Cristiano Ronaldo is much more than a footballer, and the Al-Nassr directors were aware of this before making the decision to sign the Portuguese star. With millions of followers on social networks, the Portuguese is a reference figure in all corners of the planet.
“I came to win, to improve the league. I want to leave a legacy
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In a footballing context in which a player’s ability to attract sponsors, boost product and ticket sales and generate interest from fans is increasingly taken into account when signing a player, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the great figures because, in addition to his great sporting performance, he encompasses all these factors
When Al-Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo in December 2022,it not only signed a great player, but also acquired the services of a media figure who could transform and enhance Saudi soccer.“I came to win, to improve the league. I want to leave a legacy,” Cristiano explained about his motivation to sign for Al-Nassr, and so it has been. The Portuguese is proving to be a very important factor in enhancing the Saudi Pro League, according to a social media study conducted by Football Benchmark.
Since his signing for the Saudi team in December 2022, and until March 2025, Al-Nassr’s social networks have grown by 52.3 million followersand it has gone from being the third most followed team in the Saudi Pro League (SPL), and the 74th worldwide, to leading nationally and being the 17th internationally, being the second most followed club outside Europe. The impact of Cristiano’s signing was immediate:in just two months 22 million profiles began to follow the club’s different social networks.Even compared to data from other superstars, such as Messi and Neymar, the impact of ‘El Bicho’ on Al-Nassr’s networks is very remarkable. Digitally, both the Argentine and the Brazilian have not influenced their clubs as the Portuguese has done and not even combining the impact of both reaches that which Cristiano had at Al-Nassr.
Saudi Pro League booster
Outside the digital framework, Cristiano’s arrival in the SPL has attracted the attention of other players who have seen the Saudi league as a more than valid option in which to develop their professional careers. The level of this competition has also been boosted by new figures such as Benzema, Mane and Kante among others.
With these stars in their teams, the SPL has tripled the market value of its squads in recent years to 60 million euros, a price similar to that of leagues such as the Belgian or Turkish.
