Cristiano Ronaldo still miles off becoming world’s richest footballer

Cristiano Ronaldo completes move to Saudi side Al Nassr

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Cristiano Ronaldo signed a mega-deal with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr after his contract was terminated by Manchester United, but still has some way to go before being named the richest footballer in the world. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner penned a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Saudi Pro League side on Friday, where he is set to earn a reported £173million-a-year.

The 35-year-old could earn £350m should he complete his contract in the Middle East, and there have even been rumours of him staying beyond the current deal and becoming an ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s push to host the 2030 World Cup, in direct competition with Portugal.

Ronaldo has signed the richest contract in football, though the mouth-watering sum of money is just a drop in the ocean for former Arsenal and Chelsea youngster Faiq Bolkiah, who as the world’s richest footballer is worth £13billion.

Though he did not make his fortunes on the pitch despite attempts to break into the Premier League squads, as Bolkiah is the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, and his father a prince in the country, the footballer is one of the heirs to Hassanal Bolkiah’s fortune.

Having grown up in England after he was born in the US, Bolkiah had spells at both AFC Newbury and Southampton before moving to Arsenal and then Chelsea. He was unable to make it to the first teams, however, and then moved to Leicester in 2016 when the Foxes handed him an initial three-year contract.

He failed to make a single appearance for the senior team during his time at the King Power Stadium though, and then moved to Portuguese side Maritimo. After just a handful of appearances in Portugal, Bolkiah moved to Thailand to join Chonbury, where he has gone on to become a regular in the team.

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Despite his vast wealth, Bolkiah has always dreamed of becoming a footballer. “I’ve played football since as early as I can remember and from a young age I’ve always enjoyed going out on the field and having the ball at my feet,” he previously said.

“My parents have always been supportive in helping me to achieve my dreams of being a footballer. They trained me hard both psychologically and physically through my childhood years, so I have to say they are my role models.”

Ronaldo has some way to go to match Bolkiah’s fortune, as the Portugal captain has an estimated net worth of £410m, though he is looking forward to a new experience in Saudi Arabia. “I’m thrilled for [a] new experience in a different league and a different country, the vision that Al Nassr has is very inspiring,” he said after completing the move to Al Nassr. “I am very excited to join my teammates, to help the team to achieve more success.”

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