Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr this year in January. His former Real Madrid teammate, Karim Benzema, followed in his steps to Saudi Arabia as he joined Al Ittihad. Let's look at the players who gave up European football in order to play in Saudi Arabia in the Saudi Pro League.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The 37-year-old has signed a deal with Al Nassr until 2025 and will receive the biggest salary in the history of the game, worth a grand total of 215 million dollars per year. He has played for Manchester United, Juventus, and Real Madrid.
Anderson Talisca
Anderson Talisca had spells in Europe before joining Al Nassr in 2021. The Brazilian bagged 20 goals in his first season in the Saudi Pro League. He had previously played for Portuguese club Benfica.
Odion Ighalo
Odion Ighalo is one of the prolific forwards in the Saudi Pro League. The Nigerian striker joined Al Hilal in 2022 winning the Saudi Professional League Top Scorer in his first season at the club. He had previously played for Watford, Manchester United and Norwegian club Lyn in 2007.
Karim Benzema
Former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has signed a deal to join Saudi Arabia’s Al Ittihad football club on a three-year deal. The contract is estimated to be worth more than $106.89 million dollars.
Ever Banega
The Argentine midfielder, who played a significant role in Sevilla’s Europa League dominance joined Al Shabab Riyadh. He had played for Spanish clubs Valencia, Sevilla and Italian club Inter Milan.
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