The fact that a series of stars, many of them at the peak of their careers, flocked to Saudi Arabia proved that Cristiano Ronaldo’s words were not wrong.

“Cristiano came and created attraction. I knew it would. I paved the way to the Saudi Arabia and now all the other players are coming,” Cristiano Ronaldo said on July 13. Indeed, just half a year after Al Nassr recruited the Portuguese superstar, the Saudi National Championship (Saudi Pro League) saw a wave of players from Europe’s top leagues land.

The transfer of Neymar from PSG to Al Hilal is the hottest football news in the world in the past 48 hours. To get the signature of the Brazilian superstar, the Saudi team had to spend up to 250 million euros. Of which, 90 million euros were paid immediately to PSG (excluding surcharges), while 160 million euros went directly to Neymar’s pocket.

Neymar is the next star to join the Saudi Pro League.

This is the next big signing of Al Hilal club in this summer transfer window. Before that, they had the service of big names such as Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly, former Lazio captain Sergei Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves.

One of Al Hilal’s two rivals is Al Nassr, where Ronaldo is playing. After successfully recruiting one of the biggest monuments of contemporary football, Al Nassr became a magnet to attract more stars. Sadio Mane, Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic and David Ospina in turn arrived at Ronaldo’s team.

The most massively recruited team is probably Al Ahli. The team ranked penultimate in the Saudi Pro League last season spent a lot of money to change the squad’s blood. In attack, they own a trio who are still at the peak of their form: Riyad Mahrez from Man City (30 million euros), Roberto Firmino from Liverpool (free transfer) and Allan Saint-Maximin from Newcastle (27 million euros). ). There are also Edouard Mendy (Chelsea), Roger Ibanez (AS Roma) and Franck Kessie (Barcelona).

Not to be outdone, Al Ittihad club – the reigning champion of Saudi Arabia – also caused a fever when successfully recruiting Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Fabinho.

World football stars landed in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Pro League is rising to become one of the most notable leagues in the world. With the appearance of Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and a series of other big stars, the attraction of this tournament to fans around the world is not inferior to the top European leagues.

The wave of players from Europe landing in Saudi Arabia recalls the trend that happened with Chinese football before. However, it is worth noting that the stars coming to the Saudi Arabian league are not necessarily old-fashioned, old players looking for a place to hang out in the late stages of their careers. Before leaving Europe, most of them still maintained their form and proved their ability to continue playing at the top.

“Within a year, many top players will come to Saudi Arabia. This tournament will surpass Turkey and the Netherlands,” Cristiano Ronaldo said not long ago. The appearance of the Portuguese superstar is probably an important factor that makes Saudi clubs willing to spend a lot of money to buy contemporary stars in Europe.

Ronaldo is probably not wrong to say that the Saudi Arabian league has better quality than the MLS – where Lionel Messi is playing. The list of stars who have just landed in the Saudi Pro League is clearly overwhelming in number and popularity compared to the American Major.

Cristiano Ronaldo proves once again that he is still the center of attention in world football. Even at the end of a major tournament, the fame and influence of the Portuguese superstar is enough to create – or promote the creation of another environment of great attraction.

The 2023 summer transfer window in Europe has not ended. The flight that brought the stars from the old continent to Saudi Arabia is still waiting for the next guests. Aymeric Laporte – Champions League winner with Man City – is likely to be the name that is about to join Ronaldo’s team.

Top stars leave Europe for Saudi Arabia to follow Ronaldo

Al Hilal: Neymar, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergei Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves.

Al Ittihad: Karim Benzema, Fabinho, N’Golo Kante.

Al Ahli: Ryaz Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Allan Saint-Maximin, Edouard Mendy, Roger Ibanez and Franck Kessie.

Al Nassr: Sadio Mane, Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic, David Ospina.

Al Ettifaq: Jordan Henderson, Moussa Dembele.