Cristiano Ronaldo is set to become the highest-earning footballer ever as he edges towards a £173m-per-year deal at Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
The Portuguese superstar ended his relationship with Manchester United by mutual consent earlier this month, following his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan. Ronaldo's exit from United means he is no longer earning a wage at club level with the agreement over his Old Trafford departure meaning that he forfeited the remaining seven months of wages from his original contract through to the summer of 2023.
Interest from Al Nassr had already been established as they had already submitted an offer to Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes. Over the duration of that contract offer, Ronaldo would have played past his 40th birthday, the veteran would earn £172.9million per year - an amount that would not be feasible for any European or MLS clubs interested in a move for the striker, split between his playing contract and marketing obligations.
If that deal comes to pass, Ronaldo would not only become the highest-paid footballer of all time but would come close to doubling the current highest-earning star – Kylian Mbappe. Earlier this year, Mbappe opted to sign a three-year contract extension with the Ligue 1 champions, keeping him in the French capital until 2025.
The figures of the Frenchman’s wages were outlined by Marca, who claimed that Mbappe is now earning £42.5million (€50m) per annum, which is in addition to his bonus of £153million (€180m) for staying at the Parc des Princes, where he now also has 100 per cent control of his image rights. It is claimed by Marca that in total with all earnings accumulated, Mbappe earns a total of £90million-per-year with all the economic aspects of his deal.
Mbappe's deal is not the highest contract ever to be given to a player – that was £64million (€75m) annual salary that Lionel Messi received in his final seasons at Barcelona. He had to accept a huge salary reduction last year to £25.5million (€30m) with PSG, although that increased to £34million (€40m) for the second and final year of his deal in Paris - while he will earn a total of more than £53m this campaign. It is claimed that Messi has received more than €1,000m throughout his career – more than any other player.
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It is claimed that Ronaldo earned £34million (€40m) per annum with favourable Italian tax laws when he was at Juventus, but that was lowered to £25.5million (€30m) at Manchester United – the highest-paid player in English football.
It is also highlighted how Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema's salary is £11.2million (€13.2m) per season – which is not even the highest at the club, behind Eden Hazard – who has not made an impact on the pitch since signing from Chelsea three years ago. Indeed, it is claimed that Benzema has never asked for a salary increase since joining Los Blancos in 2009.
In terms of sponsorship, Ronaldo is the highest-paid footballer with Nike with £15.3million per year (€18m) while Messi earns the same with Adidas and Neymar with Puma. Mbappe’s deal with Nike stands at £11.9million (€14m) – an agreement signed in 2019 to last for a decade. He also has secured a series of bonuses for goals that mean he could collect up to £17million (€20m) from Nike annually.
