Cristiano Ronaldo will start a new adventure in Saudi Arabia. The Portuguese superstar will defend Al Nassr who is competing in the Saudi Professional League. Cristiano Ronaldo heads to a new home in Saudi Arabia after leaving Manchester United and European football behind.
Ronaldo, who is now 37 years old, joined the contestants of the Saudi Arabian League, Al Nassr, with a fantastic contract value. CR7 reportedly signed a 2.5 year contract with a fantastic fee of 200 million euros per year. The winner of five Ballon d’Or awards has become the player with the most expensive contract in football history.
New Challenges in the Arabian Peninsula
After defending the Portugal national team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Cristiano Ronaldo continued his career in the Arabian peninsula by accepting Al Nassr’s proposal. “I am excited to have a new experience in a football league and a different country,” said Ronaldo about his reasons for choosing Al Nassr as the new port.
“The vision of what Al Nassr is doing and developing in Saudi Arabia, both in terms of men’s and women’s football is very inspiring,” added the player who has also played for Real Madrid and Juventus. “Everyone can see how the Saudi Arabian national team recently performed at the 2022 World Cup. This is a country with big football ambitions and has a lot of potential,” Ronaldo stressed.
Saudi Arabia’s professional football competition began in 1976 with only eight teams involved. In the following season, the number of clubs increased to 10 teams. Then in 1981-1982, the Saudi Premier League and Saudi First Division merged with the 20 participating teams divided into two groups. The Saudi Arabian football league continued to evolve and changed its format several times, until it became fully professional in 2007.
Currently, the SPL has an allocation of four tickets to the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Champions League. The Saudi Arabian League also has domestic companion competitions, namely the King’s Cup and Super Cup. Al Hilal is the most successful team with a collection of 18 SPL titles. Meanwhile, Al Nassr, who became Cristiano Ronaldo’s new club, has won the Saudi Pro League nine times.
