In a statement released Tuesday night, Al Nassr refuted claims that they forced Cristiano Ronaldo to sign a contract that included a commitment to support the 2030 World Cup bid.
Al Nassr denied rumours that Ronaldo received an additional 200 million euros (Dh791 million) for acting as an ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s quest to host the 2030 World Cup.
With his new Al-Nassr contract, which came about after he left Manchester United, Cristiano is reportedly the highest-paid athlete in history. He has not yet made his Saudi Arabian team debut, however, he recently witnessed them defeat Al Tai while watching.
“Al Nassr FC would like to clarify that contrary to news reports, Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr does not entail commitments to any World Cup bids. His main focus is on Al Nassr and to work with his teammates to help the club achieve success,” stated the club as quoted by Goal.com.
The proven attacker might take the field for Al Nassr in their upcoming friendly game on January 19 against Paris Saint-Germain where he could compete against Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo is scheduled to make his Saudi Pro League debut after serving a two-match suspension imposed by the English Football Association in November for knocking a phone out of an Everton fan’s hand during a match against Manchester United at Goodison Park last season.
Ronaldo signed a 2.5-year contract worth $75 million (Dh275 million) a year with Al Nassr on December 30. According to Fifa regulations, in the case that a player is transferred to another nation before serving the entirety of a suspension, the suspension must still be served by the player. Following the termination of Ronaldo’s Manchester United contract during the World Cup, the suspension was made official.
