Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr contract has a clause that could allow him to play Uefa Champions League as fresh details emerge
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly has a clause in his Al-Nassr contract that allows him to play for Newcastle United if they qualify for the Champions League the following season.
On Friday, Ronaldo completed a sensational transfer to the Saudi Arabian club and is expected to earn around £173 million per year.
The agreement comes after Ronaldo mutually terminated his relationship with Manchester United in November following a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.
With no other offers on the table, Ronaldo made the move to the Middle Eastern club and will soon join his new teammates.
Al-city Nassr’s rivals Al-Hilal are selling shirts with Lionel Messi’s name on them, which could make his first meeting with new manager Rudi Garcia awkward.
Garcia suggested he wanted the club to sign Messi, and Al-rivals Nassr’s Al-Hilal are selling shirts with Messi’s name on them.
Ronaldo’s lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia is rumored to include a clause allowing him to move to Newcastle on loan if the Magpies qualify for the Champions League next season.
Eddie Howe’s squad is currently third in the Premier League and is on track to participate in Europe’s premier club competition next season.
According to a report in Marca, Ronaldo could make a temporary move to St. James’s Park if the club finishes in the top four this season and advances to the competition for the first time in twenty years.
Newcastle are owned by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
The Portuguese forward has scored a total of 140 goals in the tournament, with his long-time rival Messi in second place with 129 goals.
The star of Paris Saint-Germain will play in the knockout stages of the competition for Christophe Galtier’s squad this season, hoping to close the scoring gap with Cristiano Ronaldo to single digits.
The two superstars are comfortably ahead of Robert Lewandowski, who is in third place with 91 goals, in the competition’s all-time scoring records.
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland have 39 and 27 goals, respectively, and may be aiming for those records over the course of their careers.
This season, Ronaldo did not participate in the Champions League because  Manchester United, who finished sixth in the Premier League last year, did not qualify.
Ronaldo has not failed to participate in Europe’s premier club competition since 2002/03, prior to his first transfer to Manchester United from Sporting CP.
Some have criticized Ronaldo for choosing to finish his career in Saudi Arabia. After Messi’s World Cup victory, former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher compared him negatively to the Argentine.
“In some ways it’s a sad end for him, Carragher told Sky Sports. “Two of the greatest players in Messi and Ronaldo – Ronaldo has finished his career during an interview with Piers Morgan and Messi has won the World Cup. It’s not the best way to go out.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr contract has a clause that could allow him to play Uefa Champions League as fresh details emerge
