The Saudi Pro League has seen a raft of top talent move there in the past 18 months, with players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, N'Golo Kante and Aymeric Laporte all now plying their trade in the Middle East.
Ronaldo even claimed last year that he believed the standard of Saudi Arabia's top flight was no worse than Ligue 1, suggesting competitiveness and ability were on a par with the top division in France.
Opta Analyst, though, claimed that the standard is considerably worse in a comprehensive March 2024 study. Ranking Saudi Arabia's top flight as only the 26th-best domestic league in world football, some 16 spots below even MLS, Opta Analyst's findings indicate the influx of talent is yet to see the quality of the Saudi Pro League match many leagues in Europe.
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Former Premier League forward Demarai Gray moved to Saudi Arabia last summer, joining up with Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq. The ex-Everton star describes the key differences with play in England, however, suggesting it is a lot more difficult to adapt to the league.
"Moving was a big change," Gray tells FourFourTwo. "The heat in September had me thinking, ‘If it’s like this all year round, I don’t know how long I’ve got left because my tank is empty!’ At first, it was difficult to adapt to the crowds. Sometimes you’ll see games with low attendances, but people who moan don’t understand that if we play on a Sunday, it’s their Monday: a working day.
"Also, you might think the standard would be really easy for somebody coming from the Premier League, but it’s not as simple as you think. Cristiano Ronaldo said he ranks it higher than Ligue 1, and he could well be right.
"The league still has a period to go until it’s at its pinnacle, but by the time the World Cup comes here in 2034, it’ll be mad – I guarantee that. In two or three years, it’ll be a solid division."
Having Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia also has a big affect on the nation, as Gray describes. The 27-year-old didn't actually get an opportunity to play against him in the 2023/24 season, after not being at Al-Ettifaq by the time of their first meeting and missing the return fixture through suspension, but he still recognises the huge impact the Portuguese star can have.
"Everyone’s here to see him," Gray explains. "He opened the door for the Saudi League – opened players’ eyes.
"Every time he receives the ball [the Al Nassr fans are] excited. One game was a bit flat, so he waved his arms around to get the fans pumped and the ground went berserk. It was crazy, but Ronaldo is Ronaldo.
"He was my football hero growing up and I played against him at Manchester United: he did my head in, complaining too much, but he’s passionate. At 39, he’s fit and still at the top of his game."
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