Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr could lead to a financial windfall for his new club and Saudi Arabia, football finance expert Neil Joyce told Reuters, as the Portugal international gears up for his first game in the country since the deal was announced.
"It’s well-publicised the growth of the Al Nassr fanbase after Ronaldo joined, they went from under a million fans to like eight million in a space of like 10 days," said Joyce, who is CEO & co-founder of CLV Group and advises clubs on how best to maximise their revenues through engagement with their global fanbases.
According to Joyce, Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia would also set a precedent for more big-name players to arrive and develop the Saudi league in the same way to Pele's impact on US Soccer after he joined New York Cosmos in 1975.