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Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2023 transfer to Al Nassr was one of the most talked-about moves in recent football history, as his spectacular falling out at Manchester United was followed by an unprecedented move to the other side of the planet.
While cynics would view the move to Saudi Arabia as the opportunity to claim one last big payday as he coasted in a below-par league, Ronaldo himself believed he could be the catalyst to transform the entire profile of the competition and elevate it to new heights.
Add in the possibility of some more goalscoring records and yet more silverware and it’s easy to see why the move appealed to him.
Alvaro Gonzalez on the Saudi Pro League standard
Former Villarreal and Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez was at Al Nassr when Ronaldo signed for the club and says his side, who were then managed by French boss Rudi Garcia, didn’t have to drastically adapt their team’s style of play to accommodate the forward.
“It didn’t change much,” Gonzalez tells FourFourTwo. “Before Cristiano joined Al Nassr, we had a striker, Vincent Aboubakar, who was tall, a classic number nine.
“The team’s philosophy remained the same – Cristiano went straight into that role. We competed for the league until the penultimate game, when we fell short and finished second.
“We also qualified for the Asian Champions League, which was a goal for the team, and especially for Cristiano, to play in the following campaign.”
Ronaldo would net six times in eight Champions League games in 2023/24, but the team were sent crashing out in the quarter-finals after losing on penalties to Al Ain of the UAE before again finishing second in the Saudi Pro League, 14 points off top spot.
The following campaign saw Al Nassr finish third, despite Ronaldo again topping the goalscoring charts.
Ronaldo’s only trophy with the team so far is the 2023 Arab Club Champions Club and Gonzalez believes that Al Nassr’s struggles to win the title, despite Ronaldo’s goals, is a sign of the league’s overall strength.
“I’d place the Saudi Pro League just behind Europe’s top leagues – England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France,” he continues. “It’s a physically demanding league with high-level players.
“Signing Ronaldo alone isn’t enough to guarantee titles. We signed a few foreigners – other clubs, like Al Ittihad with Karim Benzema, did the same, so the level has been rising. But you need many things – a youth system and good Arab players, because when I was there, the rules meant you were restricted on the number of foreigners per match. Al Hilal invested heavily in Arab players from the national team, and it showed.
“In the Champions League, only three foreigners plus one foreign Asian player could play. That alone isn’t enough – you need to have a strong squad and solid foundations. But since Cristiano arrived, things have improved at Al Nassr, and this season they’ve taken another step. They have a far better chance now.”
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