The arrival of legendary Portuguese football star, Cristiano Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League in January 2023 has continued to bring fortune to the league and the country as a whole.
In recent weeks, the world has seen an unprecedented number of elite players leave elite clubs to move to Saudi Arabia. Some of the footballers snubbed contract extensions and interests from top European clubs for a move to the Saudi Pro League.
Recall that Karim Benzema turned down a contract extension offer from Real Madrid to move to Al-Ittihad. Also, Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Ruben Neves snubbed interest from FC Barcelona to join Al-Hilal.
Elite European players like N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, and Kalidou Koulibaly have all left Chelsea this summer for Saudi Pro League clubs.
All these moves became possible after five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in January after Manchester United terminated his contract in November.
In January, Al-Nassr announced that Nike would be the manufacturer of their jerseys from the 2023-2024 season following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo.
On Sunday, the club announced on its official Twitter account that it was “thrilled to announce Nike as our official kit provider for the 2023-24 season.”
This agreement will be in effect starting with the Al Nassr Japan Tour at the end of July.
The 38-year-old football superstar Ronaldo is now bound by a lifetime contract with Nike that is worth £147 million over 10 years.
Based on this development, Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr has now officially moved from the Arabic behemoth Duneus to Nike as their jersey supplier.
The club will now be collaborating with Nike for the third time, following their collaborations from 2010 to 2012 and from 1997 to 2001.
Given that Duneus’ current kit design was inspired by Nike’s aesthetic, the switch in manufacturer is unlikely to result in a perceptible visual shift.
Also, a separate Saudi professional league team, Al-Hilal, has agreed to a five-year deal with well-known apparel firm Puma as the league’s global recognition grows after Ronaldo’s arrival.
