Competition in the Middle East has increased its level with the arrival of the world’s best players from Europe
Cristiano Ronaldo has opened the floodgates for great soccer players who have decided to emigrate to Saudi Arabia and compete in a league where the Saudi clubs invest money to bring in the best players in the world.
Karim Benzema, Neymar, Mané and Laporte are just a few examples of players who have decided to follow in the footsteps of the Portuguese star, although their performances have left no one indifferent.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s hunger is never-ending
Since Cristiano signed for Al-Nassr in December 2022, the striker has accumulated 46 goals in 52 appearances for the Saudi side, in which he has provided 13 assists. The Portuguese is incombustible. In 2023, he was the top scorer in the world with 54 goals between his team and the national team, ahead of Mbappé (52), Harry Kane (52) and Erling Haaland (50).
Benzema, hero and villain at Al-Ittihad
The calm after the storm. The relationship between Karim Benzema and Al-Ittihad has been one of many ups and downs. On a sporting level, the Frenchman is having a good season in which he has scored 9 goals and provided 5 assists in the 16 games he has played. However, his absence in the team’s preseason caused a lot of criticism towards the striker who said he was “trapped” in the Mauritius Islands because of a cyclone.
Aymeric Laporte happy in Saudi Arabia
In the past winter market there was speculation about a possible departure of the Spanish-French player to Real Madrid, but his willingness to stay and that of Al Nassr not to sell him caused him forget about Los Blancos. For the Saudi Arabian team he is key to helping them move forward with their objectives: Saudi Pro League and the Asian Champions League. The former Manchester City player is having a great season in which he has played 23 games, scoring 2 goals and provided an assist.
Neymar has not yet danced at Al-Hilal
Just two months after signing for Al-Hilal, Neymar tore his cruciate ligament and meniscus, which caused him to be sidelined for four and a half months. His fans have only seen him play three games for his new team, so they are looking forward to seeing the Brazilian back on the pitch. However, his detractors have not hesitated to criticize his form on his return to training with the team.
Gabri Veiga, the diamond that is being polished in Arabia
The Galician midfielder is getting experience in Arabia after playing in LaLiga with Celta.Gabri Veiga has played 18 games for Al-Ahli in which he has scored 4 goals and provided 4 assists. His team is 3rd in the league, in the Asian Champions League places for next season.
Effectiveness condemns Yannik Carrasco
Carrasco’s season at Al-Shabab has not been as expected for the Belgian, both in terms of his numbers and the situation in which his team finds itself. With 2 goals in 14 games, Carrasco has found scoring difficult, with only center-back Saiss having more with three goals. In domestic competition, the Saudi team is in 10th position, six points away from relegation.
Mane already equals his Bayern Munich numbers
After leaving Liverpool in 2022, Sadio Mane now seems to have found that stability again that he didn’t have in Munich. The Senegalese has scored 12 goals and provided 6 assists in the 27 games he has played so far. In the 2022-2023 season with Bayern it took him 38 games to hit the numbers he has now with Al-Nassr. The Saudi side is enjoying Mané’s resurgence.
All stars shine for Al-Ahli
The third-placed team in the Saudi Pro League is undoubtedly proving to be a showcase where players are getting a chance to shine. In the 20 games he has played for his team, Mahrez has been involved in 15 of the goals that have resulted in goals, eight of which he has scored and the remaining seven of which have been assists. Along with Roberto Firmino and Saint-Maximin, the Saudi team’s attack has scored more than half of Al-Ahli’s league goals, not to mention the great performance of the Al-Buraikan striker with 7 goals.
With Gabri Veiga and Franck Kessié, Al-Ahli’s midfield is well covered. The former Barça player is an undisputed starter who is also showing his power in attack with 6 goals and 2 assists in the 19 games he has played so far.
The backline led by Roger Ibáñez and Merih Demiral means they have the second-best defence in the league, behind only Al-Hilal with Bono, Koulibaly and company. With Edouard Mendy in goal, the former Chelsea man is helping his team to a third place that will see them qualify for the Asian Champions League.
Injuries doom David Ospina in Arabia
After playing for 14 seasons in Europe (Nice, Arsenal and Napoli), David Ospina decided to pack his bags for Arabia in the summer of 2022. After a flying start with Al-Nassr, an elbow injury a few months later kept him away from the pitch… and nothing has ever been the same again. The Colombian left the Arab club due to too many foreigners and spent the preseason with several teams in his native country, before returning to Al-Nassr.
Under Portuguese coach Luis Castro, David Ospina has yet to play a game for Al-Nassr this season. On February 1, in a friendly against Leo Messi’s Inter Miami, the veteran goalkeeper was forced to withdraw after half an hour due to injury. Things are not going Ospina’s way in Arabia.