Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) was peddled as a signing which would trigger a seismic shake-up in the established order in football.
Fast forward to the 2025 summer transfer window, and Ronaldo’s claims that the SPL is already better than Ligue 1 look increasingly far-fetched.
Riyad Mahrez recently gave the Portuguese forward a reality check, saying that the SPL has some way to go before it comes close to matching Europe’s most established leagues.
The SPL’s latest ‘high-profile’ signing hammers home why Mahrez’s view of the SPL carries more weight than Ronaldo’s nonsense.
Chelsea flop Joao Felix has been the poster boy for underachievement in European football over the past few seasons.
Following a big-money move from Benfica to Atletico Madrid in 2019, Felix has repeatedly failed to live up to expectations.
He was linked with a return to Benfica this summer, but it was no surprise when Al-Nassr splashed the cash to take him to the Middle East.
Felix joins a long line of signings who don’t live up to the narrative being pushed by Ronaldo and other SPL fanboys.
Theo Hernandez and Mateo Retegui are the headline acquisitions this summer, and you would be hard-pressed to get excited about either of them.
Fears that the SPL would disrupt European football by repeatedly luring away top talent have proved to be unfounded.
Signing waifs, strays and veterans is not moving the needle in the grand scheme of things. European football can rest easy.
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What to watch
Rangers visit Panathinaikos in the second leg of their Champions League qualification tie tonight. This will be a useful early test for new manager Russell Martin.
