Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to be worth more than a billion pounds after signing a new contract with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia
Cristiano Ronaldo and his long term partner Georgina Rodriguez
Cristiano Ronaldo has made history by becoming football's first-ever billionaire following his blockbuster contract extension in Saudi Arabia.
The Manchester United and Real Madrid legend completed his sensational switch to the Middle East with his partner and mother of his children Georgina Rodriguez in 2023. Following his departure from Old Trafford, Ronaldo secured a record-shattering £173m-per-year agreement with Al-Nassr. However, he was subsequently offered an even more mouth-watering deal after agreeing to extended terms in Saudi Arabia.
The 40-year-old goalscoring legend is now poised to pocket approximately £492m across the next two years - a sum that has propelled him beyond the billion-pound threshold. Bloomberg reports Ronaldo's net worth has now climbed to $1.4billion (£1.045bn), making him the first footballer in history to achieve this milestone.
Critics have questioned Ronaldo's motives for relocating to Saudi Arabia, with many suggesting the move was purely financially motivated.
Nevertheless, the striker has consistently championed the league, arguing it possesses the capability to rival some of Europe's finest competitions, reports the Mirror.
Following the signing of his fresh contract, he declared: "Of course, we [the Saudi Pro League] are still improving but I believe that in this moment that we are in top five [leagues in the world ] already.
"I still believe that we will continue to improve, and we have time and we have shown in the last two years that the league is going up all the time."
"I am happy because I know that the league is very competitive. Only the people who have never played in Saudi, they don't understand nothing about football say this league is not top five [in the world].
"I believe 100% in my words, and the people that play in this league they know what I am talking about."
While the superstar continues to dazzle on the pitch, retirement chat keeps cropping up around the seasoned striker.
Following a ceremony in Portugal where he bagged an honour, Ronaldo revealed: "I'll be honest: I don't see it as an obsession."
"If you'd asked me 20 years ago, I might have answered differently, like I wanted to eat the world, but now I don't see things that way. Age also allows us to think differently.
Georgina Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo got engaged earlier this year
"It's like I said, I have a philosophy of living day by day. In everyday life, things change in a moment. You can't make long-term plans. Right now, I make short-term plans because it gives me more energy that way, more of a desire to live.
"I enjoy each day, training session by training session and competition by competition. Then, down the road, we'll see."
The Portuguese icon has racked up an incredible goal tally since his Saudi Arabian adventure began. He's netted a remarkable 104 times across 117 matches in every competition for Al-Nassr.
