RIYADH, Jan 18 — A Saudi Arabian businessman won the bidding to watch the latest chapter in Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s celebrated rivalry in global football with a 10 million riyals (RM11.2 million) bid for a ticket to their showpiece game.
The Saudi government’s entertainment arm said on Twitter that Mushref Al-Ghamdi, general manager of real estate group AqarOne, was the highest bidder for a “Beyond Imagination” ticket.
Vehicles pass under a billboard displaying Cristiano Ronaldo wearing a shirt of the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in Cairo, Egypt January 9, 2023. — Reuters pic
The winner will attend Thursday’s match in Riyadh featuring a combined team from Saudi clubs Al Nassr — who recently signed Ronaldo — and Al Hilal versus Messi’s Paris St Germain in the duo’s first on-pitch meeting since Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0 in December 2020.
Winning bidder Al-Ghamdi will attend the winner’s ceremony after the match, enter the dressing rooms, and meet the two players who for years have vied to be the world’s greatest.
Though revenue from the auction will go to charity, the event could also fuel accusations of “sportswashing” by Saudi Arabia — distracting attention from rights abuses by splashing money on sport.
As well as attracting Ronaldo, Saudi Arabia have signed up Messi as a tourism ambassador. Paris St Germain is owned by the Qatari government, which has just staged the World Cup. — Reuters
What is Cristiano Ronaldo’s net worth & how much does the Al-Nassr star earn?
The Portugal captain made a sensational return to the Premier League in 2021 and boasts a number of sponsorships and business ventures
(For the Brazilian footballer Ronaldo, seehere)
Cristiano Ronaldo may have left the bright lights of European football behind in departing Manchester United for Saudi outfit Al-Nassr, but the Portugal star remains one of the biggest earners in football and sport in general.
As well as raking in plenty of money through his playing contract, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has more than his fair share of sponsorship deals and enterprises across a variety of industries.
But exactly how much is Cristiano Ronaldo now worth? It’s difficult to say exactly but what is clear is that he will be firmly among the highest-paid athletes in the world for a while yet.
What is Cristiano Ronaldo’s net worth?
Ronaldo is reported to have a net worth of around $500 million (£363m), but no one can really claim to have a bulletproof idea of what Ronaldo is worth except his management company.
The estimated net worth of Ronaldo is slightly higher than that of his long-time rival Lionel Messi, though the Argentine has won more lucrative contracts in recent years. The lucrative move to Saudi Arabia should go some way towards ensuring Ronaldo remains out in front.
Ronaldo was ranked third on Forbes’ 2022 list of the highest paid athletes in the world, with earnings of $115 million (£93m), which was a reduction in $5m on the previous year.
On that occasion, the Portugal captain was behind Messi, who topped the list, and NBA icon LeBron James, who was second. He was ahead of Neymar, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Roger Federer among others.
What is Cristiano Ronaldo’s salary?
Ronaldo’s contract with Al-Nassr is reported to ensure a salary of $215 million (£177m) a year. That breaks down as approximately $4.1 million (£3.4m) a week.
The deal with his new club represents a massive increase on what he was earning while at Manchester United, where it is understood he pocketed £20 million ($27m) a year. At the time, that figure was a significant pay cut from his €30m ($34m/£26m) a year salary at Juventus, but he has more than made up for that with the Al-Nassr contract.
Prior to his switch to Juve, Ronaldo had signed a contract with Real Madrid in November of 2016, which was reported to be around £365,000 a week before bonuses.
The Portugal captain’s contract earnings mean that he is among the most lucratively rewarded footballers in the world.
Source: malaymail.com; goal.com
