January 11 – Cristiano Ronaldo’s new club Al Nassr have denied reports that his contract includes a commitment to back a Saudi Arabian bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
It is being suggested that Ronaldo will earn €200 million extra to become an ambassador for any Saudi bid on top of his whopping annual salary of the same amount.
Saudi Arabia is reportedly considering a joint bid to host the World Cup with Greece and Egypt.
But the club insisted the Ronaldo deal “does not entail commitments to any World Cup bids”.
“His main focus is on Al Nassr and to work with his team-mates to help the club achieve success,” a statement added.
The Portugal captain joined Al Nassr as a free agent last month after leaving Manchester United following a controversial interview in which he lambasted the club and its manager Erik Ten Hag.
The window to submit bids to host the 2030 World Cup was opened last year, with the winner to be selected at the FIFA Congress in 2024. A four-nation South American bid appears to lead the race, with a European counter-bid likely to come from Spain and Portugal.
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