"Played for passion all my life, now it's for money" - Ex-Manchester United star makes Cristiano Ronaldo claim & reveals why he moved to Saudi League

Odion Ighalo has openly stated that all players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, move to Saudi Arabia in pursuit of money and not for their love of football.

Since coming through the ranks of Osun United FC in Nigeria, Ighalo has played in various leagues across Spain, Italy, and England. He has even had a stint with Shanghai Shenhua in China, during which time he spent six months on loan at Manchester United.

In February 2021, Ighalo moved to Saudi Arabia and joined Al Shabab on a two-and-a-half-year contract. In January earlier this year, he signed with Al-Hilal, where he finished as the league's top scorer with 24 goals in his first season.

In recent weeks, there has been a heavy influx of players moving to the Middle East. Saudi clubs have been spending big to lure the best players to their clubs.

Foreign players have been playing in Saudi Arabia for many years now. But it was Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr at the turn of the year that saw the Arab country come under the spotlight.

In a recent interview with OmaSportsTV (via Somos Invictos), Ighalo stated that players, including him, move to Saudi Arabia for the money and not out of their passion for football.

"When you are young, yes, you play for passion. Back then, you don't care about money. But at my age, I am in the final stretch of my career, I don't know if it will be 1, 2 years or when God will tell it to stop. I know it won't be more than 3 years," he said.

"I've played for passion all my life, now it's for money. I'm not one of those players who come and say: 'I play for passion'. Brother, it's money. At the end of the day, it's money," he added.

The 34-year-old used the example of Cristiano Ronaldo for his argument. He reckons that the Portuguese superstar moved to Saudi Arabia for the money, despite earning a lot more than him over the course of their respective careers.

"Is Ronaldo still playing out of passion? Ronaldo has earned 100 times more than I have in my entire life and yet he went to Saudi Arabia. Did he do that out of passion? It's for money, bro," he said.

Ighalo is currently without a club, having left Al-Hilal earlier this summer.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr: The numbers behind Portuguese star's staggering contract

Cristiano Ronaldo parted ways with Manchester United late last year and completed a move to Saudi Arabia side Al-Nassr on a free transfer.

The 38-year-old signed a deal with Al-Nassr until 2025 and is said to be on the biggest contract in football history. According to AFP, his contract is worth £177 million ($215 million) per year.

CBS Sports have reported that Ronaldo's basic salary amounts to £62 million ($75 million), with the rest of his salary made up of image rights and commercial deals.

Cristiano Ronaldo is also expected to play a role in Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. As per AFP, this will earn him an additional £177 million on top of the money guaranteed to him by his Al-Nassr contract.