Ronaldo joins Asian team
Al Arabiya newspaper said 37-year-old striker Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a two-year contract with Al Nassr club in the Saudi Arabian championship.
"Al Nassr officially recruits Ronaldo until summer 2025," was the headline of an article in Al Arabiya on the evening of December 30. The Saudi Arabian newspaper added that the contract between the two sides had been signed and was about to be announced.
At the same time, American newspaperCBS Sportsalso reported the same, citing sources close to Al Nassr. Ronaldo has completed part of his medical examination, qualifying him to sign the contract. The remaining examination will be carried out next week.
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| Cristiano Ronaldo poses for a photo wearing the number 7 jersey after agreeing to move to Al-Nassr. Photograph:Al-Nassr |
Al Nassr is expected to announce the contract after the match against Al Khaleej on the evening of December 31. The team has prepared everything to welcome Ronaldo, such as a house for him and his family in an expensive area near the team's training ground, in the Al Muhammadiyah area of the capital Riyadh.
The all-time leading goalscorer will earn $75 million a year at Al Nassr. His weekly salary is more than $1 million, not including image rights. Ronaldo will play a role in Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
Ronaldo is expected to have the right to choose the coach for the team, with Rudi Garcia leading Al Nassr. They are second in the Saudi Arabian Pro League, with 23 points after 10 matches. Al Nassr need to win the Pro League, or the King's Cup this season, to qualify for the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League.
Al Nassr are the second most successful club in Saudi Arabia's history, having won nine titles, accounting for half of Al Hilal's total. Al Hilal are currently banned from signing players until the summer of 2023 due to breaching an agreement over the signing of midfielder Mohamed Kanno.
Al Nassr play at Mrsool Park, with a capacity of 25,000, the sixth-largest in the league. They last won the Pro League in 2018-19. They have never won the AFC Champions League, finishing second in 1995. Al Hilal hold the record for four AFC Champions League titles, while Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad have won the tournament twice.