Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to the Saudi Pro League (SPL) has had a significant impact on the profile of football in the Middle East.
Given the Al-Nassr striker’s status as a global football superstar, interest in the SPL has inevitably spiked as fans clamour to keep up to speed with his progress.
The Portugal international’s presence in the SPL has had a significant impact in several areas, including the online sports betting industry and digital engagement numbers.
Al-Nassr’s run to the AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals last season triggered a sizeable betting boom across the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Even countries such as Australia, where bettors have favoured sports such as rugby and horse racing, have benefited from Ronaldo’s move.
Regular visitors to the Richard casino Australia platform have jumped on the bandwagon having traditionally immersed themselves in slots and other popular games.
Many iGaming platforms in the region now offer odds on the SPL and the AFC Champions League, highlighting the impact Ronaldo has made since joining Al-Nassr.
His impact has also been felt on the AFC’s digital channels, with the governing body’s communications team reporting impressive numbers across the board.
The AFC Champions League Elite broke records with nearly 1.5 billion impressions, a 15 percent increase from the previous edition, while video views increased by 9% to 469 million.
It was a similar story in AFC Champions League Two, with video views up by 171% to 190 million and social media impressions climbing by 10% to 694.7 million.
Numerous other AFC competitions posted record-breaking numbers, indicating that football in the region has benefited massively from Ronaldo’s broad appeal.
The Portuguese superstar is guaranteed to keep influencing football in the region having recently pledged his future to Al-Nassr until 2027.
Ronaldo is keen to win the SPL title before he retires and also has ambitions of helping Portugal win the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada next summer.
While adding more silverware to his trophy cabinet is a key focus for Ronaldo, he is eager to build a lasting legacy for football in Saudi Arabia.
“We’re still improving, but I believe that in this moment we’re in the top five leagues in the world already,” Ronaldo told the SPL’s official website.
“But I still believe that we continue to improve, and we have time - and we show the last two and a half years that the league is going up all the time.
“I’m happy because I know the league is very competitive. Only people who have never played in Saudi, they don’t understand anything about football and say this league is not in the top five.
“I believe one hundred percent in my words and the people who play in this league know what I’m talking about.
“This is why I want to stay, because I believe in the project, not only the next two years, but until 2034, which is the goal and will be the World Cup in Saudi Arabia - which I believe will be the most beautiful one ever.
“I’m happy for two more years. I want to fight with the best teams in Saudi to win the league. I believe in that and it’s better to let’s see at the end of the day.”
Having won all three league matches by a combined 12-1 scoreline at the start of the new season, Al-Nassr clearly mean business.
Ronaldo has bagged three goals in three appearances and will be tough to stop in his quest to top the SPL scoring charts for the third consecutive year.
