Ronaldo is still more name than anything else when he brings attention to the season-opening match of the Saudi football league.
It was discovered earlier this month that more than 30,000 fans were watching in Hong Kong al-nassr He defeated Al Ittihad 2-1 in the first semi-finals of the Saudi Arabian Super Cup on August 19th. This is part of the league’s growth and marketing plan.
“The majority can only be explained Cristiano Ronaldo Hong Kong resident and fan Chris Kul Lau told The Associated Press.
The Portuguese star was attacked the following day while visiting the city’s official Cristiano Ronaldo Museum. “Fans traveled from China, Saudi Arabia and the Asia-Pacific region to meet him,” Lau said.
rear Ronaldo left Manchester United and joined the Saudi Arabian Pro League In December 2022, other celebrities followed, including Riyadh, Jeddah and others. Karim Benzema, Neymar and Riad Marez. The “Big Four” – Nassul, Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Ali – was handed over to the Saudi Arabian public investment fund in 2023 and has a budget as big as its ambitions.
Thurdsay began in three games in the league season. Ronaldo’s Al Nassl will face Al Taun on Friday.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner remains the international face of the league, but supporters are working to expand the league’s reach. However, the importance of Ronaldo’s presense was evident in the second match at Hong Kong Stadium between Al Ali and Alkazia when organizers announced a crowd of 16,000 people. Some people doubt that number.
“I think there were only 5,000 to 6,000 fans in the game,” Lau said.
Expanding influence
Simon Chadwick, an expert in sports, geopolitics and economics, said while he knew people would play in Saudi Arabia, “it’s doubtful how much they know about Al Nassl and the professional league.”
“He helped raise global awareness of Saudi Arabia’s football,” said Chadwick, professor of Afro-Eurasian Sports at the Emrion School of Business in Paris, “But there needs to be a deeper, more sustainable engagement in our relationship with our fans.”
Wael Al Fayez, the league’s chief commercial officer, says that’s already happening.
“Last season, we reached 180 countries worldwide, reaching 150 countries the previous year,” Al Fayes told the Associated Press. “On the sponsorship side, international trading has increased by 200%, reflecting actual measurable growth. On social media, it has increased by 60% to 15 million from 11 million last season.”
Playing games abroad is another strategy. As Hong Kong fan Lau said, “The media coverage here means it was impossible to not be aware of these matches.”
Attracting fans from all over the world is a long process, as do major European clubs such as Real Madrid and Liverpool already do.
“If Saudi clubs compete on the same standards, it will take decades to build a global fan base,” Chadwick said. “So they need to tell people another story. Something like al-Nasr and al-Hilal needs to give fans something they can’t get anywhere else.”
Next goal
This includes becoming the best club team in Asia.
“There are no obvious candidates currently qualify as Asia’s number one club or brand,” Chadwick said.
The control of the Asian Continental Club competitions is helpful.
Investing in players is clearly at a higher standard. Three of the four Asian Champions League semifinals last season were from Saudi Arabia, and Alari continues to lift the trophy.
At the Club World Cup in August, Al Hilal was the only Asian team to make a big impact, drawing alongside Real Madrid in the group stage, beating Manchester City 4-3 in the 16th round.
“There’s a growing appetite for football globally, and the Saudi Arabian professional league is moving forward to become a home for football outside of Europe,” said Al Phase. “It’s an incredible start to our journey and the momentum cannot be denied.”
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
