Ronaldo’s Saudi job is already complete despite first season ending in failure

29 May 2023 , 11:49

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Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have missed out on the Saudi Pro League title (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

As Cristiano Ronaldo left the field of play on Saturday, he looked genuinely annoyed to have failed to add another league title to his trophy cabinet.

Al-Nassr drew 1-1 away to Ettifaq, with Luiz Gustavo scoring their goal. Ronaldo made way after 84 scoreless minutes, with Mohammed Maran taking his place, as Al-Ittihad's win at Al Feiha ensured it was Nuno Espirito Santo, rather than his compatriot, who will celebrate a Saudi Pro League win while Ronaldo looks towards next season.

Besides the brief personal pain suffered by Ronaldo, though, does any of this matter? Or has his move already begun to achieve what it was designed to do?

When Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr, he spoke of writing a new chapter. "In Europe, my work is done," he said.

"I had many offers in Europe, many in Brazil, Australia, the US, even in Portugal. Many clubs tried to sign me but I gave my word to this club, for the opportunity to have not only football but (to be) part of this amazing country. And for me, it was a challenge."

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Of course, critics could come up with 173 million other reasons why he had opted for the Saudi Pro League rather than aiming for more silverware in Europe. And who were any of us to judge?

After all, his work in Europe was done in terms of winning everything there was to win. By selling out to the highest bidder, he wasn't exactly throwing those Champions League trophies in the bin, and adding a title in the Middle East was never going to be a measure of his career in the same way we don't care that Johan Cruijff never won a trophy with the Los Angeles Aztecs.

What should we make of Cristiano Ronaldo's time in Saudi Arabia? Have your say in the comments section

Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in 16 Saudi Pro League games (AFP via Getty Images)

Ronaldo moved to Saudi Arabia to show he could still score goals. He did that, with more than any other player in the second half of the season.

He moved to show he still had star power and could still have people paying attention to his every move. He did that, with plenty more column inches devoted to Al-Nassr compared to the period before he was leading the line.

He moved, too, to help the image of Saudi football and Saudi Arabia in a wider sense. Based on the headlines we're seeing ahead of the summer window, we can put a tick in this box as well.

Lionel Messi has done work with the Saudi tourism board (Saudi Tourism Authority/AFP via)

The use of sport - or sporting figures - as a PR move is not a new phenomenon. Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United have all been tools for changing minds about certain nations, while recent World Cups in Qatar and Russia had similar goals.

This is not to say there isn't also a genuine love of football at the heart of decisions like these. At the same time, though, those in power being football fans doesn't change the level of PR boost offered by deals like Ronaldo's.

The same goes for the All-Star game which took place within a month of Ronaldo moving to his new home. A combined Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal XI took on Paris Saint-Germain in a glorified friendly, and the match attracted a sell-out crowd of nearly 70,000.

There is an appetite in Saudi Arabia for superstar footballers, and a Ronaldo v Messi match-up carries a similar aura to Robert De Niro and Al Pacino sharing a screen. However, this was more Righteous Kill than Heat, with the names holding more mystique than the individuals to whom they belong.

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Messi and Ronaldo faced off in an all-star game in January (AFP via Getty Images)

Of course, it now appears that might not be the final Ronaldo v Messi match-up. Both have held more orthodox promotional roles in Saudi Arabia, with Messi's tourism-related trip earning him a ban and a fine from PSG in early May, but they could be opponents in a competitive sense next term.

Messi continues to be linked with Al-Hilal as he prepares to end his two-year stint in France. Al-Nassr's great rivals, who are on course for a third-place finish behind Ronaldo's side with one game of the season remaining, are competing with Barcelona and Inter Miami - among others - for the World Cup winner's signature.

He might not be the only star to move over to the Saudi Pro League from Europe. Messi's former Barca team-mate Sergio Busquets has strongly been linked with a move, while there have also been reports of offers for N'Golo Kante and Sergio Ramos, as the competition follows competitions in Russia, China and the US in having a spell as the prime destination for ageing superstars.

Ronaldo's first season with Al-Nassr has been hit-and-miss on the pitch (AFP via Getty Images)

No secret has been made of the fact that Saudi Arabia is gearing up to make an attempt to host the men's World Cup. Qatar is said to have considered the 2022 tournament a success, despite widely-voiced concerns over human rights issues, and its neighbour is keen to deliver a similar success of its own in either 2030 or 2034.

The concerns we heard about Qatar not being a traditional footballing power are unlikely to follow Saudi Arabia with the same vehemence. The national team has qualified for multiple World Cups, even beating eventual champions Argentina in the 2022 group stage, while consistently sitting higher than Qatar in the world rankings and attracting European stars long before Ronaldo's arrival.

So, yes, Cristiano Ronaldo will no doubt be upset to have missed out to Nuno's Al-Ittihad in the title race. Those emotions were no doubt genuine. However, win or lose, his work has already been done.

Tom Victor