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March 21, 2024
A few people doubted Ronaldo's football could have a great impact in Saudi Arabia, but roughly a year after he landed in the Middle East, the Portuguese legend proved his critics wrong...
Meaning "The Victory" in English, Al Nassr are now one of the most discussed football teams in the world since the arrival of one of the greatest athletes to ever play the game. Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival has been a massive boon for the Al Nassr, and the Saudi Pro League as a whole. The club were formed back in 1955 and are just one of three sides to have played in every season of the Saudi Pro Leagues history since it was established in 1976, having won the competition 26 times to date. The acquisition of Ronaldo ensured they were made the immediate favorites for the league title with sportsbooks like Bovada, but the club and owners have been looking for years to how they can grow their league further afield.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Prime Ronaldo:
Football has a huge following in the country and a passionate fan base, with the national side qualifying for its first World Cup in 1994, it has since gone to six World Cups since and most recently beating Lionel Messi's Argentina in their opening game of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
This passion for the game and development of players for the national team, often comes back to Al Nassr who, with competition from other sides in the league, went out to bring some of the game’s biggest stars to the league.
Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Neymar, and Sadio Mane have all arrived, but it is Cristiano Ronaldo who takes all the headlines and is the poster boy for the league.
Arriving at Al Nassr in January 2023, Ronaldo scored 42 goals and assisted 13 times in his first 49 games for the club. He scored 22 goals in the first 20 games of the season in 2024, making his presence felt as an opening goal scorer favorite each match at Bovada, and spurring teammates and opponents to keep improving.
Being the reported highest ever paid football in history, Ronaldo's arrival was seen as a move purely for the money from outsiders looking in. He himself, though, just months into arriving at the club, said that the league has the opportunity to be in the top five leagues in the world within a few years.
This is a bold claim, and one which has been difficult to back up now nearly two seasons into his Saudi Pro League career. But what can’t be ignored is that the attention on the league, the "Ronaldo Effect", is something which continues to help build its profile.
With 642 million Instagram followers, wherever Ronaldo goes, eyes and interest follows from around the world. The signing of Ronaldo does not just help you on the pitch, but brings attention from all his fans who follow him with a passion.
Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr, like his move to Juventus before that, has been about tapping into the CR7 brand. The agreements to bring Ronaldo to the club were not limited to just his footballing ability, but his commercial benefits which can come with his arrival.
Having the attention of Ronaldo's followers and fans is something which can be expected, but holding that attention and building on it is the challenge the Saudi Pro League has. Broadcasters from around the world jumped right in and bought the rights to show live games after the influx of stars who followed Ronaldo's lead.
By highlighting Cristiano Ronaldo as a key transfer into the league, the decision ensured that the league began to be considered by other stars too. Ronaldo's arrival brought an air of respectability from a sporting level, which other players then felt happy to explore as a potential landing spot more than just for the bumper salary on offer.
After Ronaldo's transfer, further world-beaters like Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, and Neymar moved after their contracts with their former sides expired or were available for a transfer from their sides in Europe. The likes of Ruben Neves and Aymeric Laporte may not have happened without Ronaldo's initial move with both players still young and in the prime of their careers.
The arrival of some of the biggest stars in the game has been exciting for fans to watch and drew crowds to the matches week in week out. Their level of ability has improved the league immensely, providing Saudi Arabian players with the chance to play alongside and learn from their new teammates.
By protecting the development of their players, for example with regulations on the number of U21 players being required to be registered in a squad, the future of the game in Saudi Arabia is potentially looking very bright.
Previous generations had hoped for moves abroad for the chance to push their careers further, now Saudi players have Cristiano Ronaldo training with them every day and playing alongside them each match day giving them the chance to become the best players they potentially could be, with every game available to bet on at Bovada.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Portugal is on March 21, against Sweden. You can watch Portugal vs Sweden, Italy vs Venezuela, Spain vs Colombia, England vs Brazil, Argentina vs El Salvador and Netherlands vs Scotland, all matches provided from our football live game pages.
Portugal next game:
Portugal vs Sweden kick-off time (21-03-2023):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 02:45
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 00:15
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+2: 21:45
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 20:45
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 19:45
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 16:45
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 15:45
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 12:45
Sources: ronaldo7.net / arabnews.com / goal.com
