Cristiano Ronaldo’s mid-season move to Al Nassr was just the first in a raft of moves to the Saudi Pro League, with a number of big-name stars of European football making summer switches
The summer of 2023 will likely be remembered for a long time as the summer when Saudi Arabia made a real mark on world football.
Months after the Saudi national team became the only opponents to beat Argentina during the Albiceleste’s World Cup run, their domestic league has begun racking up big names. Cristiano Ronaldo completed a move to Al Nassr in December, joining a handful of former Premier League names, but plenty more have followed.
Some moves have failed to materialise, with Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets opting against Saudi Pro League money to instead move to MLS. Still, as Mirror Football demonstrates below, a number of others have been happy to make the switch.
Benzema’s move to Al Ittihad was a real statement from the league. The French international is the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, and will fancy himself to rival Ronaldo in the goal charts.