Cristiano Ronaldo’s bank balance has ballooned since leaving Manchester United to join Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasr in 2023, making him the first footballer to reach a landmark net worth
Cristiano Ronaldo has become football’s first billionaire after signing a blockbuster new contract in Saudi Arabia. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star made a surprise move to the Middle East in 2013.
After leaving Old Trafford, Ronaldo signed a record contract with Al Nasr worth £173 million a year. However, he was handed a more lucrative contract after agreeing to new terms in Saudi Arabia.
The 40-year-old is set to save around £492m over the next two years, taking his total to more than £1bn. According to Bloomberg, Ronaldo’s net worth has now increased to $1.4 billion (£1.045 billion), making him the first footballer in history to achieve this.
Some have criticized Ronaldo’s motives for moving to Saudi Arabia, claiming it was purely for money. However, the forward is regularly helping the league and suggests he has the potential to surpass Europe’s best teams.
After signing his new contract, he said: “Of course, we (Saudi Pro League) are still improving, but I believe that at this point we are already in the top five (world leagues). I believe that we will still continue to improve, we have time and we have proven in the last two years that the league is always on the rise.”
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“I’m happy because I know the league is very competitive. The only people who say this league is not top five (in the world) are only people who have never played in Saudi Arabia and don’t understand anything about football.”
“I believe in what I say 100 percent and the people who play in this league understand what I’m saying.”
Although he continues to perform, the veteran forward is regularly questioned about his retirement. “To be honest, I don’t think it’s an obsession,” Ronaldo said after winning the award in Portugal.
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“If you had asked me 20 years ago, I might have answered differently, like I wanted to eat the world. But now I don’t think of things that way. Age allows us to think differently.”
“As I said, I have a philosophy of living one day at a time. In daily life, things change in an instant. You can’t plan for the long term. Right now, I plan for the short term because it gives me more energy and makes me want to live more.”
“I’m enjoying every day, every training session and every match. Then we’ll see what happens.”
Ronaldo recorded an astonishing scoring record during his time in Saudi Arabia. He played 117 games for Al Nasr and scored 104 goals.
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