It is pushing it to say someone who earns a weekly wage of $4 million repaid the investment all in one moment. But Cristiano Ronaldo gave it a good go on a venomous night in Riyadh on Wednesday.
While everyone else was losing their heads, the 41-year-old superstar who was brought in nearly three and a half years ago to give the league some global recognition ultimately showed his class.
Quite how the sport’s most recognisable figure – and one of history’s best headers of a football – could slip by unnoticed in a packed penalty area is anyone’s guess.
But Ronaldo stealthily emerged from behind the shadow of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, ghosted to the near post, rose to meet Joao Felix’s corner, and flicked it with delicious dexterity inside the far post.
It was his 970th career goal, and 99th since he landed in this competition. And the one which might have decided the Saudi Pro League title in his side’s favour.
When Kingsley Coman subsequently completed the 2-0 win for Al Nassr against Al Ahli Saudi, it meant they had re-established their eight-point buffer at the top of the table.
When it comes to football’s major trophies, this is someone who has been there, won that. Five times over, he would like to have you know.
Only Ronaldo hasn’t won quite everything just yet. Who would have thought someone who decamped to the Middle East at the end of 2022 for world sport’s biggest payday would still be clawing with everything he has to win a title in the Saudi Arabian league?
This latest step on the road to that goal was one coloured by malice. The two teams dislike each other, evidenced by the fact Nassr opted out of forming a guard of honour for Ahli, after they had retained their AFC Champions League Elite title at the weekend.
By the end, Merih Demiral, the Ahli centre-back who heavily treads the line between ferocious and pantomime, was wanting to fight everyone, and bemoaning the favouritism for Nassr by match officials.
Demiral even brought a prop – his Champions League winners medal – especially to goad the Nassr fans. His teammate, Ivan Toney, was offering people outside, too.
Nassr played their part. After Coman scored the clincher in the 90th minute, Ronaldo picked up a pair of sunglasses from the floor and handed them to the French winger to wear.
The significance of the sunglasses relates to Ahli’s demotion to the second tier of Saudi Arabian football not so long ago. Matches in that division are played in the daytime, hence the need for sunglasses.
While the rumpus scarcely dissipated around him, Ronaldo – with barely a hair out of place – settled in for his post-match flash interview.
“I think this is not good for the league,” Ronaldo said of the anger between the sides, while informing Ahli fans he has won five Champions League titles compared to their recent haul of two.
“Everyone complained. Everyone did more than they should do. This is football. This is not a war. We know we have to fight and everyone wants to win. But not everything is allowed.
“I am going to have time to speak at the end of the season, because I see many, many, many bad things. Many players complain, doing posts on Instagram and Facebook, speaking about the referees and speaking about the league.
“I think this is not good. This is not the goal of the league. Not only for here, but for Europe, we want to compete with them to be one of the best leagues in the world.
“We should analyse, stop that, and speak with the SPL because for me this is not football.”
With all due respect to the great man, this take is wide of the mark.
He must have a short memory. Two years ago, he was banned for a game for making an obscene gesture at rival fans, as his frustration at the combination of constant Lionel Messi chants following him everywhere and still being trophyless in Riyadh overcame him.
Even further back, he must recall that this is, in fact, precisely how the top leagues do it.
Because accusations of refereeing conspiracies and on-pitch melees never happen in La Liga? Clasicos between Real Madrid and Barcelona always start and end with politeness and civility?
And Manchester City and Manchester United are friendly neighbours who share tea and hot-cross buns over the fence?
Spite, injustice and hate are the stuff that drives football. It needs it. Otherwise, it might just be seen as a bunch of celebrities heading to a new league to pick up their pensions. It has to mean more.
Rivalries and tribalism long predate Ronaldo’s arrival in the Saudi Arabian league, and the ensuing gold rush of star players.
It is 11 years now since a young and impetuous Salem Al Dawsari was fined a month’s wages and banned for six matches for losing the plot and trying to headbutt a referee.
He was playing for Al Hilal – a team he has represented with distinction in the time since – against the pre-Ronaldo Nassr.
The Riyadh derby was a fixture so volatile – even back then – that it was deemed necessary to import a referee from Scotland to oversee it.
The 2026 edition of that fixture will take place on May 12. It could be the day Nassr clinch the title, and four before Ronaldo might make it a trophy double by winning the AFC Champions League Two. Safe to say, it is unlikely to be an overly cordial fixture.
The landscape of Saudi Arabian football has totally changed in the time since Al Dawsari’s meltdown. Back then, there were only four foreign players permitted by each club. And we were not talking Ronaldo levels here.
Perhaps the biggest name import at the time was Al Dawsari’s teammate at Hilal, Georgios Samaras, the Greek striker who otherwise played a bit at Manchester City and Celtic.
On Wednesday night, both sides started with eight overseas players in their starting XI. The names involved were the likes of Ronaldo, Coman, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez and Franck Kessie.
The fact the tribalism has survived the league’s facelift is a very good thing. It still means something, even if the players involved have previously scored winning goals in Spanish clasicos, won the English Premier League, or the Uefa Champions League. Yes, Cristiano, five times – well done.
The 'Battle of Awwal Park' might have been the moment when the SPL really did make its mark beyond its borders.
Because there will come a time, in the not-too-distant future, when Ronaldo will no longer be there.
Maybe Mohamed Salah will come to replace him, but even then the global pull of the league will no longer quite match up. How could it, with the absence of Ronaldo?
But maybe by then it will have picked up some residual fans who stick with it because of nights like this. People who looked in on Ronaldo once or twice, and decided this is, in fact, good fun, and picked a Saudi Arabian team on the back of it.
And they know that when they tune in next time, the game will mean something. Which is what it is all about.
