Portuguese superstar reportedly set to sign one-year contract extension and take 5% stake in Riyadh club
Al Nassr are set to offer Cristiano Ronaldo a new contract that will cement his status as the highest-paid player in world football as well as see him take a minority stake in the Saudi club, according to reports.
Spanish newspaper Marca reported that Nassr have proposed a one-year extension to the 39-year-old’s contract that expires this summer. Both Marca and the Daily Mail reported that Ronaldo’s new deal is worth €200 million as well as a five per cent stake in the Riyadh club.
Nassr are one of four teams owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has a 75 per cent stake in the club, as well as rivals Al Ittihad, Al Ahli and Al Hilal.
Nassr shook the football world two years ago with the announcement they had signed Ronaldo as a free agent after the Portuguese superstar had his contract at Manchester United terminated in December 2022.
The former Sporting, Real Madrid and Juventus player is largely credited with transforming the Saudi Pro League into a global brand and has also helped promote the country’s tourism as well as attended high-profile events outside of football such as boxing and UFC.
Following Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup, Ronaldo backed the kingdom to deliver “the best World Cup ever”.
Ronaldo has enjoyed a prolific spell during his two-year stint in Riyadh, netting 81 goals in 90 games across competitions, though he is yet to win a major trophy with only the lightly regarded 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup to show from his time in Saudi Arabia.
Nassr and Ronaldo’s trophy prospects this season are looking increasingly thin. They sit third in the league table, 12 points behind joint leaders Al Hilal and Al Ittihad who have both played a game more.
Nassr are already of out the King’s Cup, leaving the AFC Champions League Elite competition as their only realistic prospect of a trophy this season. Nassr are currently third in the revamped competition.
Ronaldo is the most prolific goalscorer in the history of men’s football, netting more than 900 times in over 1,200 games including 135 goals in 217 appearances for Portugal.
