Was Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr a game-changer or ‘systemic corruption’? Analysing Saudi Pro League developments

One of the world's greatest sportsmen of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo's transition to Al-Nassr was a revolution in the world of football. The Portugal superstar signed a lucrative deal with the Riyadh-based club to play in the Saudi Pro League on December 30, 2022, after being released by Premier League giants Manchester United.

The move quickly shifted the focus of the sporting world to the Middle East and paved the way for several more household names like Neymar, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez and Sadio Mane to join him in the region. According to reports, Ronaldo had a deal worth $200 million a year with Al Nasser, making him the highest-paid footballer in the world.  

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Disparity in treatment between the clubs?

Meanwhile, fans of Ronaldo and Al-Nassr are unhappy with the latest developments in the Saudi Pro League. They claim Ronaldo’s move was expected to be a game-changer but instead turned into a story of favouritism and "systemic corruption". Fans believe that there is a disparity in treatment between the clubs and that Ronaldo and his team are not treated well.

Among the factors they highlighted were unequal financial support and trophy distribution. While Al Hilal spent €268 million, reports suggest Al-Nassr were forced to limit their budget to just €77 million. Moreover, Ronaldo's achievements, winning the Arab champions and scoring 6 goals, are overshadowed by trying not to count as official matches and goals.

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Reports also point to Al Hilal having the ability to sign top players while Al Nassr's transfer requests are always rejected or delayed. In addition, fans feel that the decisions on the pitch are always in favour of Hilal. All these claims clearly indicate favouritism and systematic bias by the League.

Ronaldo’s transition to the Al Nassr has given the league the popularity but are they doing the right at the moment is a question. Even with one of the greatest footballers of all time in their league, the league seems to favour one club over another.