Cristiano Ronaldo says he is proud to be a “pioneer” for football in Saudi Arabia, insisting it has become normal for the game’s top stars to play in the kingdom.
The Portuguese forward, 38, joined Saudi Pro League (SPL) club Al Nassr in late December on a two-and-a-year deal, paving the way for a number of high-profile players to follow him to the top tier this summer.
Brazil superstar Neymar, current Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema, African Footballer of the Year Sadio Mane, World Cup winner N’Golo Kante, and former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson are only some of the headline names to move to the SPL in the past few months.
The league has publicly declared its ambition to develop into one of the top-five domestic competitions in the world. The kingdom’s aggressive recruitment drive this summer has led to criticism from lead football figures in Europe, including Uefa president Alexander Ceferin and Barcelona counterpart Joan Laporta.