The soccer star Christiano Ronaldo signs a huge contract with the Saudi team

37-year-old soccer star Christiano Ronaldo has been rumored for weeks to have signed a mammoth two-year contract with Saudi club Al Nassar FC. The news was reported by Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya and was confirmed by a post on Al Nassar FC’s social media accounts, showing Ronaldo with his new kit and the following statement:

history in the making. It is a signing that will not only inspire our club to even greater success, but also our league, our country and future generations, boys and girls, to be the best version of themselves. Welcome@Cristiano to your new home @AlNassrFC

CBS News first reported the deal, which was in the works at the end of November, and said it was valued at $75 million a year for three years. Many outlets still cite that number, but almost all agree it’s a two-year deal that would put Ronaldo in his 40s. Some say the total for the deal, including permits, could reach $214 million. According to CBS, the deal includes a home in an affluent neighborhood for the superstar forward. Either way, that’s a LOT of money for a player whose career earnings Forbes estimated at $1.24 billion earlier this year, putting him just behind leader Tiger Woods.

Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time, having won the Ballon d’Or, the trophy awarded to the best player in the world, five times, but the consensus is that his best years are behind him. That sentiment was illustrated by the fact that he, the team’s captain, came on as a substitute in Portugal’s World Cup round of 16 match against Switzerland earlier this month. Ronaldo was also on the bench at the start of the quarter-finals against Morocco. He played in the second half of that game but did not score. Morocco won 1-0.

In November, Ronaldo left Manchester United after a bumpy second spell at the club during which he openly criticized the owner and new manager in a television interview and refused to come off the bench. As a result, the 37-year-old has made just four starts and scored one goal in EPL games this season. His salary was $60 million and he earned an additional $55 million in endorsements, according to Sportico. Although Ronaldo has made it clear that he wants to join a top European team, no offer has come.

Ronaldo has previously dismissed the idea of ​​playing in the Middle East.

In 2015, he told an English radio show: ‘In my eyes, I want to finish at the highest level. I want to finish with dignity, so in a good club… It doesn’t mean that it’s not good to go to USA, Qatar or Dubai, but I don’t see myself [going].”

Today he sang a different tune.

“I am very happy about this new experience in another league and another country. The vision that Al Nassr has is very inspiring,” Ronaldo said in a statement, according to CBS. “I am very much looking forward to joining my teammates and helping the team to be even more successful.”