The Al Nassr Contract, Term by Term
Two deals, one repricing of an entire sport: the December 2022 signing that made Ronaldo the world's best-paid athlete, and the June 2025 extension that added a 15% stake in the club. Every reported term, sourced and rated.
By Zadhid Powell, Founder & EditorLast updated 5 August 2026 · Sourced public estimates
The June 2025 extension, component by component
Saudi Pro League clubs publish no salaries, so every figure is contract reporting, not a filing — well-corroborated, but treat precision as approximate.
| Component | Value | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | ~$245M / year (€200M) | The largest salary in the history of professional sport |
| Performance bonuses | Up to ~$40M / year | Tied to goals, assists and team trophies |
| Signing bonus | ~$34M | One-off, paid on signature in June 2025 |
| Equity | 15% of Al Nassr FC | Valued around $45.4M at signing — pay converted into ownership |
| Tax | 0% | Saudi Arabia levies no personal income tax; the headline is the take-home |
| Benefits in kind | Not valued | Private jet, villa and a reported 16 full-time staff |
| Term | To 30 June 2027 | Expires weeks after his 42nd birthday; nothing beyond is contracted |
- Value
- ~$245M / year (€200M)
- Detail
- The largest salary in the history of professional sport
- Value
- Up to ~$40M / year
- Detail
- Tied to goals, assists and team trophies
- Value
- ~$34M
- Detail
- One-off, paid on signature in June 2025
- Value
- 15% of Al Nassr FC
- Detail
- Valued around $45.4M at signing — pay converted into ownership
- Value
- 0%
- Detail
- Saudi Arabia levies no personal income tax; the headline is the take-home
- Value
- Not valued
- Detail
- Private jet, villa and a reported 16 full-time staff
- Value
- To 30 June 2027
- Detail
- Expires weeks after his 42nd birthday; nothing beyond is contracted
2023 signing vs 2025 extension
What changed between the deal that brought him to Riyadh and the one that keeps him there.
| Term | 2023 deal | 2025 extension |
|---|---|---|
| Signed | December 2022 (from Jan 2023) | June 2025 |
| Annual package | ~$200M all-in | ~$245M base + up to ~$40M bonuses |
| Total value | ~$400M+ over 2.5 years | ~$620–676M over 2 years |
| Equity | None | 15% of the club |
| Structure | Salary + commercial/ambassador rights | Salary + bonuses + signing bonus + equity |
| Source | Al Nassr / Reuters | Transfermarkt / Football Business Journal |
- 2023 deal
- December 2022 (from Jan 2023)
- 2025 extension
- June 2025
- 2023 deal
- ~$200M all-in
- 2025 extension
- ~$245M base + up to ~$40M bonuses
- 2023 deal
- ~$400M+ over 2.5 years
- 2025 extension
- ~$620–676M over 2 years
- 2023 deal
- None
- 2025 extension
- 15% of the club
- 2023 deal
- Salary + commercial/ambassador rights
- 2025 extension
- Salary + bonuses + signing bonus + equity
- 2023 deal
- Al Nassr / Reuters
- 2025 extension
- Transfermarkt / Football Business Journal
Why the numbers dwarf everything before them
The mechanism is tax, not generosity. Saudi Arabia levies no personal income tax, so a €200 million salary is take-home. A Spanish or Italian club would need to pay roughly double gross to leave him the same amount — which is why his Real Madrid and Juventus contracts, each the best in their league at the time, look small next to this one. The full gross-versus-net mechanics are on the tax page.
The deal also bundles more than football. From the start it included commercial and ambassadorial rights — Ronaldo fronts Saudi sporting initiatives well beyond match days — and since 2025 it makes him a part-owner of the club that pays him.
After 30 June 2027
Nothing beyond the expiry is contracted, and we do not model speculative renewals. What survives regardless: the Nike lifetime deal, CR7 licensing royalties, and the equity book — Al Nassr, UD Almería, WHOOP and the rest of the portfolio on the investments page.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ronaldo's Al Nassr salary?
His June 2025 extension pays a reported €200 million base salary per year — roughly $245 million — plus up to about $40 million in performance bonuses, a $34 million signing bonus and a 15% equity stake in the club. It is tax-free in Saudi Arabia and runs to 30 June 2027.
Was Ronaldo the first billionaire footballer?
Yes. Bloomberg's Billionaires Index confirmed him as football's first billionaire player in October 2025, following the June 2025 Al Nassr extension that included the club equity stake.