Christiano Ronaldo joins Saudi club Al Nassr on a €200 million deal

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has officially joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a two-year contract, worth some €200 million a year.

The 37-year-old Portuguese star parted ways with Manchester United following a highly controversial television interview, in which he said he felt betrayed by the club and disrespected by the manager Erik ten Hag.

"I am eager to experience a new football league in a different country. Al Nassr Club's vision is very inspiring," said Ronaldo.

Al Nassr, currently second in the Saudi league, will be the fifth club of Ronaldo’s prolific career. He holds the records for most appearances (183), goals (140), and assists (42) in the Champions League, goals in the European Championship (14), international goals (118), and joint-most international appearances (196).

He won the Champions League five times and the Euro 2016 with Portugal.

In this winter’s Qatari World Cup, Ronaldo failed to live up to his name, scoring only one goal and being dropped out of the starting 11 for the knockout matches. Portugal was eliminated by the surprise side Morocco in the quarter-finals.

Ronaldo’s contract will run for two-and-a-half years until June 2025, with a total salary of €200m per year once commercial agreements are included. It is thought to be the highest salary ever paid to a professional footballer.