RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Cristiano Ronaldo‘s future is the subject of intense speculation following Manchester United‘s decision to cancel the 37-year-old’s contract last month. It means that the former Real Madrid and Juventus forward is now available to sign for any club as a free agent, but despite his incredible track record and status as a global superstar, sources have told ESPN that there is a lack of interest in the Portugal captain from major clubs in Europe.
The Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr FC has emerged as a suitor, prepared to pay Ronaldo a reported £200 million a year to move to the Saudi Pro League. But how likely is it that Ronaldo will leave European club football to play out his career in the Middle East? And what would the experience be like in Saudi Arabia?
ESPN went to Riyadh to find out.
Is there a Saudi Arabia league? How many teams? When do they play?
The Saudi Pro League is a 16-team competition, known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship reasons. It became fully professional in 2007, with league football initially beginning in 1976 with eight teams. From the 2023-24 season, the RSL will be expanded to an 18-team league. The Saudi League also follows the same match pattern as European leagues, with midweek and weekend fixtures, and runs from August through to May.
The top four teams qualify for the Asian Champions League: Saudi champions Al Hilal are the reigning Asian champions and are the competition’s most successful club, with four titles — one ahead of South Korea‘s Pohang Steelers. The top two teams in the RSL qualify for the Asian Champions League, with the third spot going to the King’s Cup (the oldest domestic cup competition) winner and a playoff for the final berth.
Is Al-Nassr FC, the club linked to Ronaldo, the league’s biggest team?
No. The biggest and most successful team in Saudi Arabia are Al Hilal, based in the capital, Riyadh. Al Hilal has won 18 league titles and finished as runner-up on 15 occasions. They are also the reigning Asian champions. Al-Nassr, also based in Riyadh, and Al-Ittihad (based in Jeddah) are the two teams vying to be regarded as Al Hilal’s biggest rivals.
How do the clubs earn their revenue?
The RPL’s broadcasting deal with the Saudi Sports Company was agreed earlier this year at a figure of 300 million Saudi Riyal a year ($80m). The deal runs for three years, with the TV revenue split evenly between the 16 clubs. In August, Roshn, a real estate developer, agreed a five-year deal worth 478 million Riyal (£105m / $127m) for naming rights to the Saudi Pro League. Clubs also earn money from a streaming deal with the Dubai-based company Shahid.
Saudi Telecom and Mobily, a Saudi Arabian telecommunications company, have agreed lucrative club sponsorships in recent years. Al Hilal’s shirt sponsor is Kingdom Holding Company, a Saudi conglomerate worth £10.5 billion ($12.9 billion), while Etihad Airways — the Abu Dhabi flag carrier — sponsor Al-Nassr. While Al Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad are all centrally owned by the Saudi Ministry of Sport, they’re run independently and individually benefit from wealthy donors, including the Saudi royal family.
