Saudi Arabia: The rising star of international football

The world witnessed one of the biggest shake ups in football history during the summer transfer window of 2023. It was business as usual across Europe, with leagues signing players left and right. But Saudi Arabia got everyone talking as they continue to attract some of football's star players.

"Football is already something of a way of life in Saudi Arabia. They were already seeing 70-80,000 spectators in the stadium every week before all this began with bringing in superstars. They want to make the next step in development." explained Mohammed Hamdi, former director of Al Jazira FC.

Cristiano Ronaldo paved the way to the Middle East with a move to Al-Nassr shortly after the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar. After a well-documented fall-out at Manchester United, the star was declared a free agent during the tournament. And he continued to play for his country and progressed through the knockout rounds.

On December 30th 2022, he signed a pre-contract that became effective on January 1st. According to reports, Ronaldo's salary is the highest in football history. His new club Al-Nassr instantly felt the benefits of landing such a massive star. Overnight, their profile as a football club skyrocketed. They gained over 15 million Instagram followers in less than a week as Ronaldo fans from all around the globe were desperate to learn about his new club.

On the pitch, his transfer garnered mixed results. Scoring 14 goals in 16 appearances is a fantastic result, but his team could only finish runners-up in the Pro League behind Riyadh rivals Al-Hilal.

His arrival in the Middle East has opened the floodgates for others to follow. Several top-level players have left Europe and headed for Saudi, including the current Ballon 'or Winner and