Without a doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo has signed well, writing the future of his career in Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest contracts in the history of sport.
The Portuguese star, who signed on December 30 with the Al-Nassr club, will receive more than 400 million euros in Saudi Arabia, half of which to promote the kingdom's future candidacy for the 2030 World Cup, said told AFP a source close to his new club.
"It's a unique contract because I'm a unique player," he boasted about it during his presentation press conference.
The lease is divided into two equal parts: 200 million euros under his two-and-a-half-year contract as an Al-Nassr player, i.e. more than 66 million euros per year, and "200 other million" to be the "ambassador" of the joint candidacy that Saudi Arabia plans to submit with Greece and Egypt to organize the World Cup in 2030, said a source close to the negotiations, who requested anonymity. .
A deal pushed by MBS and his brothers, honorary members of the club
According to the same source, the deal was backed by members of the royal family, including the country's crown prince and
de facto
ruler , Mohammed bin Salman.
“MBS and his brothers Naif, Turki and Rakan, the children of King Salman, have all been honorary members of Al-Nassr, since the days before their father became crown prince,” the source said.
They wanted to give supremacy to their club and put it in the spotlight.
The best way was to bring the best player in the world”.
The sovereign wealth fund of the kingdom,
Public Investment Fund
(PIF), has been called upon, she adds: “Al-Nassr and the other Saudi clubs do not have the necessary funds for such a contract.
It was PIF who guaranteed the payment”.
The Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which is investing more and more in the world of sport, bought English football club Newcastle last year.
It also funds LIV Golf, a tour that has divided the golf world by attracting the biggest stars of the US PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
Another source close to Al-Nassr confirmed to AFP that the princes were behind the surprise deal.
"It was the MBS brothers who suggested the deal and sought to complete it at all costs," she said.
They are all fans of Al-Nassr and wanted to prove that their team is really the International”, she added in reference to the nickname given to the club from the Saudi capital.
Al-Nassr has won nine Saudi league titles but has never won the Asian championship, unlike rivals Al-Hilal, who won four times, and Al-Ittihad, who won it twice .
The arrival of the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus player is part of the kingdom's desire to attract attention to its championship while its Qatari neighbor has just hosted the 2022 World Cup.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is set to make his official debut at Al-Nassr on January 22, three days after a prestigious friendly match to be played on January 19 in Riyadh against Leo Messi's PSG.
