.png)
It’s nearly a year to the day that Cristiano Ronaldo left European football for the Saudi Pro League and signed one of the biggest contracts in sports.
The move was officially announced on 30 December and Ronaldo is believed to earn a whopping £177-million-a-year, which makes him the highest-paid footballer in the world.
Ronaldo takes home around £3,403,846 per week from Al Nassr and as we approach his one-year anniversary in mere days, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has earned around £175 million from his exploits on the pitch in Saudi.
The Real Madrid legend’s switch to Saudi was a pivotal moment as a number of high-profile players have followed in his footsteps.
Neymar, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Karim Benzema, Jordan Henderson, Kalidou Koulibaly Riyad Mahrez, Allan Saint-Maximin and Ruben Neves are all now playing their trade in the Saudi top flight after a slew of summer moves.
Ronaldo is enjoying his adventure in Saudi and has no plans to return to Europe before he retires.
He also believes the league will soon overtook the Turkish and Dutch leagues.
“The Saudi league is better than the MLS,” Ronaldo told media after playing for Al Nassr in a 5-0 defeat to Celta Vigo in July.
“I’m 100 per cent sure I won’t return to any European club. They criticised me for coming to Saudi league, but what happened now? I opened the way to the Saudi league and now all the players are coming here.
“I won’t return to European football, the door is completely closed.
“I’m 38-years-old, also European football has lost lot of quality. The only league that for me has a lot of quality and is at a higher level than all the others is the Premier League.”
Sarah Wilson is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
