Cristiano Ronaldo shocked the football world in 2022 when he completed a move to Al-Nassr in the Saudi pro league. The deal that brought him in was worth above $200 million and was seen as an investment to develop the league and attract attention, players, and viewership and it worked. Ever since Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr we’ve seen an increase in the number of top players moving to Saudi Arabia to play in their football league. Of course, the crazy money they offer contributes to the moves we’re seeing but before Ronaldo, many players did not see Saudi Arabia as a choice destination to play at or even see out the rest of their career. Most players opted to play in America, China or go back to their boyhood clubs to retire but now Saudi is an option many have taken and are open to taking. Here are some famous players that moved to the Saudi Pro League after Ronaldo.
1. Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad)
News of Benzema’s move to Al-Ittihad shocked the football world in the summer of 2023. Just coming off of winning the Ballon D’or and the Champions League with Real Madrid; a campaign in which he was very pivotal, many expected him to stay with Los Blancos but he opted not to renew his contract and join Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League.
2. Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr)
Sadio Mané moved to join forces with Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in 2023 after a poor spell at Bayern Munich. The former Liverpool winger was part of the attacking trio alongside Mo Salah and Firmino who helped Jürgen Klopp win the Champions League and end Liverpool’s Premier League trophy drought in 2020. The Senegalese international who has been named African Player of the Year twice came second in the 2022 Ballon D’or ranking.
3. Ngolo Kanté (Al-Ittihad)
Chelsea legend and World Cup winner Ngolo Kanté also opted to link up with France teammate Benzema as he joined Al-Ittihad in July 2023. The legendary defensive midfielder won everything with Chelsea before he decided to join Al-Ittihad on a free transfer. His performance in the 2020/2021 Champions League campaign helped Chelsea lift their second Champions League trophy and won him the UEFA Midfielder of the Year award. Kanté was named Man of the Match in the final against Manchester City and both legs of the Semi-final.
4. Neymar (Al Hilal)
Another shock move was Neymar to Al Hilal in 2023. The Brazil international left PSG after six seasons and 173 appearances to join Al Hilal in a lucrative two-year contract. Sadly Neymar did not play many games for Al-Hilal before he picked up an ACL injury that will keep him out until later this year.
5. Marcelo Brozovic (Al-Nassr)
The Croatian international moved from Inter Milan to join Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in 2023 after losing the Champions League final with Inter Milan. Al-Nassr reportedly paid Inter Milan €18 million for his transfer
6. Aleksander Mitrovic (Al-Hilal)
Mitrovic completed his move from Premier League side Fulham to Al-Hilal in August 2023. The Serbian international was pivotal in securing Fulham’s promotion to the Premier League and netted 14 times in the Premier League in the 2022/2023 season for Fulham before his move to Al-Hilal. Fulham was reported to have negotiated a club-record transfer fee of £50 million for the Serbian.
7. Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli)
Mahrez joined Al-Ahli in the summer of 2023 following Manchester City’s iconic treble win. The five-time Premier League winner completed a £30m move to the Saudi Pro League side after five seasons and lots of trophies at the Etihad. The Algerian international netted 78 times in 236 appearances for Man City before his move in 2023.
8. Roberto Firmino (Al-Ahli)
Brazilian forward and Liverpool legend Roberto Firmino joined Al-Ahli on a free transfer in 2023. The Brazilian formed a deadly attacking trio with Sadio Mané and Mohammed Salah that brought Liverpool much success. Firmino bagged 111 goals and 79 assists in 362 appearances for Liverpool and helped the Merseyside Reds win a Champions League trophy and one Premier League trophy ending their 30-year drought.
The number of big players that moved to Saudi Arabia following Cristiano Ronaldo’s move is a testament to his influence in the football world. Ronaldo’s move has made many players see Saudi Arabia as a viable destination to ply their trade and we can only imagine more players will make the move in the coming years. Other players who made the move include; Kalidou Koulibaly, Jordan Henderson, Ruben Neves, Aymeric Laporte, and Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy.