Cristiano Ronaldo finally made his debut for Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr at the weekend after all the fanfare around his $200 million deal to play football in Saudi Arabia, beginning with a 1-0 victory over Ettifaq.
First game, first win – well done guys 🙌🏻 Thanks to all the fans for incredible support. 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/vmgwE8TgVo
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) January 22, 2023
A number of TV deals were signed by SPL rights agency IMG prior to the match, demonstrating the Portuguese star’s enduring appeal.
Having only been brought in last week, IMG has managed to secure a range of deals with partners including Sport TV in Portugal, Sportitalia in Italy, RMC Sport in France, Cosmote in Greece and Sportdigital Fussball in the German-speaking DACH countries.
Domestically, live coverage of the league has already been acquired by Ministry of Sport-backed enterprise the Saudi Sports Company (SSC).
Saudi Araba has ambitions to become one of the world’s major forces in soccer, and undoubtedly has the budget to do it.
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Aside from state-supported investment in the SPL, the country bankrolled the hosting of the Italian Super Cup final and the Spanish Super Cup final in capital city Riyadh.
It also hosted a friendly fixture between Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain and a local All-Star XI led by Ronaldo.
There are also reports that Saudi Arabia would like to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, though this prospect seems unlikely after Qatar secured the 2022 competition.
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