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Gulf Today
11 hours ago
- Business
- Gulf Today
Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr until 2027
Cristiano Ronaldo inked a two-year extension with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, the club announced Thursday, following months of speculation over which team he would sign for next season. "Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027," the club wrote in a post on X. Minutes before the official confirmation, the team posted a teaser video, with the 40-year-old Ronaldo walking along a beachfront and saying: "Al Nassr forever". The Portuguese superstar arrived in 2023 in the kingdom to play with the club, heralding a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the oil-rich country. Last month, Ronaldo posted "This chapter is over" hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again. Cristiano Ronaldo signs a new deal with the Saudi club, in the presence of club chairman Abdullah Al Majid at an undisclosed location. AFP "Ronaldo's presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half. He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia," a source from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in Saudi football, told AFP last month. The oil-funded PIF, the sovereign wealth fund behind a number of big-ticket Saudi investments, controls a group of Pro League clubs including Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Ahli. Ronaldo's announcement in May came just months after Brazilian star Neymar ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in January, after playing just seven times for Al Hilal -- on a reported salary of around $104 million a year. Although Ronaldo was the Pro League's top scorer with 25 goals, he has been unable to win a Saudi or continental trophy with Al Nassr, who lost in the Asian Champions League semi-finals last month. Last year, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner said he could end his career with Al Nassr, the Riyadh team favoured by a number of Saudi royals. Saudi Arabia has shaken up football by spending heavily on stars from Europe, starting with Ronaldo's move in late 2022, and the desert nation will host the World Cup in 2034. For the past two years, Saudi football fans could watch the likes of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, with six Ballons d'Or between them, on any given weekend during the football season in the kingdom. Agence France-Presse
Daily Tribune
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Al Nassr until 2027
Cristiano Ronaldo inked a two-year extension with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, the club announced yesterday, following months of speculation over which team he would sign for next season. 'Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027,' the club wrote in a post on X. Minutes before the official confirmation, the team posted a teaser video, with t h e 4 0 -y e a r- o l d Ronaldo walking along a beachfront and saying: 'Al Nassr forever'. The Portuguese superstar arrived in 2023 in the kingdom to play with the club, heralding a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the oil-rich country. Last month, Ronaldo posted 'This chapter is over' hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again. 'Ronaldo's presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half. He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia,' a source from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in Saudi football, told AFP last month. The oil-funded PIF, the sovereign wealth fund behind a number of big-ticket Saudi investments, controls a group of Pro League clubs including Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Ahli. Ronaldo's announcement in May came just months after Brazilian star Neymar ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in January, after playing just seven times for Al Hilal -- on a reported salary of around $104 million a year. Although Ronaldo was the ProLeague's top scorer with 2 5 goals, he has been unable to win a Saudi or continental trophy with Al Nassr, who lost in the Asian Champions League semi-finals last month.
NDTV
20 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
Cristiano Ronaldo's New Al-Nassr Contract: Rs 2000 Crore Per Year, Private Jet And More
Just weeks after suggesting that his Saudi Pro League adventure with Al-Nassr was over, Cristiano Ronaldo signed a new 2-year deal with the club, putting an end to all speculations of his potential return to European football. Ronaldo, despite being the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League over the last couple of seasons, hasn't been able to win the league title yet. The club's underwhelming show even prevented it from qualifying for the FIFA Club World Cup. The repeated failures with Al-Nassr seemed to have prompted Ronaldo to pursue the remainder of his career elsewhere, but a lot seems to have changed over the last week or so. As Al Nassr took to social media to announce, "Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027," reports of the bumper contract that the Portuguese has signed also emerged. According to Talksport, Ronaldo is set to earn 178 million pounds per year (approx 400 million euros or INR 2000 crore over the next two years), after signing a contract extension at Al-Nassr. The deal also includes the following: 24.5M signing bonus (increases to £38M in second year) 8M bonus if Al Nassr win the Saudi Pro League 5M bonus if Al Nassr win the Asian Champions League 4M bonus for winning the golden boot 15% ownership of Al Nassr (estimated at £33m) 80K bonus per goal (increases by 20% in second year) 40K bonus per assist (increases by 20% in second year) 60M worth of sponsorship deals promised 4M worth of private jet expenses, covered by Al-Nassr Cristiano Ronaldo's reported new Al Nassr contract is BONKERS: £178M per year £24.5M signing bonus (increases to £38M in second year) 🇸🇦 £8M bonus if Al Nassr win the Saudi Pro League £6.5M bonus if Al Nassr win the Asian Champions League £4M bonus for winning the… — talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) June 26, 2025 The Portuguese goalscorer superstar arrived in 2023 in the kingdom to play with the club, heralding a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the oil-rich country. Last month, Ronaldo posted "This chapter is over" hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again. "Ronaldo's presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half. He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia," a source from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in Saudi football, told AFP last month. The oil-funded PIF, the sovereign wealth fund behind a number of big-ticket Saudi investments, controls a group of Pro League clubs including Al Nassr, Al Hilal, and Al Ahli.
