Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed the most lucrative contract in sport history by Al-Nassr. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner signed the new deal with the Saudi Pro League side for a reported signing-on fee of £24.5 million ($33.7m) and will earn wages that will see him rake in over a million pounds every two days.
The extension comes after a wave of speculation over his future, triggered by a cryptic social media post that read “this chapter is over.” Many took the message to mean that Ronaldo was preparing to leave Riyadh, especially after Al-Nassr concluded another season without a trophy.
However, following Portugal’s recent UEFA Nations League victory, Ronaldo clarified his intentions, stating he would return to Al-Nassr for the upcoming season. The confirmation was made official on Thursday, as both Ronaldo and the club shared coordinated announcements online.
“A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter), silencing rumors of a potential move to another Club World Cup contender.
Al-Nassr announced on Thursday afternoon that their captain has signed a two-year deal with the Saudi Pro League club. It has now been revealed by The Sun that Ronaldo has taken a signing-on fee of £24.5 million from Faris Najd, which will increase to £38 million if he enters the second year of his deal.
The Sun also revealed that Ronaldo will be earning £178m-a-year in wages with Al-Nassr, which is £488,000-a-day. The Portugal star will earn £492 million, and that could go up to over half a billion pounds if he triggers his bonuses of £4 million for winning the Golden Boot and £8 million if Al-Nassr win the title.
According to some reports, Ronaldo’ wages are higher than the total players’ wages paid by big European football teams including Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspurs, Inter Milan, Athletico Madrid, Newcastle FC and Napoli.
The Sun’s sources are also claiming that Al-Nassr have given Ronaldo a 15 per cent ownership stake in the club, worth £33 million. The Saudi Pro League side are hoping that Ronaldo will be a club ambassador in the coming week.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner joined Al-Nassr in December 2022 after leaving Manchester United and has since become the face of the Saudi Pro League’s growing global ambitions.
Despite being 40 years old, Ronaldo continues to perform at an elite level. He finished last season as the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer for a second consecutive year, netting 35 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions.
In total, he has scored 99 goals in just 111 games for Al-Nassr-bringing his overall senior career total to an astonishing 938 goals. With a personal goal of reaching 1,000 career goals, the extension gives him a real shot at achieving that milestone.
Al-Nassr, meanwhile, is undergoing internal changes. The club recently announced the departure of head coach Stefano Pioli, making him the fourth manager to exit since Ronaldo’s arrival. Previous coaches include Rudi Garcia, Dinko Jelicic, and Luís Castro. Ronaldo acknowledged Pioli’s departure with a message in Italian, “Grazie per tutto”-“Thank you for everything.”
As he enters what may be the final chapter of his storied career, Ronaldo remains determined to win silverware with Al-Nassr and make history in a league he helped transform. For now, the saga continues-with more goals, more headlines, and the dream of a perfect final act.
