Top football stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema donned the Saudi traditional dress to celebrate the Kingdom’s 93rd National Day on September 23.
The special day, also known as Al-Yaom-ul-Watany, celebrates the unification of the Kingdom.
The Saudi Pro League is now a major player in the football world. Photos by Anadolu Agency and Karim Benzema (X).Source: Getty Images
Neymar and other Al-Hilal players donned the Saudi dress comprising a “thobe” (traditional robe), “shemagh” (headscarf), and “aqal” (headband) to perform the traditional dance known as Ardha.
It was an eventful day in Saudi Arabia, especially for players in the Saudi Pro League clubs who are celebrating the national day for the first time.
The Brazilian footballer was not the only SPL star to join in the festivities. Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema and Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammate Sadio Mane also wore the traditional attire.
Benzema posted a photo of himself in the complete attire, attracting 2.3 million likes on Instagram. Al-Nassr’s post of Ronaldo wearing the thobe garnered 1.7 million likes. Neymar’s post was liked 4.2 million times.
Rapid growth of Saudi pro league
Ever since Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr earlier this year, several players from Europe’s top clubs have flocked to the Middle Eastern Country, landing lucrative contracts.
Neymar, Benzema, Mane and Riyad Mahrez have raised the profile of the league, making it popular among football fans.
So far in the 2023/24 season, Benzema’s Al-Ittihad sit top of the SPL with 18 points after winning six of their first seven games. Neymar’s Al-Hilal are second with 17 points, while Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr are 5th with 15 points.
After seven games, Ronaldo leads the goalscoring charts with nine goals, Mane has six, while Benzema has three, per Transfermarkt.
