How Ronaldo’s arrival turned Riyadh into top footballers’ favored destination

22.09.2023 - 15:23 arabnews.com

RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo opened the door and the rest followed. What was a one-man mission to put the Saudi Pro League on the world map just a few months ago, has become a full-blown revolution.

So much so that when Brazilian superstar Neymar joined Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in August, it felt more like the apogee of a project rather than the scarcely believable.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s announcement that Saudi Arabia’s top clubs would be privatized has ushered in a new, golden era for football in the Kingdom, with Riyadh’s clubs leading the way.

When Ronaldo was first linked with a move to Al-Nassr, the reports were dismissed as fanciful across the world. On Dec. 31, 2022, the perception of Saudi football changed overnight.

Football soccer Cristiano Ronaldo Bayern Munich Julian Nagelsmann Marcelo Brozovic Germany Croatia Serbia Portugal Brazil China Senegal county Day Morocco Saudi Arabia county Alexander

MILAN: Roma announced on Wednesday that Riyadh Season will be their new shirt sponsor, the latest move from Saudi Arabia in European football. In a statement, Roma did not say for how long the sponsorship would last nor how much it was worth, but that the Italian club would play a friendly in Saudi Arabia as part of the new deal. Italian media report that the deal is worth around €8 million ($8.3 million) a season. Roma did not say when they would play the friendly match, with the opposition also not specified.

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