Saudi Pro League (SPL) CEO Omar Mugharbel recently shed light on superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr.’s future in the league. Ronaldo has been at Al-Nassr since January 2023 while Neymar joined Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to the Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 was a landmark one in football. It led to multiple big stars choosing the Middle East as a likely destination. In 79 outings for the Knights of Najd, the Portuguese legend has contributed 68 goals and 18 assists. He was also the highest goalscorer (35 goals) of the Saudi Pro League in his first season (2023-24).
Meanwhile, Neymar Jr.’s move to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal have not been as illustrious as expected owing to injuries. The Brazilian superstar moved to Al-Hilal for a reported €90 million from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
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However, he could only make five outings for the side before being sidelined by an ACL injury in November 2023. Neymar was out for a year, missing 53 club games. He returned to the pitch in October 2024 but again suffered a hamstring injury in his second game since return (November 4).
In an interview with FourFourTwo, Saudi Pro League CEO Omar Mugharbel addressed the possible futures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. in the Middle East. He said (via GOAL):
“It’s no secret that Ronaldo has created a massive impact on the league, both domestically and internationally. It creates a lot of value and continues to do so. However all discussions around the duration, the contract and re-signing is a matter between Ronaldo and the club to agree on whether that’s something that’s going to happen or not.”
On Neymar’s situation, Mugharbel said:
“Having Neymar in the league, even though he hasn’t been playing, he has a massive following globally and he’s quite active from a community perspective, so it creates a lot of value for the league. But what the future holds, that’s something the player and the club have to discuss.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar have not faced each other in the Saudi Pro League. However, the duo have faced each other eight times at the club level, all of which came during Ronaldo’s time at Real Madrid (2009-2018).
“Everybody called him crazy” – When Neymar Jr. credited Cristiano Ronaldo for the Saudi Pro League’s growth
Neymar and Ronaldo (L to R) – Source: Getty
In an interview with Al-Hilal’s channel shortly after joining the side, Neymar Jr. credited Ronaldo for the meteoric growth of the Saudi Pro League. He said (via GOAL):
”I believe Cristiano Ronaldo started all of this and everybody called him ‘crazy’, and this and that, today you see the league more and more.”
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The Portuguese legend’s move to the Middle East paved the way for multiple big stars to join the Saudi league, including Neymar, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Sadio Mane. Multiple players in their prime have also been linked to the Saudi league in the recent past, including Vinicius Jr.
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr.’s respective contracts at Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal end in June 2025. It remains to be seen where the two superstars are headed for the future. Reports suggest that Neymar could leave earlier than next summer, with the Blue Waves working on prematurely terminating his contract owing to injury woes.
