The Saudi Pro League was transformed when Cristiano Ronaldo moved to the country after the 2022 World Cup, but the Portuguese legend is now approaching the end of his current contract at Al Nassr.
Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half-year deal when he joined the Riyadh club, but that contract is set to expire this summer, not long after the striker turns 40.
Despite his age though, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is still aiming to play on until at least the 2026 World Cup.
Pro League's CEO has his say
Ronaldo has scored more than 50 Saudi Pro League goals since he moved to the country – the league’s current overseas TV rights agreements also expire at the end of this season, and the continued presence of the league’s biggest star would have financial value when those rights are renegotiated.
Together with Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli, Ronaldo’s club Al Nassr are owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which has helped provide the cash to lure many big stars to the league over the past two years.
FFT recently attended an event at which Saudi Pro League CEO Omar Mugharbel spoke to a select group of media, and he insisted that a decision to extend Ronaldo’s contract must first be made by the player and his club. There have been reports that talks have already started.
“It’s no secret that Ronaldo has created a massive impact on the league, both domestically and internationally,” Mugharbel said. “It creates a lot of value and continues to do so.
“However all discussions around the duration, the contract and re-signing is a matter between Ronaldo and the club to agree on whether that’s something that’s going to happen or not.”
Neymar is in a similar situation, with the Brazilian’s contract also due to expire this summer.
The 32-year-old joined Al Hilal last summer but has missed most of the intervening period with an ACL injury, and has been linked with a move to join former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, although recently insisted he’s content in Saudi Arabia.
“I’m very happy, my family is very happy,” Neymar said. “Today, I’ve been living here for over a year, so I'm already settled. Everywhere I go, I’m very well received. It’s overwhelming.”
Asked whether the league could help to persuade Neymar to sign a new deal, Mugharbel explained the process over a player’s contract.
“Like Ronaldo, it’s a discussion between the club and the player on how they view their future,” he said.
“Having Neymar in the league, even though he hasn’t been playing, he has a massive following globally and he’s quite active from a community perspective, so it creates a lot of value for the league.
“But what the future holds, that’s something the player and the club have to discuss. We play a facilitating job, but the club has to be at the forefront of the decision-making.
“There are definitely discussions that happen, but it starts by the club and the player saying ‘We want this to happen’. That’s 90 per cent of the whole process.”
The chase for Salah and Messi
The league remain interested in attracting further big stars to the country – Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has been among those linked with a move, with his Anfield contract due to expire at the end of the season.
If they could lure him to Saudi Arabia, Salah would bring not only his talent, but also a massive Egyptian fanbase, which would hugely increase the value of Pro League TV rights in the North African country.
“Football comes first, so depending on a club’s needs and appetites to sign a specific player, that will mandate what signings happen,” Mugharbel said.
“Obviously there’s a commercial impact of certain players coming to the league, but it’s about football and creating that product, then the secondary value comes from a commercial perspective.”
Lionel Messi was courted by the Saudi Pro League before moving to Miami in 2023.
“In football it’s all about the agreement of different partners – the club, the players – and it’s very normal that some players accept offers, others reject them,” Mugharbel said. “The club and the player will always do what’s best for them.”
Could there be another attempt to lure the Argentine before he retires?
“The level of interest from players has increased dramatically,” he said. “Saudi Arabia today is a viable career choice for many stars, we continue to see players coming into the league.
“We’ve seen interest from a lot of players – be it one name or another, everything is possible.
“This is a long-term vision of us wanting to invest in the game in Saudi Arabia. It’s not a one-year plan, it’s a multi-year plan, which includes the investment happening in players, be it by the league or by the clubs as well. We will continue to see this.”
There will be a more in-depth, all-encompassing report about football in Saudi Arabia in the next issue of FourFourTwo magazine.
