By Michiel Willems
Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly close to agreeing to a contract with Saudi Arabian football club, Al-Nassr, in a deal that could see the striker earn £172.9m a year – the most expensive contract ever offered to a sports player.
The 37-year-old footballer mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Manchester United this November, after his relationship with officials at the Premier League club gradually deteriorated over several months.
While Ronaldo’s current focus is on helping his national team, Portugal, to win the World Cup, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner finds himself in desperate need of a place to play club football when the World Cup ends on Sunday December 18th.
With Ronaldo being offered such a lucrative deal by Al Nassr – who are currently in second place in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League – it begs the question: who has had the good fortune of signing the most expensive sports contract of all time?
The team at betting.com looked at this question, and shared its findings with City A.M. Here are the top eight most expensive contracts from the world of sport, based on what each sportsperson earned per year.
Lionel Messi – £137.2m per year
During Argentine footballer, Lionel Messi’s final four years at FC Barcelona (2017-2021), the six-time Ballon d’Or winner was on a very lucrative contract, which saw him earn on average £137.2m per year. This worked out at an astonishing £2.69m paid into Messi’s bank account per game.
Until his fiercest footballing rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, puts pen to paper with Al Nassr, Messi’s bumper Barcelona deal remains the most expensive sports contract of all time.
Canelo Alvarez – £59.4m per year
In 2018, boxer Canelo Alvarez signed a five-year contract with the global sports entertainment platform, DAZN, worth a whopping £59.4m per year.
A world champion in four different weight classes, the Mexican boxer’s money-making contract also earned him an average of £27m per fight over the last five years.
Devin Booker – £45.6m per year
The NBA star recently renewed his contract with the Phoenix Suns, giving the point guard one of the most profitable deals in the history of basketball.
With the new contract coming into effect in 2024, the three-time NBA All-Star now stands to earn over £182m by 2028.
Karl-Anthony Towns – £45.6m per year
Not only is Karl-Anthony Towns’ bumper new contract worth the same record-breaking value as fellow basketball player Devin Booker’s, but the two contracts will come into effect during the same time period of 2024 – 2028.
Towns’ new deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves will see the NBA forward earn an astonishing £556,100 per game.
Stephen Curry – £43.9m per year
One of the most decorated basketball players of all time, Stephen Curry, has also signed the third highest-paid contract in NBA history earlier this year.
With his Golden State Warriors team, Curry has won the NBA championship on four occasions, as well as being named the NBA’s most valuable player in 2015 and 2016.
Zach La Vine – £43.8m per year
The big money truly is in basketball, with the Chicago Bulls’ Zach La Vine also getting in on the action, signing a contract worth £43.8m per year earlier this year.
La Vine was part of the USA Olympic team that won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and has been a two-time NBA All-Star, featuring in 2021 and 2022.
Max Verstappen – £43.4m per year
The Formula 1 driver’s bumper new contract with Red Bull racing will come into effect in 2023, keeping the Dutchman with Red Bull until 2028.
Worth a huge £43.4m per year, an average of £1.97m per racing event, Verstappen’s sensational new contract drives him into pole position in having the most expensive contract in Formula 1 history.
Nikola Jokić – £43m per year
Yet another basketball star to earn an enormous contract, Serbian Nikola Jokić’s deal with the Denver Nuggets, worth £43m per year, will come into effect in 2023.
While the fifth-most expensive contract in NBA history is certainly very expensive, 6”11” Jokić was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in both 2021 and 2022 – value for money, indeed, for the Denver Nuggets.
The post Ronaldo close to £172m-a-year Al-Nassr contract: Here are the most expensive sports deals ever appeared first on CityAM.
