"The GOAT effect" "Messi can never do this" - Cristiano Ronaldo's effect on Saudi Pro League hailed by fans
Popular social media page OneFootball made a post highlighting Cristiano Ronaldo's impact with the recent arrivals in the Saudi Pro League. Fans are commenting under the post uploaded on Instagram.
Since Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr on December 31, 2022, the SPL has gained unprecedented popularity. The league is now broadcasted across 137 new countries.
Superstar names are now considering a move to the Saudi Pro League as well. Players like Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Eduardo Mendy, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Marcelo Brozovic, Roberto Firmino, and more have already joined different clubs in the SPL.
Jordan Henderson, Bernardo Silva, Fabinho, Paul Pogba, and more are among the names that are further linked with a move to the league as well. Fans are hailing that as Cristiano Ronaldo's impact.
While the tremendous money that the SPL is offering is a factor, there is no denying that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner opened the pathways for other household names to pursue their futures in the Middle East.
One fan commented under the post:
"The GOAT feffect."
Another fan wrote:
"Messi can never do this."
When Al-Hilal manager Jorge Jesus hailed Cristiano Ronaldo for his passion
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most prominent names to grace the beautiful game. Apart from his skills and abilities, it's his innate passion that sets the 38-year-old apart from the rest of the pack.
Former Benfica manager Jorge Jesus, who was recently appointed as Al-Hilal's manager, said that Ronaldo has more passion for the game than his eternal rival Lionel Messi. Jesus said (via Mirror):
"Nowadays, between the two best in the world, Ronaldo has a little bit of that, Messi has nothing. He has nothing... of passion. He is a great player. Be careful not to misinterpret. As for Messi, we are talking about what life and feeling is about, having a passion for the game and football. I think Maradona was even prominent in this regard in relation to other."
Ronaldo's passion is one of the main reasons behind the 38-year-old still going strong atop the game. Despite scoring almost 900 professional goals, he still celebrates every goal like his first.