Cristiano Ronaldo to earn additional €200m to promote Saudi's 2030 World Cup bid - report

Portuguese star could make his first appearance for Al Nassr in friendly against Messi's PSG on January 19

Al Nassr's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo watches from the stand as his team take on At Ta'ee at the Mrsool Park Stadium in Riyadh on Friday, January 6, 2023. AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo in the stands during the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al Ta'ee in Riyadh on Friday. Reuters

Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledges fans at Mrsool Park in Riyadh. Reuters

Nassr's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo at the Mrsool Park Stadium in Riyadh. AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo poses with fans in Riyadh on Friday. AP

Al Nassr players before the match against Ta'ee. AP

Al Nassr fands watch the game on Friday despite heavy rain. AP

An Al Nassr fan poses showing a shirt with Cristiano Ronaldo's name on it in Riyadh. Reuters

Fans watched Friday's game amid heavy rain and cold. Reuters

An Al Nassr fan poses with a Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey. Reuters

Al Nassr fans sit during heavy rain at Mrsool Park in Riyadh. AP

Saudi fans watched Friday's game in heavy rain. AP

Cristiano Ronaldo's record deal with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr is apparently even bigger than has been reported, with the Portuguese star expected to earn an additional €200 million to promote Saudi Arabia's joint 2030 World Cup bid.

According to AFP, Ronaldo will receive the massive payout in addition to his club salary, which is reported to be more than $200m per year including commercial and sponsorship tie-ins.

After Qatar successfully hosted the 2022 World Cup, Saudi Arabia is said to be considering a bid to bring the tournament back to the Middle East.

"Ronaldo will be paid more than 200 million euros [$214 million] for the deal," AFP quoted a club source as saying.

"He will be an ambassador for the Saudi World Cup 2030 bid for another 200 million."

Anticipation in the Kingdom is high as fans wait for Ronaldo's debut. He is currently serving a two-match suspension imposed by the English Football Association for knocking a phone out of a fan's hand after Manchester United's defeat at Everton in April.

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in December after his unceremonious exit from Manchester United. Ronaldo had criticised the club and manager Erik ten Hag in a TV interview, leading to the termination of his contract with the Premier League side.

Ronaldo's first game since moving to Saudi could be against Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly.

Ronaldo could feature in an all-star XI made up of players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal in a friendly against PSG in Riyadh on January 19.