30th December, 2022
By Nehru Odeh
Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a massive £175m-a-year contract with Saudi side Al-Nasser.
This is indeed a welcome development for the 37-year-old Portuguese after his controversial exit from his former club, Manchester United in November and a disappointing outing in the just concluded 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ronaldo had been without a club after his exit from Manchester United following a no-hold-bar interview he conducted with Morgan last month in which he took aim at Ten Hag, Manchester United and various other figures.
Ronaldo’s deal will be for seven years, with the Portuguese superstar set to play before taking up an ambassadorial role and his payment will increase over time.
Part of his role as an ambassador will be to help Saudi Arabia’s joint bid with Egypt and Greece to host the 2030 World Cup, it has been claimed.
He joins arch rival Lionel Messi in taking up a promotional position with the gulf nation, which has faced criticism for its human rights record, as well as crackdowns on women’s rights activists, LGBTQ+ people and those who speak out against the rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.