Ronaldo to Al Nassr: Legacy and Sporting Greed
Ronaldo manages to make headlines like no other. Despite Messi’s World Cup triumph in December, the footballing world was mesmerized by the news that Ronaldo had decided to sign for Saudi club Al Nassr.
The 38-year-old will have an annual salary of £177million, making Ronaldo the highest-paid footballer of all time. It’s a transfer that’s symbolic of the state of modern football, which is becoming more and more removed from reality by the day. Based on average attendances, Ronaldo joins a club just under the stature of League Two’s Stockport County. An average of just 8,121 fans per home game in a 25,000-seat stadium.
Financially, the move is unsustainable, and such visitor numbers show that the transfer may not be intended for a local fan base; although it will certainly increase visitor numbers. In this surreal dystopia, Ronaldo is no longer a footballer in the traditional sense, but a celebrity.
He’s one of the few people who has more fans than the club that employs them. Al Nassr knows that with Ronaldo they are not paying for the world’s best footballer, but for the biggest influencer in the world. Ronaldo’s impact was felt immediately upon arrival as Al Nassr’s Instagram followers went from 800,000 to 5 million almost overnight. It now stands at 12.4 million and counting.
Amnesty International has described the transfer as part of a broader sports washing campaign by the Saudi state. They try to create a clean image of the country for international consumption, using big brands and names to gain goodwill. In this way, Ronaldo’s online presence is more important than his performances on the pitch.
Ronaldo’s decision to join Al Nassr has sparked debate about his legacy. In a now infamous interview in December, Piers Morgan said that “it just goes to my gut that if it were all about money you would be in Saudi Arabia and deserve a royal ransom,” to which Ronaldo enthusiastically agreed. Just a few weeks later, Ronaldo was in Riyadh giving his first press conference for his new club!
However, this isn’t the first time football’s best have cashed in for one last big money draw. Pele and George Best made headlines as early as the 1970s when they moved to the United States. More recently, MLS has seen some of the greats of European football including Pirlo, David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney to name a few.
Most controversially in 2016, a then 25-year-old Oscar shocked fans when he left Chelsea for Shanghai Shenhua. Oscar’s new contract tripled the already substantial wages he was earning at Chelsea. Speaking to COPA90 in 2017, he cited growing up in poverty and a desire to provide for his family as an influence on his decision. After all, a footballer’s career is short and unforgiving. An unfortunate injury could put an end to that, and with few other qualifications, many footballers struggle post-retirement. Despite his incredible earnings at Chelsea, the financial security the move offers is hard to ignore. I wonder how many of us would choose differently in Oscar’s situation.
But the Ronaldo transfer is more than just a pay raise, and Ronaldo is more than just a footballer; He can make millions from social media and brand sponsorships. In 2016, he signed a lifetime deal with Nike worth $1 billion. Money shouldn’t be an issue for Ronaldo. Bigger than his contract is Ronaldo’s brand image and legacy. The choice of a Saudi club over other alternatives shows that Ronaldo cares little more than self-interest.
Football prides itself on being an inclusive sport, yet Ronaldo has chosen to live, play and be the face of football in a country where the rights of women, migrants and the LGBTQIA+ community are respected from minimal to non-existent not enough. While other top leagues try to create an inclusive atmosphere in football, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that Ronaldo has chosen to be the face of football in a place where homosexuality can carry the death penalty.
Ronaldo’s sporting legacy is assured on the pitch. He will go down in history as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Away from the pitch, on the other hand, his actions will be determined from now on. While it’s hard to criticize his decision to capitalize on one last big move, he should be cautious about how he wants to be seen going forward.
Ronaldo must consider his fans of every ethnicity, religion and sexuality and most importantly not sacrifice what football is all about to the highest bidder. Ronaldo must ensure he remains an icon of beautiful football as opposed to a totem of sporting greed.