Cristiano Ronaldo tampak sangat terpukul di bangku cadangan Al-Nassr setelah kesalahan fatal yang dilakukan kiper Bento di menit-menit akhir menggagalkan upaya klub tersebut untuk meraih gelar Liga Pro Saudi pertama mereka dalam tujuh tahun terakhir. Bintang asal Portugal itu telah diganti menjelang akhir pertandingan melawan Al-Hilal dan hanya bisa menyaksikan dengan ngeri saat kemenangan terlepas di detik-detik terakhir.
Rencana transfer impian Kylian Mbappé ke Real Madrid dengan cepat menemui kendala, yang memicu spekulasi hebat mengenai masa depannya dalam jangka panjang di ibu kota Spanyol. Para pakar keuangan kini mengungkap angka fantastis yang dibutuhkan untuk mendatangkan pemain asal Prancis tersebut, yang menunjukkan bahwa hanya sedikit klub di dunia yang mampu mewujudkan kesepakatan semacam itu.
CR7 masih harus menunggu gelar pertamanya di Liga Pro Arab Saudi, setelah Al-Nassr gagal mempertahankan keunggulan mereka dalam perebutan gelar juara melawan Al-Hilal.
Kiper Al-Nassr, Bento Matheus, melakukan kesalahan konyol pada menit ke-98 yang membuat Al-Hilal berhasil meraih hasil imbang dramatis 1-1, sehingga menunda perayaan gelar juara Liga Pro Saudi milik Cristiano Ronaldo. Gol bunuh diri yang fatal akibat lemparan ke dalam yang keras itu mengejutkan para penggemar, yang berarti Al-Nassr kini harus menunggu untuk memastikan gelar juara pertama mereka dalam tujuh tahun pada laga mendatang melawan Damac FC, meskipun saat ini mereka memimpin klasemen dengan selisih lima poin.
Mantan bek Prancis Frank Leboeuf melontarkan kritik tajam terhadap Cristiano Ronaldo, dengan menegaskan bahwa gelar Liga Pro Arab Saudi yang akan diraih bersama Al-Nassr tak sebanding dengan dampak transformatif yang diberikan Lionel Messi di Inter Miami. Pakar sepak bola tersebut berpendapat bahwa investasi besar-besaran dari klub, bukan kehebatan individu, lah yang sebenarnya menjadi faktor utama di balik setiap gelar yang diraih pemain veteran Portugal tersebut di Timur Tengah.
Al-Hilal are the most successful Saudi Pro League side ever, having won an astonishing 19 league titles. Their first-ever league title came at the end of the 1976-77 campaign. Currently, they are also the defending champions, having gone all the way in the 2023-24 season.
How many teams are in the Saudi Pro League?
Currently, there are 18 teams in the Saudi Pro League. In the first season ever, which took place in 1976-77, there were just eight teams. The number increased to 10 in the following season. Ahead of the 1981-82, Saudi Premier League and Saudi First Division merged to form one single league for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. However, from the 1984-85 season, the number teams reverted to 12.
Who has made the most Saudi Pro League appearances ever?
Legendary Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea holds the record for most appearances in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Deayea played for Al-Taee and Al-Hilal and managed 406 appearances inthe league.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the Saudi Pro League?
Majed Abdullah, also known as the Arabian Pele, is the league's all-time leading topscorer with 189 goals in 194 league games, all of them coming with Al-Nassr in a 21-year span. He is Al-Nassr's record goalscorer, with 259 goals in just 266 games.
Who has the most assists in the history of the Saudi Pro League?
Former Syrian midfielder Jehad Al-Hussain has registered the most assists in Saudi Pro League history, setting up 50 goals for his teammates in 208 games.
Who is the oldest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?
Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to ever feature in Saudi Pro League. El Hadary was 45 years and 81 days old when he featured for Al-Taawoun in April 2018.
Who is the youngest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?
Teenage sensation Talal Haji, who plays for Al-Ittihad, is the youngest player to ever play in Saudi Pro League. Haji achieved this feat at the age of 16 years and five days when he came on as a substitute for Romarinho in Al-Ittihad's 2-1 win over Al-Fateh in September 2023.
Which famous players have played in the Saudi Pro League?
Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, Yassine Bounou, Nacho, Aymeric Laporte, and Fabinho are among the most famous players to have played in the Saudi Pro League.
Which famous managers have managed in the Saudi Pro League?
Steven Gerrard, Laurent Blanc, and Stefano Pioli are some of Saudi Pro League's most prominent managers in history.
What is the biggest stadium in the Saudi Pro League?
The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, which is home to Al-Shabab and Al-Riyadh, is the biggest stadium in Saudi Pro League. It has a capacity of 68,752.
Who is the most expensive player in the history of the Saudi Pro League?
Neymar is the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history, costing a whopping £77.6 million when Al-Hilal bought him from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.