Even in Saudi Arabia it seems that there are things that cannot buy money.
Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to become the first controversial addition to the Saudi Pro League in 2023 has changed him from a rich rich man in Baby Baron. At the age of 40 he is well on his way to becoming a member of the growing ranks of billionaire sports people.
And after he has continued to contribute before his national side in recent years, he has proven that the reward of his services is not entirely without merit. Yet it is difficult to justify an annual wage package of approximately £ 164 Milliion.
It is remarkable that that figure is only for the former contributions of Manchester United Star to the Riyad-based Outfit Al-Nassr. The striker earns another £ 49 million from ventures away from the turf.
It is a stunning deal for the five-fold balloon d'Or winner in the twilight of his career and in January all reports on him pointed an even greater contract to stay in Saudi in his 41st year.
Last week, however, reports from Spain speculated that the future of Ronaldo in the Gulf State is questioned, with two more months about his current deal with Al-Nassr.
According to Marca, negotiations on new conditions have stopped for one reason not to offer all the riches in Saudi Arabia legitimate.
To help build his Saudi paradise, Ronaldo and his family have put down carrots with the purchase of a mansion in the exclusive residential area of ​​Al Muhammadiyah.
But even though it is located in Saudi Arabia for a large part of the year, the parental home is just one of a number of Ronaldos chic bases. He also has two city -oriented crash pads in Lisbon – one of which is the most expensive penthouse apartments that are once sold in the country – and a renovation of £ 7 million on the island where he was born, Madeira.
The Al-Nassr player bought the former warehouse in 2015 and spent £ 7 million renovating the seven-storey mansion, where his mother Dolores and brother Hugo are supposed to live.
Three of the floors of the building are supposed to be underground, and although little is known about the number of bedrooms in the palace, the site has two swimming pools and an inner football field for training.
Before traveling from the bustle of the city, it is also supposed to have bought a £ 1.4 million holiday villa in La Resina, an estate of Golf and Country Club between Marbella and Estepona.
The four bedroom complex comprises an infinity swimming pool with a view of the Mediterranean Sea but even that is surpassed by its most recent purchase, a mega-mannie that is worth tens of millions on Jumeirah Bay Island.
The 30,000 square meters of villa has six bedrooms, private access to the beach, a showroom for seven cars, a spa, a swimming pool overlooking the center of Dubai and accommodation for employees on site.
In addition to his extensive real estate portfolio, the former Real Madrid star splashes its considerable wealth on a range of watches, cars and even a jet.
The last one, a new Bombadier Global Express 6500, put him back a striking £ 61 million in 2024. The completely black aircraft has the capacity for a maximum of 15 passengers, and has a number of different rooms, including a sitting area with tables and benches, a suite with a double bed and a separate shower.
Ronaldo's Influencer -girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez often enthusiastically enthusiastically has her millions of followers of social media with a glimpse of the expensive jet. The 31-year-old recently showed a gigantic engagement ring that could indicate that another purchase with a large budget is on the horizon.
The couple has a relationship since 2016 and together has daughters Alana, seven and two -year -old Bella. She is also the stepmother of his other three children.
It is known that the family enjoys traveling on the high seas on board the £ 5.5 million Megajacht Azimut Grande. The ship has room for eight guests in five huts, with six luxurious bathrooms, and the Ronaldo clan has been spotted to visit a number of idyllic Mediterranean destinations on the boat, which is named after its model.
On the field, however, Ronaldo's individual success did not lead to team awards.
The veteran scored 14 goals in 16 games after becoming a member of Al-Nassr in January 2023, which he followed with 44 in 45 in all competitions in his first full campaign. This period has continued to find Ronaldo with an alarming pace the back of the net and again leads the Saudi Pro League Goalscoring graphs with 23 goals.
But all those goals – and all that money – have yielded exactly zero trophies. It is hard to believe, given that the Al-Nassr team includes a large number of former European stars, including Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Aymeric Laporte and Big-Money January that Jhon Duran signs.
Yes, several of the best sides in the nation have their own impressive series of talented mercenaries, but Al-Nassr has three to four opportunities to strengthen the club's trophy cabinet every season.
Indeed, it seems that the confirmation of the newest trophy-free campaign from Al-Nassr, which came after a shock destruction in the Asian Champions League, led speculation that Ronaldo might just have had enough.
After the 3-2 defeat on the Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale, Ronaldo issued an emotional explanation.
He had an opportunity to draw on the night level with seconds, but despite the completion of the goalkeeper, he stumbled at the latter and he could not dramatically right.
“Sometimes the dream has to wait,” he wrote on X. “I am proud of this team and everything we gave on the field.
'Thanks to all the fans who believed in us and stood with us at every step of the road. Your support means the world '.
Days later, a 3-2 defeat against league leaders Al-Eittihad saw the club falling in fourth place in the rankings. Ronaldo is said to have been so frustrated by the result – which saw his side collapse after taking a lead of two goals – that he left the stadium without changing his kit.
Al-Nassr has climbed in third place in the table since then, but they still have a tough task to ensure that they are in the Champions League next year.
Al-Nassr is just one point for the chasing package that will make a slip in their last three games a disappointing campaign in a disaster.
With the clock that taps his current deal, Ronaldo will soon have to make a decision about his future, but it is difficult to see him floating somewhere else in this phase of his career and he made it clear that he is not completely ready to hang his boots.
The superstar has set its sights on a final world cup with Portugal in 2026 and the equally ambitious goal to achieve 1000 professional goals.
A switch to a Saudi Pro League rival has been disputed, but what is clear is that, despite all his move to the oil-rich state, Ronaldo is still looking for his greatest treasure.