Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival has already sent Saudi Arabia’s football obsessed public into a frenzy

Look east from the mountainous vista of King Saud University Stadium, and the skyline is dominated by the skyscrapers of downtown Riyadh, each of which has surpassed the other over the years to claim the highest spot. from the city. Now, there’s a new giant in town, and it dwarfs them all.

You no longer have to peek out from the house of top-tier Al Nassr club to find it. Cristiano Ronaldo is right there, with a world renown, an ego and, tellingly, a newly inflated bank balance big enough to put any shiny building in the shade.

Dominating the skyline, the neon-lit Kingdom Center is one of what used to be called the tallest tower in the city. This is Ronaldo’s kingdom now.

Saudi Arabia’s obsession with soccer has skyrocketed since the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by Al-Nassr

The Portuguese icon signed for Al-Nassr after leaving Manchester United for free

It’s his name in the lights, the ‘Hala Ronaldo’ sign visible via ticker tape, the fireworks and flares that greeted his introduction as an Al Nassr player this month. He’s not here to achieve any feat of footballing significance, but he won’t be without the adoration of a young, Western, football-obsessed crowd.

Yes, this move represents one last cash grab before he closes the box on his playing career, but you shouldn’t think you’re settling in the middle of an impoverished football culture. It’s not South America, of course. It’s Saudi Arabia. But soccer is the fastest growing and most popular pastime here, a rise that will surely be accelerated by Ronaldo’s presence.

While the country’s government sees the sport as a vehicle to the West and acceptance in a world beyond its own borders of human rights violations, it is a journey a large part of its population is grateful to be embarking on.

Locals were chanting Ronaldo’s name at the 25,000-seat King Saud long before his arrival ceremony. I was there last month, standing on the scorched grass pitch in a crowd of thousands as Portugal played Switzerland on the giant screen in the center of Riyadh’s World Cup Fan Zone, the biggest after Qatar, according to they told us.

Al-Nassr supporters celebrate Ronaldo’s unveiling ceremony at Mrsool Park after his arrival.

The news that Ronaldo had struck a deal with Al Nassr appeared in the Spanish press that same week and, both in the stadium and in the taxis, cafes and souks beyond, the anticipation was palpable. Such fervor was moving much faster than the soon-to-be new idol of him, benched for the quarterfinal tie.

The irony of Portugal racing to a 5-1 lead without their once-unstoppable talisman was lost on the natives. Every time Ronaldo appeared on the screen, invariably sour-faced, there was a louder ovation than any of Portugal’s goals.

Then, when he was naked and ready to go on 73 minutes, a guttural chorus of ‘Ronaldo, Ronaldo’ was sent out into the balmy Arabian night. It almost felt like a call to prayer. Those prayers were answered when the £173m-per-year deal to make the 37-year-old the highest-paid sportsman in the world was confirmed this month.

“It’s something incredible, wonderful,” said Moosa, an Al Nassr fan in his 20s. But don’t stay with Ronaldo, we need Messi, we need them all. For many years we watched these players, we played with them on PlayStation.

‘All of Saudi Arabia, we love Ronaldo. This stadium will fill up every day, not every week. We’ll come here and sleep here!

Ronaldo promised he had nothing left in Europe when he committed to Saudi Arabia

They were true to their word, filling every seat and aisle to welcome Ronaldo. He was repeatedly introduced by the officials in the script as ‘the best footballer in the world’, which felt cold and forced, but the warmth in the stands was genuine. Spend time in Saudi Arabia and you leave with that feeling, the contradiction of a distant and authoritarian regime juxtaposed against a welcoming and inquisitive public.

However, a lengthy two-game ban – imposed by the FA for smashing a mobile phone in the hand of an Everton fan – has kept them from seeing Ronaldo so far, and his debut will be in a friendly against PSG and Lionel. Messi on Thursday. .

Hatim Alhasani, 31, a filmmaker and media coordinator for the Saudi Pro League, said: “This is an opportunity for him and for us to grow the league.” Saudis are crazy about football, so passionate about it. Ronaldo will feel that. He will also earn a lot of money!’

When you ask who pays, the general answer is: ‘Who knows?’ Al Nassr, as an isolated club, certainly cannot afford Ronaldo. But a wealthy board of patrons, we are told, can. Such conversations lead to the topic of sports laundering, whether it’s the signing of Ronaldo, the Public Investment Fund’s takeover of Newcastle United, or the morally bankrupt LIV Golf company.

The superstar will pocket £175m a year, by far the most lucrative football contract in the world.

Alhasani is one of several young people spoken to who believe that the image of Saudi Arabia portrayed in the West is inaccurate.

“The culture and life here are very different from what is shown in other places. We have respect for all cultures and all nations,’ she said. ‘I guarantee that anyone who comes here will change their mind.

‘When we go to Europe, we respect the rules and culture there. But wherever you go in the world – Europe, Africa, Asia, America – there are problems related to human rights.

‘We are not in paradise, we are not in heaven, it will never be like this. But the focus on Saudi Arabia, I think is unfair. Why hasn’t something been said before about the other (football club) owners in this part of the world? Why only Arabia? I think criticism is political. If you’ve never seen the Saudis and the Saudis, you don’t have the full picture.”

The Portuguese star’s contract at Man United was terminated by mutual consent in December

Amnesty International, however, says Ronaldo’s signature is another stunt designed to deflect human rights abuses.

Dana Ahmed, Middle East Researcher at Amnesty International, said: “Al Nassr’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo fits into a broader pattern of laundering sportswear in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi authorities are likely to promote Ronaldo’s presence in the country as a way of distracting from the country’s appalling human rights record.

“Instead of offering uncritical praise to Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo should use his considerable public platform to draw attention to human rights issues.”

Ronaldo won’t, of course. He will take his money and use his profile to shed light on football. With a new giant in town, everything else will remain in his shadow.

Lionel Messi is reportedly being courted by two Saudi clubs after his World Cup victory.