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Ronaldo's Saudi legacy left in tatters by Salah transfer snub
6 Aug 2026 19:55 BST |
4 min read
Opinion
Mohamed Salah’s decision to sign for Trabzonspor has been met with a mixed reaction.
The landmark deal has been greeted with jubilant scenes in Turkey, but back in England, where he became an icon with Liverpool, there has been criticism over the winger’s decision to move to the Super Lig. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher claimed that he is “better than that”.
A penny for the thoughts, then, of Cristiano Ronaldo, whose own legacy has been shaped by the Egypt international’s decision to snub that Saudi Pro League and instead join a club not even in the top 150 of the UEFA Ranking at the time of Salah’s signing.
Current ETV
Mohamed Salah
F, M (R)
Trabzonspor
Mohamed Salah
F, M (R)
Trabzonspor
ETV Range
€28.4M - €34.8M
A World Cup to forget
Ronaldo, remember, is chasing the 1000-goal mark in his career. For the Manchester United and Real Madrid legend, it’s become an obsession.
Faced with criticism over the standard of his opposition, the Portuguese has steadfastly defended the level of the league. It’s better than Ligue 1, he claimed, as Lionel Messi struggled to make the expected impact at PSG.
Snide remarks aimed towards his long-time rival have notably been diminished following Messi’s starring role as Argentina came within 90 minutes of winning a second successive World Cup in the USA.
It was a competition that dissolved into something of a nightmare for Ronaldo, who at the spearhead of a highly talented Portugal team was only able to bag a couple of goals against Uzbekistan and a penalty versus Croatia. Roberto Martinez faced widespread criticism for his faith in Ronaldo after his side crashed out 1-0 to Spain in the last 16, leaving the veteran’s international future hanging in the balance.
Salah leaves Saudi Pro League project in the dust – and Ronaldo’s reputation with it
Ronaldo’s last hope of regaining credibility in these final years of his career came through the continued rise of the Saudi Pro League.
Earlier this year, flying in the face of Saudi’s decision to pull funding for the LIV Golf tour, there were reports of huge summer investment in the division.
This has not materialised, with Salah the poster boy of the end of the SPL era.
He was, after all, the player they wanted the most. The Arab star to draw eyes from across the region to the developing league. He was to be treated as more of a star than Ronaldo, with the promise of a lavish contract.
Instead, Salah finds himself poised to potentially make his Trabzonspor debut in the Europa League qualifier against either Ferencvaros or Gornik Zabrze.
The Saudi Pro League has been snubbed not for a rousing climax at one of Europe’s superpowers or even a prominent project in a Big 5 league. The offer has been brushed aside for a relatively modest – albeit well-paying – challenge at a club that is not even one of Turkey’s traditional big three.
Salah was supposed to be the Pro League’s crown jewel. Instead, he was the player who ended the credibility of the project. And in doing so, he leaves Ronaldo’s reputation in the dust.
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