Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday signed for Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia, the club announced, in a deal believed to be worth more than 200 million euros. The 37-year-old penned a contract which will
“This is more than history in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome @cristiano to your new home @alnassr_fc,” tweeted the Saudis.
But he was left out of the starting line-up for their last-16 clash as Portugal ripped Switzerland apart. While he took a pay cut to rejoin United, with reports putting his basic annual salary somewhere between 15 million and 28 million euros, before bonuses, that still made him one of the best-paid players in Europe.
United decided his diminishing contribution coupled with his growing and public dissatisfaction made him a pricey luxury they no longer needed. Ronaldo has long been in competition with Lionel Messi for the titles of greatest player and biggest earner in football.