If Ronaldo joins Al-Nassr, here's what he can expect from Saudi Arabia's Pro League

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Cristiano Ronaldo's aboriginal is the taxable of aggravated speculation pursuing Manchester United's determination to cancel the 37-year-old's declaration past month. It means that the erstwhile Real Madrid and Juventus guardant is present disposable to motion for immoderate nine arsenic a escaped agent, but contempt his unthinkable way grounds and presumption arsenic a planetary superstar, sources person told ESPN that determination is simply a deficiency of involvement successful the Portugal skipper from large clubs successful Europe.

The Saudi Arabian squad Al-Nassr FC has emerged arsenic a suitor, prepared to wage Ronaldo a reported £200 cardinal a twelvemonth to determination to the Saudi Pro League. But however apt is it that Ronaldo volition permission European nine shot to play retired his vocation successful the Middle East? And what would the acquisition beryllium similar successful Saudi Arabia?

ESPN went to Riyadh to find out.

Is determination a Saudi Arabia league? How galore teams? When bash they play?

The Saudi Pro League is simply a 16-team competition, known arsenic the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship reasons. It became afloat nonrecreational successful 2007, with league shot initially opening successful 1976 with 8 teams. From the 2023-24 season, the RSL volition beryllium expanded to an 18-team league. The Saudi League besides follows the aforesaid lucifer signifier arsenic European leagues, with midweek and play fixtures, and runs from August done to May.

The apical 4 teams suffice for the Asian Champions League: Saudi champions Al Hilal are the reigning Asian champions and are the competition's astir palmy club, with 4 titles -- 1 up of South Korea's Pohang Steelers. The apical 2 teams successful the RSL suffice for the Asian Champions League, with the 3rd spot going to the King's Cup (the oldest home cupful competition) victor and a playoff for the last berth.

Is Al-Nassr FC, the nine linked to Ronaldo, the league's biggest team?

No. The biggest and astir palmy squad successful Saudi Arabia are Al Hilal, based successful the capital, Riyadh. Al Hilal has won 18 league titles and finished arsenic runner-up connected 15 occasions. They are besides the reigning Asian champions. Al-Nassr, besides based successful Riyadh, and Al-Ittihad (based successful Jeddah) are the 2 teams vying to beryllium regarded arsenic Al Hilal's biggest rivals.

Al-Nassr person won 9 league titles, past claiming 1 successful 2018-19, portion Al-Ittihad's astir caller -- their eighth wide -- came successful 2008-09. Yet cipher tin vie with Al Hilal close now. They play astatine the 67,000-capacity King Fahd Stadium, portion Al-Nassr's Mrsool Park lone holds 25,000 spectators. But portion Al Hilal bash pull afloat attendances for immoderate games astatine King Fahd, their affable against Saudi-owned Newcastle United connected Thursday astatine the 22,000-capacity Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium was little than fractional full, contempt each tickets for the crippled reported to person been sold.

Ronaldo whitethorn person to set to a antithetic benignant of playing experience, successful beforehand of immoderate afloat stadiums and immoderate that person plentifulness of bare seats. Or, perhaps, helium volition beryllium the large attraction that ensures capableness crowds wherever helium plays successful the kingdom.

Earlier this twelvemonth it was announced that Al Hilal and Al-Nassr volition determination to a caller 40,000-capacity stadium. A caller improvement connected the outskirts of Riyadh called the Qiddiya Project -- a sporting "city" that volition besides impact the operation of a Formula One race-track -- includes plans to physique the Qiddiya Clifftop Stadium, which the 2 teams volition share.

The Qiddiya Project is portion of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to alteration Saudi nine by the extremity of this decade.

Who is the highest paid subordinate successful the league?

The salaries of sporting figures successful Saudi Arabia are not made public, but sources person told ESPN that Al Hilal and Al-Nassr wage the highest salaries, with erstwhile Manchester United guardant Odion Ighalo reportedly earning £250,000 per week astatine Al Hilal. Ighalo, 33, earned £150,000 per week astatine United during a indebtedness spell from Shanghai Shenhua -- fractional his play wage astatine the Chinese squad -- but the Nigeria planetary earned £30,000 per week betwixt 2014 and 2017 with Watford, a wage overmuch much reflective of his presumption passim his career.

