Can’t Even Ronaldo Save It? Attendance Numbers at Saudi Pro League Matches Show a Decline, with Lowest Match Drawing Only a Few Spectators

According to The Mirror, despite significant investments in attracting star players from the top five European leagues, the Saudi Professional League has experienced a decline in popularity this season, with Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, also not being immune to this trend.

Statistics show that only 390 spectators attended the match between Al-Fayha and Al-Shabab at Al-Fayha’s home ground last weekend, which ended in a 2-0 victory for the hosts. This number marks the lowest attendance figure recorded so far this season.

Chris Smalling, the former Manchester United and Roma defender, currently plays for Al-Fayha, but his presence has not helped improve the poor attendance figures. Even if neither of the teams involved had any notable players, it is still highly unusual for such low attendance numbers to be seen in a country’s top-flight football league.

According to Transfermarkt, there has been a noticeable drop in average attendance at home games for most teams in the Saudi league this season. Approximately three-quarters of the teams have an average attendance of fewer than 10,000 spectators per game. This includes Al-Nassr, where Cristiano Ronaldo plays; in one recorded match this season, only 8,951 fans were present, a significant decrease from last season’s average of 17,800. Al-Hilal, traditionally the dominant force in the Saudi league, has also seen its average attendance fall from 21,800 to 12,300.

Last season, the lowest attendance record for a single match in the Saudi league was 117 spectators. With just five rounds played in the new season, there is a possibility that this record could be broken again. So far, the arrival of star players from Europe’s top leagues has not significantly boosted the on-site enthusiasm for Saudi league matches.