement between Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr could have represented at the time, between salary and commercial deals, over $220 million US or over 205 million euros.

CBS reported broke the news during the World Cup that the salary of the Portuguese striker would be circa $75 million.

However, as Forbes highlighted, this was a downgrade from the original offer made by the Saudi club.

Forbes claims that Al-Nassr's original offer consisted of 300 million US dollars for two seasons: 125 million for each season, 30 million for the Manchester United transfer, and 20 million for negotiations and extra expenses.

What is true is that, with a contract for two and a half seasons, the former Man U striker will be playing
til the summer of 2025. Cristiano Ronaldo would be over 40 by then.

In recent months, many news outlets such as Forbes have reported on the Portuguese footballer's apparent decline on the field while playing for Manchester United.

“He can no longer beat players with trickery or pace; he knows it and doesn’t even attempt to, but last season he could get by with his intelligence, positioning and clinical finishing, but this season that appears to have deserted him as well,” writes Sam Pilger for Forbes.

Ronaldo's lackluster performance for Man U led to his departure from the Red Devils. None of the offers made by other European clubs seemed to have pleased the Madeira-born striker.

The Major League Soccer from the United States, where many veteran footballers have ended their careers, was among the cards but ultimately none of the US clubs could match an offer made by Al-Nassr.

Forbes reported that, in 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo become football's first billionaire, thanks to his companies, investments, brand deals, and for being one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.

So it seems logical for Cristiano Ronaldo that, at the last stretch of his career, he prioritizes finances over competitiveness.

Perhaps it is not the farewell that the fans of Real Madrid or Manchester United wanted for their former star, but there's no doubt he will give his fullest in his new club.