Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr was historic for several reasons. It was the first time a player of Ronaldo’s stature, of which there are already very few, made the move to the Middle East. It also led to an influx of top talent from European football making the move over as the Saudi Pro League looked to establish itself as one of the top five divisions in the world.
It was also record-breaking because of the sheer amount that the Portuguese legend was being paid per week. It is believed that the 39-year-old rakes in excess of £3.2m every seven days, an absolutely jaw-dropping amount. With that amount of money, you can build a full-team full of genuinely world-class players. And by world-class, we mean players who are justifiably considered to be in the top three for their respected positions.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at how Al-Nassr could look if they decided to spread their costs on several players in their prime, rather than one superstar in his twilight years.
World Class Team That Can Be Signed With Cristiano Ronaldo’s Weekly Wage | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Position | Player | Club | Weekly Wage |
GK | Alisson | Liverpool | £150,000 |
DEF | Trent Alexander-Arnold | Liverpool | £180,000 |
DEF | Antonio Rudiger | Real Madrid | £235,613 |
DEF | Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool | £220,000 |
DEF | Theo Hernandez | AC Milan | £82,901 |
MID | Rodri | Manchester City | £220,000 |
MID | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid | £336,613 |
MID | Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | £400,000 |
FW | Vinicius Jr | Real Madrid | £336,613 |
FW | Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid | £505,000 |
FW | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | £375,000 |
Total Wage: £3,041,740 p/w | |||
Goalkeeper and Defence
Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Virgil van Dijk, Theo Hernandez
The back five sees a particularly strong Liverpool influence, with three of Arne Slot’s defensive stars making it into the team. Whilst Brazilian teammate Ederson could also make this team, there is no better shot-stopper in the world right now than Alisson. With the second-lowest salary in this XI, it is a no-brainer to include the former Roma man in between the sticks.
Ahead of him sit his Merseyside compatriots Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk. The former may have been tried and tested in midfield at Euro 2024 to not much success, but his ability in delivering from the flanks is why he qualifies for this team. Meanwhile, Van Dijk’s renaissance over the last 12 months has proven he is still at the top of his game. As is Real Madrid star Antonio Rudiger, who is coming off the back of an impressive display in a victorious Champions League campaign with Los Blancos, which made him a two-time winner of the competition.
On the left, Theo Hernandez is the most shrewd inclusion, with the Frenchman being the only one to earn shy of six figures. However, the AC Milan captain is a tremendous talent who could easily demand much more every week.
Midfield
Rodri, Jude Bellingham, Kevin De Bruyne
Jude Bellingham finds himself in the middle of a Manchester City sandwich in the middle of the park. The Englishman earns an eye-watering £337,000-per-week at Real Madrid, and could’ve been in line to make an extra £400m on top of that had England gone all the way at Euro 2024.
One man who was able to lift the Henri Delaunay trophy was Spanish anchorman Rodri. The 27-year-old’s importance for club and country has become a thing of urban legend in recent times, as the former Atleti star is becoming near impossible to beat.
Kevin De Bruyne is the final piece of the midfield puzzle. However, the Belgian icon may end up being an opponent of Al-Nassr in the not too distant future, as links to the Middle East continue to surround the two-time PFA Player of the Year.
Attack
Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland
The fact that the Santiago Bernabeu is the home to two-thirds of this frightening attack is not a good omen for any of their European and domestic opponents. In Vinicius Jr, Carlo Ancelotti already had one favourite for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, not including Bellingham and also Dani Carvajal. Apparently, that wasn’t enough, and some more firepower was needed.
Enter Kylian Mbappe. On £505,000-per-week, it seems crazy to say that the former PSG talisman has actually taken a substantial pay-cut in order to fulfill his childhood dream. That speaks volumes of just what sort of contract he was on in the French capital.
Leading the line is Manchester City’s Scandinavian scorer Erling Haaland. Despite having a slightly weaker second season at the Etihad, it was certainly no case of second season syndrome as Haaland continued to bag plenty of goals. His record of 63 strikes in 66 games in arguably the most competitive domestic league in the world is not a statistic that should be possible for anyone, let alone someone who is yet to reach their prime. When he does, best believe that the 24-year-old’s numbers and salary will inflate all the more.