No end to career in sight
Cristiano Ronaldo now considers the league in his adopted home of Saudi Arabia to be more powerful than the French Ligue 1. “I’ve been playing there for a year and I know what I’m talking about. I think at the moment we are better than the French league,” said the 38-year-old Al-Nassr professional at the Globe Soccer Awards ceremony in Dubai on Friday. The multiple world footballer himself was never active in Ligue 1, but in the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A.
In France’s top league with series champions Paris Saint-Germain there are only “two or three teams at a good level,” said the Portuguese Ronaldo, “there is more competition in Saudi Arabia.” Step by step, the Saudi Pro League will develop into one of the three or four best leagues in the world, predicted the former star striker of the top European clubs Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus Turin.
Ronaldo remains in 19th place: Most valuable player in the Saudi Pro League
19 Cristiano Ronaldo | Al-Nassr | Market value: €15 million
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Status: After the update on December 15, 2023
19 Talisca | Al-Nassr | Market value: €15 million
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19 Luiz Felipe | Al-Ittihad | Market value: €15 million
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19 Karim Benzema | Al-Ittihad | Market value: €15 million
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18 Riyadh Mahrez | Al-Ahli | Market value: €16 million
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Change: -€2 million
15 Marcelo Brozovic | Al-Nassr | Market value: €18 million
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Change: -€2 million
15 Yannick Carrasco | Al-Shabab | Market value: €18 million
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Change: -€2 million
15 Merih Demiral | Al-Ahli | Market value: €18 million
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Change: -€2 million
11 Sadio Mane | Al-Nassr | Market value: €20 million
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Change: -€5 million
11 Seko Fofana | Al-Nassr | Market value: €20 million
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Change: -€4 million
11 Allan Saint Maximin | Al-Ahli | Market value: €20 million
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Change: -€4 million
11 Franck Kessié | Al-Ahli | Market value: €20 million
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9 Roger Ibanez | Al-Ahli | Market value: €25 million
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Change: -€3 million
9 Aymeric Laporte | Al-Nassr | Market value: €25 million
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8 Aleksandar Mitrovic | Al Hilal | Market value: €28 million
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5 Otávio | Al-Nassr | Market value: €30 million
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Change: -€5 million
5 Malcom | Al Hilal | Market value: €30 million
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5 Gabriel Veiga | Al-Ahli | Market value: €30 million
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3 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic | Al Hilal | Market value: €35 million
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Change: -€5 million
3 Fabinho | Al-Ittihad | Market value: €35 million
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Change: -€3 million
2 Ruben Neves | Al Hilal | Market value: €40 million
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1 Neymar | Al Hilal | Market value: €45 million
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Change: -€5 million
For comparison: According to the TM database, players with a total market value of 3.7 billion euros play in Ligue 1 – in the Saudi Pro League it is 1.0 billion euros. While there are 21 professionals with a minimum market value of 30 million euros in France’s upper house, there are seven players in Saudi Arabia. Last summer, Saudi clubs started a transfer offensive with a lot of money and lured some top-class players and coaches to the country. With the Englishman Jordan Henderson (now Ajax Amsterdam), the first star has already left Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo happy about Saudi transfer: No end to his career in sight
Ronaldo does not regret his own move a year ago to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has been criticized due to the human rights situation. “I think it was a good change. I feel so happy,” said Ronaldo. In terms of the number of goals (38 in 44 games for Al-Nassr), he beat “young lions” like Erling Haaland from Champions League winners Manchester City, “I’m proud of that.”
The veteran also wants to help with possible change in Saudi Arabia, as Ronaldo said on the podium. “I am capable of doing this. I’m not arrogant, but I said a year ago: things change, the world changes, football changes, the rules change, everything changes.”
The top entries of the Saudi Pro League 2023 with Neymar & Co.
Jordan Henderson | Liverpool -> Al-Ettifaq | Transfer fee: €14 million
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Market value: €10 million* (*at that time)
N’Golo Kanté | Chelsea -> Ittihad Club | Market value: €15 million
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free of charge
Habib Diallo | RC Strasbourg -> Al-Shabab | Market value: €18 million
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Transfer fee: €18 million
Roberto Firmino | Liverpool -> Al Ahli | Market value: €18 million
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free of charge
Edouard Mendy | Chelsea -> Al-Ahli | Transfer fee: €18.5 million
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Market value: €12 million
Demarai Gray | Everton -> Al-Ettifaq | Market value: €20 million
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Transfer fee: €9.3 million
Merih Demiral | Atalanta -> Al-Ahli | Transfer fee: €20 million
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Market value: €20 million
Cristiano Ronaldo | without a club -> Al-Nassr | Market value: €20 million
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free of charge (in January 2023)
Bono | Sevilla FC -> Al-Hilal | Transfer fee: €23 million
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Market value: €12 million
Kalidou Koulibaly | Chelsea -> Al Hilal | Transfer fee: €23 million
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Market value: €15 million
Luiz Felipe | Real Betis -> Al-Ittihad | Transfer fee: 25 million euros
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Market value: €15 million
Karim Benzema | Real Madrid -> Ittihad Club | Market value: €25 million
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free of charge
Franck Kessie | Barça -> Al-Ahli SFC | Market value: €25 million
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Transfer fee: €12.5 million
Marcelo Brozovic | Inter -> Al-Nassr | Market value: €25 million
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Transfer fee: €18 million
Yannick Carrasco | Atlético -> Al-Shabab | Market value: €25 million
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Transfer fee: €15 million
Aymeric Laporte | Man City -> Al-Nassr | Transfer fee: 27.5 million euros
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Market value: €25 million
iota | Celtic -> Ittihad Club | Transfer fee: €29.1 million
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Market value: €25 million
Roger Ibanez | Roma -> Al-Ahli | Market value: €30 million
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Transfer fee: €28.5 million
Sadio Mane | Bavaria -> Al-Nassr | Transfer fee: €30 million
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Market value: €25 million
Seko Fofana | RC Lens -> Al-Nassr | Market value: €32 million
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Transfer fee: €19 million
Allan Saint Maximin | Newcastle -> Al-Ahli | Market value: €32 million
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Transfer fee: €27.2 million
Riyadh Mahrez | Man City -> Al-Ahli | Transfer fee: €35 million
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Market value: €20 million
Gabriel Veiga | Celta Vigo -> Al-Ahli | Transfer fee: €40 million
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Market value: 30 million euros
Fabinho | Liverpool -> Ittihad Club | Transfer fee: €46.7 million
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Market value: €42 million
Sergej Milinković-Savić | Lazio -> Al Hilal | Market value: €50 million
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Transfer fee: €40 million
Aleksandar Mitrovic | Fulham -> Al Hilal | Transfer fee: €53 million
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Market value: €28 million
Ruben Neves | Wolves -> Al-Hilal | Transfer fee: €55 million
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Market value: €40 million
Malcom | Zenit -> Al-Hilal | Transfer fee: €60 million
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Market value: €30 million
Otavio | Porto -> Al-Nassr | Transfer fee: €60 million
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Market value: €30 million
Neymar | PSG -> Al Hilal | Transfer fee: €90 million
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Market value: €60 million
Ronaldo answered the question about when he might end his career with a joke: “It will be soon, and by soon I mean in 10 years.” Then the professional, who is contractually bound until 2025, added seriously: “I don’t know.”
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