“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”
― William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night
What do Shakespeare and the world of football have in common? When it comes to greatness, they are both talking about one man: Cristiano Ronaldo, who has just received the world’s largest annual sports contract ever given. Ronaldo is greatness personified, and has achieved through his football career what other men can only dream of, recently accomplished a feat that no man ever has before. Because of the extreme skill and masterful play on the pitch, Ronaldo has punched his own ticket in his career. At the beginning of 2023, Al-Nassr acquired Ronaldo as a free agent and is reportedly paying him $217MM per year on a 2.5-year contract. This is an outlandish accomplishment in the sports world and certainly is a testament to his skill and longevity as a player.
A Football Legend
How did this rise to greatness occur? Ronaldo left Manchester United late last year, after his contract was terminated by mutual consent. He did not remain a free agent for long, and when he signed with Al-Nassr, he commanded the greatest salary ever given for a footballer. His salary will be $75MM from Al-Nassr, and the additional monies will come from commercial deals…
