On Friday, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr FC after leaving Manchester United to become a free agent. Ronaldo expressed excitement for a fresh adventure after joining his new team in a groundbreaking deal in which he is anticipated to earn more than 200 million euros ($214.04 million) by 2025.
“I’m thrilled for a new experience in a different league and a different country, the vision that Al Nassr has is very inspiring,” Ronaldo said in a statement.
After winning practically everything there was to win in Europe, and with several clubs, including Manchester United, Real Madrid, and even Juventus, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said it was time to travel to a new continent, Asia, where he hopes to achieve even greater success.
“I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia,” Ronaldo said,
“I am looking forward to joining my new teammates and together with their helping the Club to achieve success,” he added.
Ronaldo’s journey from ManU to AL Nassr
Ronaldo rose to prominence after joining Manchester United as a youngster from Sporting CP in 2003. Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups, the Champions League, and a Club World Cup during his first spell with the Red Devils.
After nearly six years at Old Trafford, the Portugal international joined Real Madrid in the Spanish League’s top level, LA Liga. He became a global celebrity there, scoring 451 times across all competitions. Ronaldo won two La Liga titles, as many Spanish Cups, and three back-to-back Champions Leagues during his nine-year stint at the Bernabeu.
In 2018, Ronaldo joined the Italian club Juventus, where he won two Serie A titles and a Copa Italia . Later, in 2021, he returned to Manchester United and was the club’s top-goal-scorer in all competitions, with 24 goals in the same season.
However, it wasn’t until Ronaldo’s second season with United that his relationship with the club’s new manager, Eric Ten Hag, began to deteriorate. Following an explosive interview with famed British journalist Piers Morgan, in which he went on the offensive against the manager, Manchester United, and the club’s legends, both parties agreed to break ways with immediate effect.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, represented his country in his sixth World Cup, this time in Qatar, where he scored five goals. Portugal, on the other hand, was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Morocco.