Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed he received an offer from Australia's A-League as he was officially unveiled by Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on Tuesday.
The 37-year-old will become the highest paid footballer on the planet after signing a two-year deal with the Saudi Pro League club that is reportedly worth more than AU$280 million per year.
However, the Al Nassr contract wasn't the only pitch on the table for Ronaldo with the Portugal international disclosing he received other offers, including from Down Under.
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"I feel so proud to make this big decision in my life," the former Manchester United star said at his Al Nassr unveiling in from of 25,000 people at Mrsool Park in Riyadh.
"In Europe, my work is done. I won everything and now this is a new challenge.
"I'm grateful Al Nassr have given me this opportunity, not only for the football but for the young generation and the female generation.
"For me, this is a challenge but I feel very happy and very proud.
"I had many opportunities in Europe, in Brazil, in Australia, in the US and even in Portugal many clubs tried to sign me, but I gave my word to this club.
"This is a good chance to grow many important points here with my knowledge and my experience."
Australian Professional Leagues (APL) CEO Danny Townsend has said they have opened dialogue with Cristiano Ronaldo's representatives about a possible move to the A-Leagues in November when it looked like the player was keen to leave Manchester United.
"We haven't been in Nani's ear but we've certainly registered our interest in bringing (Ronaldo) to Australia," Townsend told SportsFM 91.3 at the time.
"It's obviously a long shot but we certainly have a proposition here in Australia for him to consider.
"We're in dialogue and we'll see where that goes."
Townsend and the APL have come under fire recently for selling the A-League Men Grand Final to Sydney for the next three years - in a deal with Destination NSW reported to be around $12m.
A-League supporters have united in opposition against the APL's deal with boycotts and supporter walkouts occurring at recent matches.
