'Ronaldo the Second' is about to receive a salary even higher than Messi

Joao Felix will receive a huge salary when moving to Al Nassr, to play alongside Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League.

Joao Felix receives 'huge' treatment in Saudi Pro League - Photo: AFP

Joao Felix, once dubbed the "second Ronaldo" of Portuguese football, is close to completing one of the most controversial deals of his career when he moves from Chelsea to Al Nassr.

Notably, the salary he received in the Arab country not only made him the second highest paid player in the Premier League (in comparison), but also officially surpassed the salary of superstar Lionel Messi in the US.

According to The Sun , Cristiano Ronaldo's team have offered Felix a five-year contract worth a whopping £22 million a year, or around £420,000 a week.

If he were to remain in the Premier League, Felix would become the second-highest earner in the league, behind only Erling Haaland (£500,000 a week) and even £20,000 a week more than Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

More importantly, this salary has surpassed Lionel Messi's fixed income at Inter Miami. According to data released by the MLS Players Association, Messi's fixed salary is $20.45 million/year (about 16.1 million pounds).

Although Messi has many other incomes from commercial contracts, but in terms of fixed salary from the club, Felix is paid significantly higher.

Felix's move to the Saudi Pro League at the age of 25 has been met with fierce criticism, with Jen Mendelewitsch calling him a "money-printing machine" and saying he was no longer "in control" of his career.

Speaking to RMC Sport, Ms Mendelewitsch said: "Joao Felix has not played at the top level for a long time. He is a money printing machine."

At 25, Felix's decision to move to the Saudi Pro League is seen as a major setback for his career. Once considered one of Europe's brightest talents after a €126 million move to Atletico Madrid, Felix has spent years drifting and struggling to find form at Barca and Chelsea.

Now, he will play alongside his idol Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr. This is also an opportunity for him to find himself again, and a big gamble for this striker's career.

THANH DINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ronaldo-de-nhi-sap-nhan-muc-luong-con-cao-hon-messi-20250728183815014.htm