The arrival of Ronaldo at Al Nassr might have a big impact on Saudi football and the country’s overall goals.
As the only side to beat the eventual victors in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup, Saudi Arabia grabbed headlines in November. However, there was still time for a larger surprise in 2022.
The Saudi Professional League (SPL) team Al Nassr revealed on social media on the last day of the year that they had recruited Cristiano Ronaldo to a two-and-a-half-year contract, which is reputedly worth more than $200 million annually.
This agreement might have a big impact on the team, the nation, and the entire football community both on and off the field.
Rumors of Al Nassr’s interest in the Portuguese superstar, who has won five Ballon d’Ors (the yearly award presented to the world’s finest player) and the same number of UEFA Champions Leagues, had been around for months, but they were mostly discounted.
However, a move became feasible once Ronaldo left Manchester United in December, becoming a free agent. The club had been infuriated by an inflammatory televised appearance in which he criticized the coach and owners of the team.
Even still, very few anticipated that one of the greatest players in history would really sign a contract with a Saudi team.
However, Saudi football shouldn’t be taken lightly, according to James Dorsey, a senior scholar at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore, who spoke with Al Jazeera.
Dorsey declared, “Saudi Arabia is a Middle Eastern football powerhouse and has advanced past the group stage at previous World Cups.” “They are starting to have more and more talented foreign players, including Ronaldo.”
The 37-year-old will play in his first SPL match on Sunday, game 14 of a 30-game season, against Ettifaq. With a strong team, Al Nassr, who last won in 2019, are presently leading the league.
This season’s top scorer in the SPL is Brazilian forward Anderson Talisca, while Pity Martinez, the 2018 South American Player of the Year, provides the creative spark.
David Ospina, a former first-choice goalkeeper for Arsenal and Napoli, is in goal. Before him are the highly regarded Ivory Coast fullback Ghislain Konan and the former defensive midfielder Luiz Gustavo of Bayern Munich.
Six members of the Saudi Arabian World Cup team are present at the club, adding to the strength of the home crowd. Coach Rudi Garcia led Lille to the 2011 French championship. He has also managed major European clubs Marseille, Roma, and Lyon.
Few teams in Asia could equal this lineup, but Al Nassr has advanced to a new level, and their supporters are ecstatic.
Al Nassr supporter Ahmed al-Issa said Al Jazeera, “It is amazing to have Cristiano and now my friends who support other clubs or even have no interest in football are asking me for tickets as this is not just about Al Nassr but the whole of Saudi Arabian football.”
“With him, we’ll win titles once more and emerge as Asia’s top squad. Everyone is anticipating the first game, and I can’t wait to watch him score and play in the yellow shirt.”
Supporter of Al Hilal, the most prosperous club in Asia, Ayman al-Hatami is less thrilled by Ronaldo scoring goals for his neighbors and fierce rivals in Riyadh. He feels Al Hilal is still far superior than Al Nassr in terms of skill and mindset.
“I don’t think Ronaldo will be able to win a major championship, but he will undoubtedly be successful as a player,” he said to Al Jazeera.
In contrast to Al Hilal, who currently have 18 and 4 titles respectively, Al Nassr currently have nine Saudi Arabian titles but have not yet won an Asian continental competition.
Outside the field
Even before their new star has touched a ball, Al Nassr may already have a greater worldwide profile than Al Hilal. The initial signs of the “Ronaldo effect” have been largely off the field, with fans having to wait more than three weeks between his signing and debut.
Al Nassr had approximately 850,000 Instagram followers as of December 29. Al Nassr’s following on social media has increased to about 12 million as of this writing, surpassing Al Hilal’s 3.7 million, after he signed a man who has more than 536 million followers worldwide.
Chief executive officer of D+1 Sports, a sports marketing business located in Madrid, Sasi Kumar, a former Singapore international, told Al Jazeera, “That’s a massive growth and various broadcasters will be looking to acquire all of Al Nassr’s games.”
“I don’t think anyone outside of Asia had heard of Al Nassr, but now everyone has in Europe and South America.”
The transfer can possibly lead to a rush of high-profile SPL acquisitions.
Since Ronaldo’s arrival, there have been stories and rumors of more high-profile foreign players, such N’Golo Kante of Chelsea and Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan, visiting the nation.
“Once you draw in the biggest names, things will catch on,” Kumar continued. “It’s not just Al Hilal and Al Nassr; other clubs will also be involved, and more players will be accepting of the idea.”
