At 37, after a full-fledged career in European football, Cristiano Ronaldo will play outside of the old continent for the first time. The ‘Bug’ is the star of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, who he is set to join in the next few hours and who, despite his age, he hopes to show his scoring potential is intact. To achieve this, CR7’s goal will be to finish as Shooter of the Season in the Saudi Professional League.
Even if the sporting demands in Middle East football will be lower than he is used to, the Portuguese will have a clear disadvantage compared to his rivals as top scorer: he will be able to play at most 19 of the 30 dates that the entire competition has.
At the time of Cristiano Ronaldo’s official presentation, Al-Nassr has already played 11 days of the domestic tournament. Interestingly, the first place in the list of goalscorers is occupied by Talisca, a Brazilian midfielder who will be a teammate of the “Comandante” with his nine wins.
Cristiano Ronaldo will play for Al-Nassr until mid-2025. Photo: Twitter/Al-Nassr
How many goals does Cristiano Ronaldo need to score to be a Saudi league forward?
Since the Saudi Professional League has been played with 16 clubs, these are the goalscorer numbers for each season: 34 goals (2018-19), 29 goals (2019-20), 24 goals (2020-21) and 24 goals (2021- 22). If this downward trend continues, the average can be viewed as the minimum required to become top scorer: 28 goals.
Assuming Cristiano doesn’t miss any of his club’s remaining games, that would mean an average of 1.39 goals per game (which he would achieve if he scored nine doubles and at least one goal in all his other games).
Cristiano Ronaldo had never played for a non-European club. Photo: Al Nassr
When is Cristiano Ronaldo’s presentation?
The official presentation of ‘CR7’ as the new Al Hilal player will take place this Tuesday, January 3rd from 7:00 p.m. in Saudi Arabia (11:00 a.m. Peruvian time).
How much does it cost to attend Cristiano Ronaldo’s presentation?
The entrance fee to Msool Park, where the event will take place, is 15 Saudi riyals (about 4 dollars or 15 Peruvian soles). All proceeds are donated to an institution dedicated to charitable causes.
Which channel broadcasts Cristiano Ronaldo’s games?
In Saudi Arabia, the SSC (Sports Saudi Company) chain has the rights to televise the Saudi Professional League. There is no defined channel or authorized streaming platform for foreign countries, as the tournament was not marketed internationally.
How much will Cristiano Ronaldo earn?
Cristiano Ronaldo’s salary at Al-Nassr will make him the highest-paid player in the world, with €200m a year in compensation (90 from the team and 110 from sponsors).