Latest news with #SaudiProLeague
Gulf Today
14 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
The Sun
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Former Arsenal star Alexandre Lacazette set for shock transfer to club building futuristic stadium 350m above ground
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE is reportedly set for a shock move to Saudi Pro League newcomers Neom. The Saudi outfit were promoted to the country's top flight as champions of the First Division. 4 4 Lacazette, 34, became a free agent this summer after Lyon were relegated to Ligue 2. The former Champions League semi-finalists dropped down due to debts being racked up by owners Eagles Football Group. The club is set to appeal the decision, but it will not affect the future of the former Arsenal striker. L'Equipe have claimed that Lacazette will sign for Neom on a two-year deal. The report has suggested that the Frenchman has already completed his medical ahead of the switch. However, Lacazette will miss out on playing at the club's potential new futuristic stadium. They currently play at the King Khalid Sports City Stadium in Tabuk but will be moving soon. The new stadium will be built as part of the plans to construct the city of Neom. The city will be 106 miles long and is currently being built in the Saudi desert. There will be two stadiums built as part of the plans, with one boasting a capacity of 45,000 on a cliff edge. Saudi Arabia release new pictures of 92,000-capacity 'germinating seed' King Salman Stadium ahead of 2034 World Cup 4 TRANSFER NEWS LIVE - KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW The second will be built 350m above the ground and will not be accessible by car. But for Lacazette, his move comes too soon for him to play in the futuristic grounds. Their construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia. This means that Lacazette will be stuck playing in front of at most 12,000 people at home games for the next two seasons. He will join former Premier League and West Brom star Ahmed Hegazy at the club. The defender made 104 appearances for the Baggies before leaving for Saudi giants Al-Ittihad. Lacazette leaves Lyon after two spells with the club in which he made 326 appearances and scored 184 goals. During his time away from Lyon he starred for Arsenal in the Premier League for five years. He scored 71 goals and assisted 35 more in 206 outings for the North London side.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Report – Four Saudi Clubs Rival Galatasaray For Inter Milan Star
The four biggest clubs from the Saudi Pro League will reportedly rival Galatasaray for Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu. This according to today's print edition of Rome-based newspaper La Repubblica, via FCInter1908. They report that an offer for the Turkish international should arrive next week. Advertisement Inter Milan are bracing for possible big offers for midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu. The Nerazzurri kept hold of the Turkish international last summer in spite of strong interest from Bayern Munich. However, this time around, Istanbul giants Galatasaray are ready to try and make a move for Calhanoglu. It's not just Galatasaray who are keen on the former AC Milan midfielder, though. Four Big Saudi Clubs Rival Galatasaray For Inter Midfielder Calhanoglu MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 11: Hakan Calhanoglu of FC Internazionale celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 Second Leg match between FC Internazionale Milano and Feyenoord at Stadio San Siro on March 11, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by) According to La Repubblica, there is also Saudi interest in Calhanoglu's signature. The newspaper report that the four biggest clubs in the Saudi Pro League are all keen on the 31-year-old. Advertisement These are Al-Hilal – the club who Simone Inzaghi left Inter to join for big money this summer – as well as Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli, and Al-Ittihad. According to La Repubblica, the offers for Hakan Calhanoglu from Saudi Arabia should come in next week.
Hindustan Times
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Salary over half-a-billion, ownership stake, 38m sign-on fee: Cristiano Ronaldo's new Al Nassr contract details
Jun 27, 2025 05:32 PM IST Cristiano Ronaldo signed a new two-year contract extension with Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, following weeks of speculation over his future. After the official confirmation, the club also posted a teaser video with Ronaldo walking along a beachfront and stating, 'Al Nassr forever' Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during a match.(REUTERS) Ronaldo is already 40-years-old now and his Saudi Arabia adventure hasn't exactly gone according to plan. Al Nassr has also missed out on AFC Champions Elite qualification for this season and the Portugal international had also hinted at an exit. But now it looks like he will end his career with Al Nassr. According to a report by The Sun, Ronaldo has also received a signing-on fee of 24.5 million pounds, which will increase to 38 million pounds if he remains in the second year of his contract. According to The Sun report, he will also be earning 178 million pounds each year in wages, which is 488,000 pounds per day. Ronaldo will earn 492 million pounds, which could go up to over half a billion pounds if he triggers his bonuses of 4 million pounds (for winning the Golden Boot) and 8 million pounds if Al Nassr win the title. The report also mentions that Ronaldo has been given a 15 percent ownership stake in the club, which is worth 33 million pounds. Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in 2022 after leaving Manchester United. The move made him the highest-paid athlete in the world and he has also topped the list for the last three years, according to Forbes. Ronaldo's tenure with the club saw them miss out on major trophies, and they only bagged the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023. Al Nassr finished in second position in the league in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, and also came third in the previous campaign. Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Andre Onana plays as a STRIKER in kickabout in Cameroon - as shocked fans joke Man United star should play up-front for Ruben Amorim's side
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has shocked fans after he was seen playing as a striker in a game in his native Cameroon. Onana, 29, came in for criticism for his performances in goal for the Red Devils last season as they recorded a worst-ever Premier League finish of 15th. But fans have praised his outfield ability after footage of him playing as a centre-forward was posted to TikTok on Wednesday. Standing at 6'3'', Onana could be seen using his heigh and strength to impressively shield the ball when it was played into him with his back to a defender. The Cameroon international also exhibited a number of impressive touches to draw fouls from his opponents. Reacting to the video, one user joked: 'Better ball handling than Hojlund'. A second joked: 'They should send the full team here to train'. A third added: 'United have rubbish strikers so they should play Onana up front'. The clip comes after Onana had been linked with a potential move to either a club in the Saudi Pro League or Ligue 1 side Monaco. The club appear to be unconvinced by neither Radoslaw Majecki nor Philipp Kohn as their number one, with CEO Thiago Scuro confirming that a new goalkeeper is a priority this summer. Chelsea's Djordje Petrovic has also been considered after returning from his loan spell with Strasbourg. He is not expected to have a future at Stamford Bridge. The former Inter and Ajax stopper is currently on holiday but he was stopped for a quick chat by reporter Stephane Bassalia Ouattara last week. When quizzed about whether he might be departing United this summer, a smiling Onana replied in French: 'Will I leave? I don't know, we'll see!' The Cameroonian has started 72 Premier League games for United since signing from Inter Milan in July 2023, keeping 18 clean sheets. Significant changes are expected at United this summer with manager Ruben Amorim looking to overhaul his squad following a desperately disappointing season.
