Ighalo: 'Ronaldo went to Saudi for money, not passion'
"When you're young, you play for passion. At that time, you don't care about money," Ighalo told OmaSportsTV when asked about his motivation to go to Saudi Arabia to play football. "But beyond the age of 30, at the end of my career, I don't know if I can play for another year or two. At most, I will only play for three more years. My whole career I played for passion, Now it's for the money. I'm not one of those players who come here and say they play for passion."
Ighalo, 34 years old, plays for Man Utd on loan for the period 2020-2021, scoring five goals in 23 matches. After that, he went to Saudi Arabia to play. In the 2021-2022 season, the Nigerian striker is the Saudi Pro League top scorer with 24 goals for Al Shabab. Last season, he finished third with 19 goals for Al Hilal, behind Al Nassr's Talisca (20) and Al-Ittihad's Abderrazak Hamdallah (21).
Ighalo emphasized that Ronaldo joining Al Nassr was no exception. "Is Ronaldo still playing football because of passion?", he asked. "Once made 100 times the income I have in my life, but he still went to Saudi. Did Ronaldo come here to play for passion? No, my friend, it's all for the money."
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr on a free transfer, after agreeing to terminate his contract six months early with Man Utd. At the new club, he will receive the highest salary in the world 75 million USD per year. His income can increase to 200 million USD through advertising activities and brand representation.
"I'm lucky to have won it all in Europe. I feel now is the right time to share my experience in Asia. I look forward to joining my new teammates and helping the club achieve great results." Ronaldo once talked about his motivation to go to Saudi Arabia on the day he signed with Al Nassr.
Ighalo is currently a free agent when he was not extended by Al Hilal after the 2022-2023 season. The Nigerian striker said that the club made such a decision to clear the way to welcome Lionel Messi - whose contract with PSG expires in June. Therefore, Ighalo was shocked when the Argentine star refused an offer with a salary of $ 440 million - double double. Ronaldo - to move to Inter Miami.
Messi earns a seasonal salary of between $50 million and $60 million under a two-year contract with Inter Miami. The 36-year-old striker is also paid a part of revenue from new subscription accounts to watch MLS on Apple TV, as well as a part of the profit increase of sportswear company Adidas in the US.
