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Throughout his illustrious career, Cristiano Ronaldo has never been too far away from the spotlight. This past year was no different for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, as he made headlines on and off the pitch.
A few weeks after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo was in the news after agreeing on a $200 million yearly contract with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr for two years.
Cristiano Ronaldo is not the first global superstar to move to a less-fancied league in the twilight of his career. Pele and Johan Cruyff moved to the USA at the end of their careers, and Diego Maradona moved to his native Argentina. Ronaldinho played the final years of his career in Brazil and Mexico as well.
Cristiano Ronaldo will face some familiar players in Saudi Arabia, a few of whom have also played in the Premier League. We look at five former Premier League stars that Cristiano Ronaldo will play with/against in the Saudi Pro League.
#5 Grzegorz Krychowiak
Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak is one of the biggest stars of the Saudi Pro League. He features for Al-Shabab in the league, having joined them on loan from Russian side FC Krasnodar in 2022.
Krychowiak played briefly in the English Premier League, sporting the colors of West Bromwich Albion in the 2017-18 season. He joined the Baggies on loan from French giants PSG and spent only one season at the Hawthorns.
The midfielder featured 27 times in the Premier League for West Brom as they finished bottom of the pile and were relegated.
Krychowiak has represented PSG and Sevilla, two top European sides. The experienced midfielder has also made 98 appearances for the Poland national team, featuring in four major tournaments.
#4 Ahmed Hegazy
Ahmed Hegazy is one of Egypt's finest defenders and one of the big names in the Saudi Pro League. The central defender currently plays for Al-Ittihad Club in Saudi Arabia, having joined the club from West Bromwich Albion.
Hegazy joined West Brom in 2017 on a season-long loan deal from Egyptian giants Al-Ahly before the deal was made permanent at the end of the season. The tough-tackling defender remained at the Hawthorns until 2020 when he moved to Saudi Arabia.
The Egyptian played in every match for the Baggies in the 2017-18 Premier League season before they were relegated to the Championship.
Hegazy is a seasoned defender, playing regularly for club and country. He has featured 78 times for the Pharaohs in his career, featuring in the FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.
#3 Matheus Pereira
Premier League fans will likely remember Matheus Pereira for the role he played in West Brom's 5-2 win over Chelsea in 2021. The Brazilian winger completed a move to Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal after spending the 2020-21 season with the Baggies.
Pereira joined West Brom in 2019 on a season-long loan from Sporting Lisbon. The terms for a permanent deal were reached and he joined the Baggies permanently in 2020.
The Brazilian star featured prominently for West Brom in the 2020-21 Premier League season, scoring 11 goals in 33 appearances. Following his side's relegation, he opted for a transfer away and joined Al-Hilal for an undisclosed sum.
Pereira has enjoyed a successful stint at Al-Hilal and his side will be one Cristiano Ronaldo has to look out for. Al-Hilal are the reigning Saudi Pro League champions, and the Brazilian played an active role in their triumph last season.
He also featured in the FIFA Club World Cup for the side as they finished in fourth place in 2021.
#2 Odion Ighalo
Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo has been one of the deadliest finishers since his move to the Saudi Pro League. The striker has something in common with Cristiano Ronaldo, as they both played for Manchester United at different times.
Ighalo moved to Al-Hilal in 2022, having previously played for Al-Shabab, also in Saudi. The striker has enjoyed great success in the league, with 40 goals to his name from 55 appearances.
This season, Ighalo has seven goals and an assist in 11 appearances. He played for Watford and the Red Devils in the Premier League and managed 17 goals in 67 appearances.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be aiming to claim the Golden Boot following his move to Al-Nassr, but he will need to outscore Ighalo, the reigning Golden Boot winner. The Nigerian striker will relish the competition of Ronaldo in the league after he fired Al-Hilal to glory last season.
#1 David Ospina
While Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to bang in the goals, he will be hoping that things are kept tight at the other end. Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina is the first-choice for Al-Nassr, having joined the club from Napoli in 2022.
Ospina played in the Premier League for Arsenal and was at the Emirates between 2014 and 2018. He played 29 league matches for the Gunners, keeping clean sheets in 13 of them. The Colombian opted for a move to Italy after his time in the Premier League came to an end.
Ospina is one of the most experienced international players currently playing in Saudi. The goalkeeper is Colombia's captain and has played 127 times for his country. He has kept six clean sheets in 11 appearances for his club this season and is one of the reasons they are top of the log.
