How Saudi Pro League Stars Are Preparing for the 2024 Euros

When Al-Hilal took over the football world by purchasing multiple stars – and was not the only side to do so – everything was centred around Saudi Arabia. By now, the hype has faded, and many stars seem to be forgotten. However, more than a few will resurface in the media landscape during the Euros.

With less than a month until the start of the Euros – the most important tournament of the summer – most of the domestic leagues in Europe are coming to an end. There are no Saudi clubs left in international competitions, whether in Asian competitions or the Club World Cup. The only hope for the Saudi League to get some positive coverage from the West is if its stars perform at the Euros.

Serbia is one of the countries that is expected to count on two players from the Saudi Pro League: Aleksandar Mitrović and Sergej Milinković-Savić, both playing for Al-Hilal. The two Serbs have had a splendid season but now need to prove they can still compete at the highest level in Europe. Serbia faces a difficult group, consisting of England, Denmark and Slovenian.

Besides the Serbs, another star under intense media scrutiny will be Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. This tournament will present his last chance to win a major trophy with his national team. The previous opportunity came in 2016 when Portugal won the Euros – can they do it again? Despite being 39 and having a disappointing season in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo is more than likely to start during the tournament. However, there are many other options in the squad and if Ronaldo wants to stay relevant, he will need to fight for his place. Most of the media in the West has forgotten about him since his move to Saudi Arabia. Portugal is deemed a favourite in their group, paired with Georgia, Czechia and Turkey.