Cristiano Ronaldo explained why top footballers are ditching European leagues for the Saudi Pro League. The Al-Nassr superstar believes his sensational move to join the Saudi club in January 2023 on a deal worth $200 million a year saw him greatly influence this trend.
Ronaldo recently sat down with Rio Ferdinand to explain some of the reasons behind the big-name crop of players continuing to move to the region of the Gulf. “Of course, big finances are there, obviously; the wages are there, and also the tax condition, but it is not just that,” he said. “We have to look at the culture of the Saudi league too, because the football is different.
“I knew the players would follow me,” Ronaldo said. The other factor, he says, which makes the SPL appealing to top players is the culture of football in Saudi Arabia, which he was aware of through friends and Portuguese coaches.
In fact, since the arrival of Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Neymar, and Sadio Mane, among other stars, are trooping into the league. As a matter of fact, his presence in the SPL has opened their doors to many other A-list footballers who might see the Gulf as a perfect destination for the next chapter of their careers.
