Cristiano Ronaldo’s new stunning contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr has not only made headlines for its enormous financial scale but also for the extravagant perks included. The legendary footballer inked a two-year agreement valued at a staggering $700 million—a figure that could go down as the most lucrative contract in sports history.

According to reports by journalist Fabrizio Romano and The Sun, Ronaldo stands to earn $244.4 million in salary alone. However, this record-breaking deal goes far beyond basic pay. Among the numerous incentives, Ronaldo secured a $33.6 million signing bonus, $5.5 million in jet travel credits, and a similar amount if he finishes as the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League. One of the most unique aspects of the contract is the 15% ownership stake in Al Nassr—a rare inclusion in any sports deal.

In addition, 16 personal staff members will be assigned full-time to handle various aspects of his daily life. And thanks to Saudi Arabia's zero income tax policy, Ronaldo keeps a much larger share of his income compared to what he would in countries like the UK or Spain. As sports economist Victor Matheson remarked, Ronaldo's compensation could rival the entire revenue of the Saudi league itself.

Ronaldo is not alone in receiving such high-end contractual benefits. Lionel Messi, upon joining Inter Miami in 2023, secured revenue-sharing agreements with Apple TV and Adidas, earning a share of profits from Apple’s MLS streaming service, as per Sportico. Likewise, David Beckham’s 2007 move to LA Galaxy included a clause granting him the option to purchase an MLS team in the future—a move that led to his eventual ownership of Inter Miami.

Outside of football, high-ranking CEOs also enjoy similar perks. In 2022, Meta spent $6 million on Mark Zuckerberg’s private air travel, while Salesforce’s CEO Marc Benioff was allotted $3 million for personal security and $1.6 million for flights.

Ronaldo explains decision behind snubbing "some offers" from teams competing at Club World Cup

Portugal's prolific forward Cristiano Ronaldo revealed the reason behind his decision to extend his stay with Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League and why he turned down "some offers" from teams that are competing at the ongoing Club World Cup.

After his previous deal ran out in Riyadh, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner decided to extend his stay in the Saudi Pro League until 2027. Before agreeing to stay put, Ronaldo was heavily linked to a move away from Al Nassr.

The 40-year-old outlined the reason behind his decision to continue with Al Nassr and claimed that the offers he got didn't make sense because he prefers to have a good rest, considering it will be a long season.

"I had some offers to play in the World Cup but I think it didn't make sense because I prefer to have a good rest, a good preparation, because this season will be very long as it is the World Cup season at the end of the year," Ronaldo told Al-Nassr's official media team.

"I want to be ready not only for Al-Nassr but also for the national team. So, this is why I decided to play the last game for the Nations League and not listen to anything. And of course, to be in this club, which I love," he added.

Ronaldo will stay with the club well beyond his 42nd birthday. Despite being 40, Ronaldo has shown no signs of decline, considering he led Portugal to the UEFA Nations League title earlier this month, defeating Spain in the final.

With 932 goals scored already, he is also aiming to reach 1,000 goals. On the club level, he has 794 goals, while for Portugal, he has found the net 138 times.

Even though Ronaldo has won the Arab Club Champions Cup with Al Nassr, he is yet to win the SPL title, as the team finished runners-up in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons and third in the 2024-25 season. (With inputs from Agencies)