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Saudi Arabia has been making waves in the soccer world, attracting some of the most coveted talents in the game. We've seen the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo make his move to the Middle East at the beginning of 2023, and he's not alone. The Saudi Pro League continues to grow in stature as more players follow Ronaldo from Europe to the Middle East. Welcome to Football Shift! In this video, we will explore why Saudi Arabia is spending millions on soccer stars and why players are choosing Saudi Arabia over staying in Europe.
Recently, Neymar signed for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. In January, following his exit from Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo made a move to Saudi Arabia. Joining him in the Arabian country was Karim Benzema, who had decided to leave Real Madrid in the summer to join Al Ittihad. Another notable addition to Al Ittihad was N'Golo Kante, the talented player who had achieved success with Chelsea in the Premier League, Champions League, and World Cup. Similarly, 26-year-old Ruben Neves, at the peak of his career, surprised many when he left the Premier League and accepted a staggering $60 million offer from Al Hilal, another Saudi Arabian club. The transfer was particularly shocking as Neves had been heavily linked with prestigious clubs like Barcelona and Manchester United. The recent trend of football stars moving to Saudi Arabia doesn't stop there. Many other big names, including Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, and more, are also set to make their way to the country. European football has long been regarded as the pinnacle of the sport at the club level, largely due to the UEFA Champions League. However, the lure of lucrative financial deals in Saudi Arabia has enticed several players to make the move. With most footballers tend to retire in their late thirties or even earlier due to injuries, maximizing their earnings and improving lifestyles can often become a priority over competing for bigger trophies. Besides the confirmed transfers, there have been astonishing offers made to football superstars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Luka Modric, Romelu Lukaku, and others, which were ultimately rejected.
Sources:
www.espn.co.uk/football/story...
www.sportingnews.com/us/socce...
www.skysports.com/football/ne...
www.cbssports.com/soccer/news...
www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-658...
khelnow.com/football/2023-06-...
www.cfr.org/in-brief/saudi-ar...
www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-...
#Neymar #AlHilal #SaudiArabia #Ronaldo #Benzema