Opening Whistle
On December 10th 2022, Portugal was dumped from the World Cup by underdogs Morocco. Walking down the tunnel in tears, Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo was devastated, knowing very well this was his last chance at World Cup glory. While this chapter in Ronaldo’s international career closed, everyone was now curious to see Ronaldo’s next move after his departure from Manchester United.
A shocking transfer decision
As usual, there was lots of speculation. Links to clubs such as Bayern and Real Madrid were picking up steam, as well as rumors of a homecoming to boyhood club Sporting. There were also dark horses in the race, such as Borussia Dortmund, Marseille and Sporting Kansas City. What happened next however, took everyone by surprise. Just before the new year, Cristiano Ronaldo shocked world football and signed a mammoth 2 year deal with Saudi Pro league club Al Nassr. While everyone was stunned with the move when it first happened, the seismic impact of this transfer has only become evident in recent weeks.
Trailblazing the Path
The first key impact of Ronaldo’s move was that he became a trailblazer. Akin to a modern day Marco Polo, Ronaldo created a path from Europe to the Middle East other players could follow. Seeing one of the greatest players in history leave Europe for Saudi’s riches gave other players the validation and approval needed to do the same. While Saudi Arabian clubs always had money, they never had the power to attract real stars to their league before Cristiano’s arrival.
Call to action for Europe’s elite
Not only did Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr create a pathway, but he also set out a call to action to attract Europe's elite players. In an interview with the official channel of the Saudi Pro league, Ronaldo stated that all players both young and old are welcome to join him in Saudi Arabia as this will improve the overall standard of the league. While things were quiet for the first few months, rumors of a European exodus to the Middle East slowly began spreading.
Summer incomings
With the summer transfer window opening in June, the speculations around the Saudi Pro league proved to be accurate. An abundance of European stars made the move east. Here is a list of a few players that joined:
Karim Benzema (Ballon d’or winner)
N’Golo Kante (World Cup Winner)
Kalidou Koulibaly (AFCON winner)
Edward Mendy (Champions League Winner)
Steven Gerrad (Champions League Winner)
Firmino (Champions League Winner)
Jordan Henderson (England Captain)
Riyad Mahrez (Treble winner)
Fabinho (Champions League Winner)
Sadio Mane (Champions League Winner)
What’s remarkable is the sheer quality of some of these players that have left Europe for Saudi Arabia. The list is filled with Premier League winners, Champions League winners and even Ballon d’or winners. It seems like each day there is a new transfer. Furthermore, the Saudi league has not only managed to attract veterans, but also players at the peak of their powers such as Allan St. Maximin and Jota, both in their mid 20’s.
Here comes the money
While Ronaldo gave the Saudi League the social proof it needed with his move to Al Nassr, the real driving force behind all these transfers is evidently the money. Ronaldo’s contract is set to be rumored at around 200 million pounds a year, while stars such as Benzema and Kante are pocketing in excess of 100 million. Additionally, players such as Riyad Mahrez, Marcelo Brozovic and Kalidou Koulibaly are earning more than 5 times what they made in Europe. Even a player like Reuben Neves who is not a superstar, is now earning more than almost all players in Europe.
What’s next
With the season just around the corner, everyone wants to know what the future holds for the Saudi League. As always, opinions lie on both ends of the spectrum. Some think these massive investments could spell the end for Europe’s dominance in domestic football and result in a shift in the centralization of top talent. Others believe this wild spending is not sustainable and similarly to the Chinese Super League will be short lived.
The truth as always lies somewhere in between. On one hand, it is hard to believe that the Saudi Pro league will surpass Europe as a more attractive destination for the world’s top talent. Yes the league has deep financial pockets and will attract some top European players, however the allure of Champions League football or the Premier League will not be surpassed. That being said, Saudi Pro league clubs will continue with this spending for the foreseeable future in order to acheive their goal of hosting a World Cup.
Great Video on the Saudi Pro League - Source: Tifo Football
Final Whistle
Regardless of how it plays out, one thing’s for certain. None of this would have happened if not for Cristiano Ronaldo taking the leap and trailblazing the path. As Ronaldo once said : “I don’t follow records, they follow me”. Well in the case of his transfer to Al Nassr, it was not only the records but also Europe’s elite footballers that followed him to the Middle East.
And just like that the final whistle is blown. We hope you liked today’s article and we want to thank you for sticking with us till the end. Subscribe to the blog down below for the latest stories and follow us on Instagram @Studsup99. If you want in person technical training, book your free player assessment today. Let’s get stuck in!
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