Cristiano Ronaldo during the match between Al Nassr and Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League at Kingdom Stadium, Riyadh on April 4, 2025. Photo by Reuters
Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr have reportedly offered superstar Cristiano Ronaldo a contract extension that would slash his salary by more than half amid transfer rumors surrounding him.
Ronaldo, 40, joined Al Nassr in January 2023 on a free transfer and currently holds the world’s highest football salary at €200 million ($227 million) annually. His contract is set to expire on June 30, 2025.
According to Arab news outlet Al persuadeAl Nassr have proposed a new deal that includes a 52% pay cut, reducing his annual earnings to €96 million ($110 million). In exchange, the club offered Ronaldo a 5% ownership stake in the team, along with additional investment benefits in Saudi Arabia.
Al Nassr are one of four clubs owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), alongside Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli. The club’s exact valuation is not public. For context, Spanish club Valencia were recently valued at around $450 million, and PIF purchased Premier League side Newcastle United for approximately $1.3 billion. A 5% share in Al Nassr could therefore be worth several million dollars.
Ronaldo has not yet responded to the offer. Following Al Nassr’s final home game of the season at Al Awwal Park, the Portuguese forward walked to each goalpost and touched them, a gesture some fans interpreted as a possible farewell. Al Nassr lost 2-3 in their last match this season on Monday, away against Al Fateh, despite Ronaldo’s opening goal.
According to Spanish outlet ASup to 10 clubs participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup have expressed interest in signing Ronaldo on a short-term deal for the tournament. These clubs, from Asia, Africa and Latin America, would be allowed to borrow him for the month-long competition. Notably, there are no offers from European or American teams at this time.
The first club to publicly show interest in signing Ronaldo were Brazil’s Botafogo. On May 23, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco also expressed their interest.
The FIFA Club World Cup will run from June 14 to July 13, 2025. While borrowing Ronaldo for that period would only require paying one month’s salary, the $18 million sum remains high for clubs outside of Europe.