Cristiano Ronaldo to earn additional €200m to promote Saudi's 2030 World Cup bid

Cristiano Ronaldo's record deal with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr is apparently even bigger than has been reported, with the Portuguese star expected to earn an additional €200 million to promote Saudi Arabia's joint 2030 World Cup bid.

According to AFP, Ronaldo will receive the massive payout in addition to his club salary, which is reported to be more than $200m per year including commercial and sponsorship tie-ins.

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After Qatar successfully hosted the 2022 World Cup, Saudi Arabia is said to be considering a bid to bring the tournament back to the Middle East.

"Ronaldo will be paid more than 200 million euros [$214 million] for the deal," AFP quoted a club source as saying.

"He will be an ambassador for the Saudi World Cup 2030 bid for another 200 million."

Anticipation in the Kingdom is high as fans wait for Ronaldo's debut. He is currently serving a two-match suspension imposed by the English Football Association for knocking a phone out of a fan's hand after Manchester United's defeat at Everton in April.

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in December after his unceremonious exit from Manchester United. Ronaldo had criticised the club and manager Erik ten Hag in a TV interview, leading to the termination of his contract with the Premier League side.

Ronaldo's first game since moving to Saudi could be against Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly.

Ronaldo could feature in an all-star XI made up of players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal in a friendly against PSG in Riyadh on January 19.