Cristiano Ronaldo’s current salary at Al Nassr is twice the maximum investment in the compensation fund for countries damaged by climate change.

The climate summit held this month in Dubai sealed a radical deal that signaled “the beginning of the end of fossil fuels.” The COP28 host country described the event as “historic” but many activists still question its effectiveness. 

The final text directly addresses the industries largely responsible for the climate crisis: oil, gas and coal. The agreement calls for countries to sharply reduce polluting emissions and triple global renewable energy capacity.

Last year, capitals around the world agreed to establish a loss and damage fund to pool resources to help countries most vulnerable to climate change. Industrialized countries commit to make voluntary contributions to offset damage caused by the climate crisis in developing territories. 

This initiative acts as compensation because the countries most affected by extreme events are actually the ones that produce the least emissions. The fund must raise about $100 billion by 2030, although vulnerable countries request more generous amounts.

The World Bank will be responsible for managing the reserves and all developing countries will be able to access financing. The first contributions from the European Union amounted to $250 million, while the United Arab Emirates sent 100 million, the UK 50 million and the US 17 million. 

The European countries contributing the most in this order are France ($108.9 million), Italy ($108.9 million) and Germany ($100 million).

The data will be better understood if we compare it with close reality, such as the cost of Saudi Arabian football. According to a report by Deloitte, the country’s professional league clubs spent nearly $1 billion to buy 94 foreign players during the summer transfer window. 

The world’s eleven highest-paid players earned $995 million this season, not including taxes and agency fees. Additionally, 5 of them surpassed the 9-figure mark. It is important to know that the current contribution to the compensation fund does not exceed $712 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo, player of Al Nassr, takes the top spot with an expected total income of 260 million USD. This payroll is more than double the maximum investment of world capital sources in a compensation fund for countries damaged by climate change, a position held by France, with a donation of 108 million dollars . 

The salaries of Lionel Messi (135 million USD) and Neymar (112 million USD) also exceed this figure. The fact that Ronaldo is a member of an Arab club that is behind major oil companies has caused even more criticism.