Morocco World
a day ago
- Sport
- Morocco World
Ronaldo Extends Al-Nassr Contract Until 2027 at Age 40
Marrakech – Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a two-year contract extension with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, the team announced Thursday. The new deal will keep the 40-year-old forward at the club until 2027, extending his stay in the Saudi Pro League. 'A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let's make history together,' Ronaldo posted on the social media platform X. The announcement ends weeks of speculation about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's future. In May, Ronaldo had suggested his time at Al-Nassr might be ending, stating that the 'chapter is over.' This comment came after the Saudi Pro League season concluded with Al-Nassr finishing in third place. Al-Nassr confirmed the extension with a video showing Ronaldo barefoot on a beach, smiling and simply saying, 'Al-Nassr forever.' The club's social media post included the caption 'The history continues…' Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in December 2022 after leaving Manchester United following a public fallout with manager Erik ten Hag. His arrival in Saudi Arabia triggered an influx of high-profile players to the Saudi Pro League, including his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema. During his time at Al-Nassr, Ronaldo has scored prolifically. He has netted 93 goals in 105 appearances, according to Reuters, while the BBC reports 99 goals in 111 matches. He led the Saudi Pro League in scoring for the past two consecutive seasons, including 25 league goals in the most recent campaign. 'The presence of Ronaldo is a key factor in the development of the Saudi league over the past two and a half years. He opened the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia,' a source within the Saudi sovereign wealth fund (PIF) told AFP. Despite his individual success, Ronaldo has yet to win the Saudi Pro League title or the Asian Champions League with Al-Nassr. The club finished as runners-up in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons before dropping to third place in the most recent campaign. He has, however, won the Arab Club Champions Cup with the team. According to Forbes, Ronaldo remains the highest-paid athlete in the world, a position he has held for the past three years. At age 40, his estimated total earnings are approximately $275 million. The Portuguese captain recently led his national team to victory in the UEFA Nations League earlier this month, defeating Spain in the final. With 138 goals for Portugal and 794 in club football, Ronaldo has scored a total of 932 goals in his career (BBC reports 938), putting him within reach of the 1,000-goal milestone. The new contract means Ronaldo will still be playing professional football past his 42nd birthday. He is also likely targeting a sixth World Cup appearance next year, when the tournament will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously suggested Ronaldo might leave Al-Nassr to join a team qualified for the ongoing Club World Cup in the United States. Ronaldo, however, confirmed he had turned down offers from participating teams, choosing instead to remain with Al-Nassr. Tags: Al NassrCristiano Ronaldo
Observer
a day ago
- Sport
- Observer
Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Al Nassr until 2027
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Cristiano Ronaldo inked a two-year extension with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, the club announced Thursday, following months of speculation over which team he would sign for next season. "Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027," the club wrote in a post on X. Minutes before the official confirmation, the team posted a teaser video, with the 40-year-old Ronaldo walking along a beachfront and saying: "Al Nassr forever". The Portuguese superstar arrived in 2023 in the kingdom to play with the club, heralding a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the oil-rich country. Last month, Ronaldo posted "This chapter is over" hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again. "Ronaldo's presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half. He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia," a source from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in Saudi football, said last month. The oil-funded PIF, the sovereign wealth fund behind a number of big-ticket Saudi investments, controls a group of Pro League clubs including Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Ahli. Ronaldo's announcement in May came just months after Brazilian star Neymar ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in January, after playing just seven times for Al Hilal — on a reported salary of around $104 million a year. Although Ronaldo was the Pro League's top scorer with 25 goals, he has been unable to win a Saudi or continental trophy with Al Nassr, who lost in the Asian Champions League semi-finals last month. Last year, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner said he could end his career with Al Nassr, the Riyadh team favoured by a number of Saudi royals. Saudi Arabia has shaken up football by spending heavily on stars from Europe, starting with Ronaldo's move in late 2022, and the desert nation will host the World Cup in 2034. For the past two years, Saudi football fans could watch the likes of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, with six Ballons d'Or between them, on any given weekend during the football season in the kingdom. However, the oil-fuelled Saudi football project has drawn comparisons with the Chinese Super League, which imported players on exorbitant salaries until team owners went bust as the Chinese economy fizzled. But with Saudi Arabia set to host the 2034 World Cup, and desperate to re-model itself as a tourism and business magnet before global oil demand falls for good, there is probably more to come from the Pro League. Ronaldo appeared to trade an end-of-career payday for football obscurity when he first moved to Riyadh's Al Nassr two years ago in a deal said to be worth $250 million at the time. — AFP
