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Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Ronaldo’s $638M Offer Includes Promoting Saudi World Cup Bid

  • Cristiano Ronaldo could become the highest-paid athlete in the world by far.
  • The deal would mean promoting Saudi Arabia over his home country Portugal for the 2030 World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo prepares to shoot at World Cup
Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Saudi Arabia has made a huge offer to Cristiano Ronaldo — but he’ll have to do more than just play soccer.

The country wants one of the world’s most popular athletes to boost its pitch for the 2030 World Cup.

  • Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr offered Ronaldo a reported three-year contract worth an annual $212.9 million after he and Manchester United mutually agreed to part ways. 
  • The star is currently in Dubai with plans to travel to Saudi Arabia to sign the deal, according to Spanish publication Marca.
  • The deal includes a provision that Ronaldo would play an ambassador role for Saudi Arabia in its World Cup bid.
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Well, This is Awkward

Should Ronaldo accept the offer, it would put him in the awkward position of working to thwart his home country: Portugal is teaming up with Spain and Ukraine on a 2030 World Cup bid.

Argentinian legend Lionel Messi has supported his country’s joint 2030 bid with Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile, but also promotes tourism to Saudi Arabia in a deal believed to be worth around $30 million per year.

The two soccer stars are the respective highest- and third-highest-paid athletes in the world this year, per Forbes, with Messi pocketing $130 million and Ronaldo $115 million. Both earn an estimated $55 million above their playing contracts.

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