What Should We Expect From Ronaldo's Move?

One of the biggest signings in football history was made official very early in 2023, as Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr was made official. The Portuguese superstar will be earning an eye-watering £173-per year at the Saudi Arabian club, as he joins a growing list of players that will spend their final years in the league.

But, after achieving everything that’s worth winning in European football during spells with Real Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United, what should fans expect from the famous number seven during his time in the Saudi Pro League?

Winning Mentality

There are few players that have created as much history throughout their careers as Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar has won domestic league titles in Spain, Italy, and England throughout his career, as well as winning the Champions League on five occasions. Ronaldo also won the FA Cup during his time with United, and the Copa del Rey on two occasions during his time in Spain.

Al Nassr will be hoping for a similar impact from Ronaldo during his stint in Saudi Arabia, as they look to better their third-place finish in the Pro League last term. Success has been achieved by the team throughout its history, as they have won the Saudi League on 17 previous occasions. However, they are yet to win the domestic title since the 2018-19 season.

Current Al Nassr Standings

There will be a bit of pressure on Ronaldo to hit the ground running with his new team when he makes his debut, as the Saudi Arabian side currently sits top of the Pro League after 13 rounds of fixtures. However, their performance levels have dropped off slightly in recent weeks, as they have won just twice in their previous five games.

That has allowed Al-Hilal to close the gap on the top of the standings to just a point, meaning that Al Nassr will face a fight for the domestic title between now and the end of the season. However, they look good to improve following Ronaldo’s arrival, as they have already scored the most goals in the league this season, and they already boast the best defensive record.

Al Nassr will also be targeting further success domestically this term, as they have already progressed through to the quarterfinals of the King Cup. Ronaldo's arrival has already seen Al Nassr's odds to win the competition cut, while all the team's games will be available to watch at arabic-casinos.org. They will compete in the semi-final of the Super Cup against Al-Ittihad just days after Ronaldo is expected to make his first start for the team in the league.

Ronaldo Brings Goals

There is little doubt that the Portuguese superstar will bring goals to this flourishing Al Nassr frontline, as he holds the all-time record for most goals in the Champions League. Ronaldo is also the only player to have scored at five editions of the World Cup, while he is also the top scorer in the history of Real Madrid and the Portuguese national team.

While Ronaldo was finally deemed surplus to requirements by Erik ten Hag at the start of this season, the Portuguese superstar did enjoy a fine first season back at Old Trafford last season. He scored 24 goals in 38 games in all competitions, which included six in seven games across the Champions League and Europa League.

Ronaldo was still able to show this season that he could have played a part for United, as he scored once in ten Premier League fixtures and three in 16 in all competitions. It’s likely he will bring all that natural finishing quality to Saudi Arabia, and he could be on course to score at least ten goals despite joining mid-season.

Conclusion - Expect Significant Ronaldo Impact

Ronaldo’s arrival to the Saudi Pro League is one of the biggest additions ever made to the competition. While Al Nassr will reap the rewards on the field with the quality of the Portuguese ace, it’s likely that the whole league will improve as a result. There will be more eyes on the competition than ever before with Ronaldo involved, while his signing is likely to inspire the next generation of Saudi Arabian talent.

There have also been growing reports that the nation may seek to host the World Cup in 2030, and Ronaldo’s ability to capture the imagination of the world could play a significant role in any bid that the nation may make. The future of Saudi Arabian football has never looked brighter following the arrival of one of the greatest ever footballers.