Cristiano Ronaldo is the one participant to ply his commerce within the Saudi Professional League that justifies his profitable wages, in accordance with the nation’s former sports activities minister.
Saudi Arabia has change into a vacation spot for main footballers lately, the dominion throwing huge quantities of cash at gamers to lure them to the Center East and away from the massive European leagues.
There stays a substantial amount of cynicism concerning Saudi’s motives – critics counsel it’s a sportswashing transfer to melt the nation’s repute and shift the narrative away from its appalling human rights report.
And there are actually query marks from inside with Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad, who was in command of all sporting issues in Saudi from 2014 to 2017, questioning the cash on provide.
In an interview with the Fi Al-Marama TV program on Al-Arabiya, he stated: “Ronaldo is the one overseas participant value what he earns due to the worldwide publicity he brings to the league and the nation.
“Many others are paid excess of they deserve.”
Ronaldo brings worth on and off the sphere
Ronaldo performs for Al-Nassr, who’re 75% owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Funding Fund (PIF). It’s reported the Portugal striker earns over £3million every week. The 40-year-old has scored 84 objectives in 86 league video games for Al-Nassr, who are top of the Pro League with a 100% record after nine games, since becoming a member of them from Manchester United in 2022.
Different gamers reported to be on huge wages embody Karim Benzema, Joao Felix, Sadio Mane and Kingsley Coman.
Ronaldo’s worth to the Saudi model was on show final week when he was a part of a 40-person delegation, together with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, to visit the White House for a public show of mutual affection with US president Donald Trump.
Saudi will stage the World Cup in 2034 and Abdullah believes extra homegrown gamers must be given the prospect to play within the home league in a bid to construct a stronger pool of gamers.
“Proper now, constructing a powerful league is coming on the expense of the nationwide crew,” he stated. “We want a transparent plan to arrange for 2034.”