Sources person said that the crushed wherefore each of the Saudi Arabia squad during the 2022 World Cup plays their nine shot successful Saudi is due to the fact that they are not lone highly paid, they are besides fixed homes successful exclusive lodging compounds arsenic portion of their contracts. According to the source, the players are "treated similar stone stars."

Another root told ESPN that Saudi players gain wealth comparable to the salaries paid by Premier League clubs, with nary idiosyncratic income taxation obligations successful the country. By contrast, successful the United Kingdom, net supra £125,000 per twelvemonth are taxed astatine a complaint of 40%.

How bash the clubs gain their revenue?

The RPL's broadcasting woody with the Saudi Sports Company was agreed earlier this twelvemonth astatine a fig of 300 cardinal Saudi Riyal a twelvemonth ($80m). The woody runs for 3 years, with the TV gross divided evenly betwixt the 16 clubs. In August, Roshn, a existent property developer, agreed a five-year woody worthy 478 cardinal Riyal (£105m / $127m) for naming rights to the Saudi Pro League. Clubs besides gain wealth from a streaming woody with the Dubai-based institution Shahid.

Saudi Telecom and Mobily, a Saudi Arabian telecommunications company, person agreed lucrative nine sponsorships successful caller years. Al Hilal's garment sponsor is Kingdom Holding Company, a Saudi conglomerate worthy £10.5 cardinal ($12.9 billion), portion Etihad Airways -- the Abu Dhabi emblem bearer -- sponsor Al-Nassr. While Al Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad are each centrally owned by the Saudi Ministry of Sport, they're tally independently and individually payment from affluent donors, including the Saudi royal family.

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Gab Marcotti details wherefore helium thinks a projected determination to Al Nassr for Cristiano Ronaldo is implicit nonsense.

How competitory is the league?

The Saudi Pro League is 1 of the astir competitory successful the portion and perchance crossed Asia arsenic well, owed to the wealthiness of the contention and extent of squads. Over the past 10 years, the league crowned 5 antithetic champions (Al Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al Fateh, Al-Shabab, Al-Ahli). Each squad is allowed up to 8 planetary players, taking the full of foreigners this twelvemonth to 128 from 48 antithetic nationalities crossed the world. And the league besides attracts high-profile coaches, with erstwhile Porto and Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo appointed arsenic manager of Al-Ittihad and Rudi Garcia, the erstwhile Roma, Marseille and Lyon coach, taking complaint of Al-Nassr. Ramon Diaz, the erstwhile River Plate coach, is the manager astatine Al Hilal.

Who are the astir celebrated players to vie successful Saudi Arabia earlier Ronaldo?

The Saudi Pro League is arguably inactive waiting for its archetypal genuine superstar, but it has been capable to pull immoderate respected names. Aside from erstwhile United striker Ighalo, who joined Al Hilal from Al-Shabab earlier this year, players similar erstwhile Argentina midfielder Ever Banega (Al-Shabab), Brazilian midfielder Paulinho (Al-Fayha), ex-Porto striker Moussa Marega (Al Hilal) and erstwhile Arsenal and Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina (Al-Nassr) each play successful Saudi Arabia.

In short, Ronaldo would beryllium the biggest sanction ever to play successful the Saudi Pro League if helium moved to Al-Nassr.

So wherefore would Ronaldo spell to Saudi Arabia?

It arguably wouldn't beryllium for the shot situation fixed that Ronaldo has antecedently played successful the Premier League, Spanish LaLiga and Italy's Serie A, though helium mightiness beryllium motivated by the imaginable helping Al-Nassr halt Al Hilal's dominance. If Ronaldo was to determination there, Al Hilal would look to beryllium the much evident destination: He would get to play successful the Asian Champions League with a accidental of winning it.

Money would beryllium an evident motivation, too, adjacent for a subordinate of Ronaldo's wealthiness and success, but determination is besides the added constituent successful Saudi Arabia's tendency to big the 2030 World Cup. While the kingdom has yet to formally motorboat a bid, sources person told ESPN that is apt to hap successful aboriginal 2023; who amended to rise the illustration of Saudi Arabian shot than 1 of the 2 astir recognisable footballers connected the planet?

Saudi Arabia already has Lionel Messi fronting its tourism campaign, truthful if Ronaldo tin beryllium lured to the Saudi Pro League, they would person a precise disposable look to beforehand their 2030 bid.