Home of football statistics and historyFormer Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has been desperate to justify his big-money move to the Saudi Pro League (SPL) ever since he arrived in the Middle East.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner claimed the SPL is one of the top five leagues in the world. He doubled down by saying it was better than Ligue 1 in France.
He was recently backed by decorated Algerian star Youssef Belaili, who previously plied his trade in the SPL. However, the statistics tell a different story.
Cash has Blinded SPL Players to Reality
Ronaldo’s view that the SPL is a genuine rival to the top leagues worldwide triggered plenty of amusement. Belaili took things a step further.
“The level of the Saudi league was already high when I played for Al-Ahli Jeddah, and the competition was tough because of the climate,” he said. “The Saudi league has improved even more after the arrival of many stars. Today, it is even superior to France’s Ligue 1, because the level there isn’t outstanding – it’s rather average.”
Belaili’s focus on the number of stars popping up in Saudi Arabia and the difficulty of playing in extreme weather has nothing do with the actual strength of a league, especially when the ‘many stars’ are failing to fill the stadiums.
Ronaldo’s move to the SPL sparked an influx of European stars into the Middle East. Neymar, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema are some of the players who followed the money across the desert.
Their presence in the Middle East has boosted its profile, particularly in the sports betting sector, which had previously paid little to attention to the SPL. The reputable sportsbooks featured on comparison site arabswin.com/en/ now offer wide ranging coverage of the SPL.
There has noticeable spike in betting activity among Arab punters and bettors in overseas markets, but that does not necessarily reflect the strength of a football league. The Chinese Super League is a great example that money does not always buy success or status.
The Statistics Ronaldo has Conveniently Ignored
The best leagues in the world have longevity on their side. Top-class players want to play in them and fans clamour to buy tickets. The clubs are a key part of their local communities.
The SPL has a smattering of star players, who were attracted to the Middle East by money. Their presence has not translated into attendances and the league has no real substance beyond the extravagant financial outlay made by its clubs.
The total SPL attendance last season was 2.5 million, which equates to just over 8,300 per match. The average in League One, the third tier in English football, was 10,222. When you compare the figures with Ligue 1, the disparity becomes even greater.
Ligue 1 recorded a total attendance of over 8.5 million with an average of nearly 28,000 fans per match last season. That accounts for more than triple the SPL’s average. Even mid-table clubs in Ligue 1 and some Ligue 2 sides regularly fill more than half of their stadium capacity with plenty of passionate fans.
The SPL does not even come close to Major League Soccer (MLS) in North America, especially since Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami. MLS racked up a total attendance of over 12.1 million during the regular season and play-offs last year.
That’s more than four out of the top five leagues could muster, including Ligue 1. MLS fixtures filled up more stadiums than Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga. It was second only to the Premier League, which tallied 14.6 million in total attendance and nearly doubled the tally of Mexico’s Liga MX, which racked up 6.9 million.
The MLS also produced two games that hosted over 70,000 fans, eight that exceeded 60,000, and an astonishing 31 fixtures that drew crowds of over 40,000. These are numbers that the SPL cannot dream of at the moment, not even with their star power.
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