Cristiano Ronaldo Wins First Saudi Pro League Title with Al-Nassr

Riyadh. Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo has lifted the Saudi Pro League title for the first time in three and a half years since arriving in Saudi Arabia. The 41-year-old Ronaldo, who sensationally left Manchester United in December 2022 to join Al-Nassr, saw this as a much-anticipated moment.

Ronaldo, who was brought in to surprise the football world and establish Saudi Arabia on the global sports stage, had been facing criticism for not winning any major domestic title for a long time. However, with a spectacular 4-1 victory over Damak in the season's final match on Thursday night, Al-Nassr surpassed their arch-rivals Al-Hilal to capture their first league title since 2019.

Ronaldo himself scored two goals in the decisive match that determined the championship. Ronaldo, who recently completed his 100th goal in the Saudi Pro League, has now scored a total of 129 goals for Al-Nassr across all competitions.

However, this league title is the achievement for which the club signed him for a record fee. Since Ronaldo's arrival, Saudi football has undergone a significant transformation. Following his lead, world-renowned players like Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kanté, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mané, and Neymar were brought into the 'Big Four' Saudi clubs: Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli, and Al-Ittihad.

This season's title race was very exciting and full of ups and downs. Al-Ahli, strengthened by a goal from Ivan Toney, and Al-Qadisiyah, backed by Saudi oil company Aramco's investment, also presented tough challenges for the title under the leadership of coach Brendan Rodgers.

However, these two teams fell behind in the final stages of the competition. Ultimately, the title contention was limited to only Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal. The match between these two teams on May 12 was considered the biggest game in Saudi football history, broadcast live in over 180 countries worldwide.

In that match, Al-Nassr was leading 1-0 until the 97th minute when an own goal due to a mistake by goalkeeper Bento resulted in a 1-1 draw, keeping the title race alive. But on the final day, Al-Nassr secured an easy victory without any mistakes.

This title is Al-Nassr's 11th league title and Ronaldo's eighth personal league championship. He had previously won league titles with Manchester United in England, Real Madrid in Spain, and Juventus in Italy. According to Simon Chadwick, a professor of Afro-Eurasian sports at EM Lyon Business School, Saudi officials will see Al-Nassr's victory as justification for Ronaldo's signing and the decision to place the club under the Public Investment Fund (PIF) ownership.

Chadwick said, 'This league win reinforces the Saudi vision that rapid success can be achieved through a combination of sound domestic strategy and the arrival of foreign players. However, Al-Nassr needs to achieve consistent victories and win continental titles to maintain a prestigious image like its domestic and Asian rivals.'

This title win has brought great relief to Ronaldo, as just a few days ago, Al-Nassr was surprisingly defeated by Japan's Gamba Osaka in the final of the 'AFC Champions League Two', the second-largest club competition in Asia.

This season was not without controversy. In February, Ronaldo missed two league games, reportedly due to dissatisfaction with the treatment and management of Al-Nassr compared to Al-Hilal by the PIF. On the other hand, players like Al-Ahli's Ivan Toney and Brazilian winger Galeno also accused the league of favoring Ronaldo and Al-Nassr.

In response to that accusation, Ronaldo said, 'I don't think it's good for this league. Everyone just complains. This is football, not war. But you can't do whatever you want here. I have seen many bad things, and I will speak about it in detail at the end of the season. Many players are complaining on Instagram and Facebook about the referees and the league project, which is not the objective of this league.'

Recently, questions have also been raised about Saudi Arabia's overall sports project. In April, the PIF announced it would stop funding LIV Golf after this season. The Winter Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2029, have been postponed indefinitely, and reports have emerged that the WTA tennis finals will move out of Saudi Arabia after their three-year contract expires.

In football, the trend of signing big names for exorbitant amounts has decreased compared to 2023, and clubs are now focusing on young players who can be resold in the future.

However, Saudi clubs still have sufficient funds for suitable players. Al-Ittihad is understood to be interested in signing Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, who is preparing to leave Liverpool, for an appropriate price. Ronaldo's historic victory could be both the result of massive spending and the happy ending of a golden era, where Saudi teams spent up to £700 million in a single transfer window.