Cristiano Ronaldo's first season in Saudi Arabia may have ended with a whimper, but with hundreds of millions in wages and unprecedented attention on Saudi soccer, he may not be the last megastar to grace the oil-rich kingdom.
The fireworks and euphoria that greeted Ronaldo's unveiling in January were in sharp contrast to the end of Al Nassr's season, when the Portuguese sat out a 3-0 win against Al Fateh on Wednesday.
Despite signing the five-time Ballon d'Or-winner to a 2½-year deal said to be worth $428 million, Al Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League without any silverware, although it qualified for the Asian Champions League as a consolation prize.