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Neymar has lauded Cristiano Ronaldo as a pioneer of Saudi football after the Brazilian sealed a move to Al Hilal.
The 31-year-old has joined Al-Za'eem from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for €90 million. He has signed a two-year deal at King Fahd International Stadium and will earn a reported €160 million (£129.4 million) a year, per Sky Sports.
Many have questioned the Brazilian's decision to head to the Middle East and join Al Hilal. Ronaldo was met with those same questions when he joined Al Nassr in January.
The Portuguese icon's arrival in Saudi has led to some of Europe's household names following suit. Neymar has alluded to this when explaining the influence the 38-year-old has had on Saudi football. He said (via Al Hilal's official Twitter account):
"Cristiano Ronaldo was the pioneer of the historic change that took place in the Saudi league. When he joined the league, they used to say he was crazy, but now you can see the great development that is happening in the league. Facing Cristiano Ronaldo and his team will be amazing.”
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract with Manchester United last November. He took his time in deciding his next club and the move to Mrsool Park stunned the football world.
The Portuguese great had never left Europe during his club career. Some argued that it was an indication he was coming to the end of his career.
However, Ronaldo has been a revelation since arriving in Saudi football, bagging 20 goals in 25 games across competitions. Not only this, the commercial appeal of the Saudi Pro League has remarkably improved following his arrival.
Neymar isn't the only European star to follow the Al Nassr frontman to Saudi. Other names include Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, Marcelo Brozovic, Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Fabinho.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar could be back in Europe in 2025
Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar have left Europe following the latter's decision to join Al Hilal from PSG. However, it might not be too long until the legendary duo are back in Europe.
Reports claim that the Saudi Football Association are holding talks with UEFA regarding one Saudi club participating in the 2025 UEFA Champions League. It could be yet another massive step for the Middle Eastern league in rivaling some of Europe's top leagues.
They are already managing to lure high-profile names to Saudi but they could now also be participating in Europe's elite club competition. Ronaldo won five Champions League trophies during his time in Europe while Neymar won the tournament just once.
