Considering the Quality of the Opposition, How Much Weight do Cristiano Ronaldo’s 53 Goals Carry?
We are in the last week of 2023, and Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t help but rise to the top and become the subject of conversation. His brace means he’s scored 53 goals in the 2023 calendar year, with 17 of those goals being scored in the current domestic campaign.
Keeping him company at the top are Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, Bundesliga) and Kylian Mbappe (PSG, Ligue 1), who are tied at 52 goals apiece. The questions around Cristiano’s goals relate to the quality of the opposition.
The Saudi Pro League is relatively infant, with most teams lacking the basic structures such as talent development pipelines. That leaves it to the teams with the financial muscle to sign top players to dominate the league.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund, having invested in the four founding teams, has created a gap between them and the remaining 14 teams in the league. All the four teams with PIF investment are in the top six.
On their part, Mbappe and Kane are competing in relatively mature leagues where there is some semblance of equity between the teams. Teams who lack the financial muscle to sign players in their prime have academies and scouting networks that allow them access to the world’s top young talent.
With the Saudi Pro League being a long way from maturing into a competitive league, records such as Ronaldo’s goals are bound to be considered with some caveats. However, with investments in talent development all around Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, we’re bound to see less financially able teams start being competitive using locally developed talent.
