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News
- 25 Jul 2026
Al-Nassr can't spend big like other Saudi sides - and Ronaldo is the reason why
Updated: 27 Jul 2026 04:58 CDT |
2 min read
News
Al-Nassr should be heading into the new Saudi Pro League season in a position of strength, having won the competition last year and subsequently appointing exciting new head coach Ange Postecoglou to the dugout.
However, they are one of three Saudi Pro League sides yet to make a signing this summer, alongside Al-Hazm and Al-Riyadh.
That is despite rivals splashing the cash on new recruits. Al-Ahli signed Francisco Trincao from Sporting CP for €39.35m and Al-Hilal signed Crysencio Summerville from West Ham for €64.5m, as two examples.
Al-Nassr's current problems stem from two factors - a lack of management at boardroom level and spiralling debts.
There's an administrative vacuum after Abdullah Al-Majed stepped down from his role as president of the club, citing a lack of desire to take the team into next season.
Top 20 highest-paid athletes in the world in 2025
| Athlete | Sport | Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cristiano Ronaldo | Football | $260m |
| 2. Canelo Alvarez | Boxing | $137m |
| 3. Lionel Messi | Football | $130m |
| 4. Juan Soto | Baseball | $129.2m |
| 5. LeBron James | Basketball | $128.7m |
| 6. Karim Benzema | Football | $115m |
| 7. Steph Curry | Basketball | $105.4m |
| 8. Shohei Ohtani | Baseball | $102.5m |
| 9. Kevin Durant | Basketball | $100.8m |
| 10. John Rahm | Golf | $100.7m |
| 11. Lewis Hamilton | F1 | $100m |
| 12. Kylian Mbappe | Football | $95m |
| 13. Giannis Antetokounmpo | Basketball | $94.3m |
| 14. Rory McIlroy | Golf | $91.2m |
| 15. Max Verstappen | F1 | $83m |
| 16. Scottie Scheffler | Golf | $82.9m |
| 17. Patrick Mahomes | NFL | $80.3m |
| 18. Erling Haaland | Football | $77.9m |
| 19. Josh Allen | NFL | $73.2m |
| 20. Justin Herbert | NFL | $71.1m |
Then, there are the debts, and Cristiano Ronaldo certainly has to shoulder some of the responsibility for that as the club's finances have been crippled, in part, due to his enormous salary and bonuses.
Saudi outlet Ariyadhiah reports that Al-Nassr are around $218 million in debt.
Ronaldo is widely reported to earn around €208 million per year from his contract with Al-Nassr, making him the highest-paid footballer in the world. His current deal, which runs until June 2027, includes his playing salary as well as various commercial and image-rights agreements connected to the club.
To put that figure into perspective, Ronaldo earns approximately €17.4 million per month, €4 million per week, and about €571,000 per day. This means he earns nearly €23,800 every hour, highlighting the extraordinary value of his deal.
He was the highest-paid athlete from any sport in 2025.
Al-Nassr have been linked with a number of players in the summer transfer window and reportedly have a deal in place to sign midfielder Samu Costa from Mallorca. However, they are yet to get it over the line as concerns about their finances continue.
