Cristiano Ronaldo rejects lucrative deal to promote Saudi Arabia

It is no secret that Cristiano Ronaldo is a very influential and sought-after endorser. With millions of fans and followers from all over the world, almost any brand or company would want to be endorsed by him. The latest reports suggest that even countries are interested in getting a nod from the Portuguese superstar. However, Ronaldo reportedly rejected a lucrative offer to become the face of a tourism campaign for Saudi Arabia.

The Juventus forward is known to have endorsed anywhere from big fashion brands, real estate, electronics, e-commerce platforms and many more. His face appears in car ads, shampoo commercials and many other campaigns. He also rakes in a lot of cash from his social media.

While Ronaldo has dipped his toes into numerous industries but he apparently draws the line somewhere. Despite a reported €6 million offer, The Telegraph reports that he turned down the Saudi Arabian tourism authority.

The "Visit Saudi Arabia" campaign would have required Ronaldo to promote the Middle Eastern country as a holiday destination. The deal would have included the use of his image in advertisements that would be seen all over the world. Of course, this also means he would be asked to travel to Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo and his representatives have not made any comments about the reports, and it is unclear why he rejected the offer nor if there is any truth to the reports. The same report also mentioned that FC Barcelona captain Lionel Messi was given a similar offer. It is unclear if he accepted.

Saudi Arabia is one of the most football crazy countries in Asia. They also controversially hosted the Supercopa de España last year, which drew a lot of criticism from Spanish fans. While Saudi Arabia has a long way to go before it can catch up with neighbours UAE, it appears that tourism is turning into one of the country's big priorities.