After Karim Benzema Announcement, Cristiano Ronaldo Snubbed in Saudi Pro League’s Best XI Despite 14-Goal Haul

Saudi Arabian soccer has succeeded in garnering the attention of the world. Firstly, the league signed Cristiano Ronaldo on a free transfer in January and now are making strides by signing other superstars from European soccer. However, they missed out on another massive target, Lionel Messi, who decided to join MLS club Inter Miami.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia landed Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema and Chelsea superstar N’Golo Kante. They will join the league for free, with many other stars on the radar. Recently, Saudi Pro League announced the team of the season that had no place for Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Cristiano Ronaldo has no place in the Team of the Season

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in the mid-season. The blockbuster deal saw Al-Alami getting the Portuguese on a free transfer. It saw Ronaldo becoming the highest-paid athlete. The club intended to win the Saudi Pro League title, which they last won in 2018-19. They were on course until a few disappointing results gave an advantage to Al Ittihad, who held on and won the title.

Ronaldo had an inconsistent season. But despite playing in the new league, he notched 14 goals from 16 league appearances. However, it wasn’t enough for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to get a place in the league’s Team of the Season. Despite joining Al-Alami mid-season, he finished fifth in the top scorer’s list. It would have been a different story had he played the entire season. 

Al Ittihad players dominated the Saudi Pro League Team of the Season. Club’s five players made the cut compared to two of Al Nassr’s. Another shock was the absence of the league’s Golden Boot winner, Abderrazak Hamdallah of Al Ittihad. Instead, Al Hilal’s Odion Ighalo made it to the team. 

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Roshn Saudi League is gearing up for an enticing season with a host of superstars in contention to join the league for several clubs after Karim Benzema’s announcement.

Al Ittihad presents Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad shocked fans, especially Real Madrid fans, by signing Benzema on a free transfer. Despite a one-year contract extension on the table, Benzema chose Ittihad as his next destination. Ittihad presented the Ballon d’Or winner in front of whopping 62,000 fans. It was an immense presentation in the history of the club.

The deal to land Chelsea midfielder, N’Golo Kante, is also in process. However, his destination club is yet to be known. The league is also working on other deals to make it competitive by bringing in some top signings. Whether the Saudi League succeeds in its attempt to attract other stars remains to be seen.

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Will Saudi Pro League be in the top five in the next five years with the way they are investing money?