Dubai: Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr has seen a massive spike on its social media channels since Cristiano Ronaldo joined them earlier this month.
The 37-year-old Portuguese superstar had his Manchester United contract terminated after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan where he questioned the clubs management and owners.
SR 2 Million to watch Ronaldo debut against Messi and PSG
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner played at the FIFA World Cup as a free agent and but could not help his country win the title.
But, his performances did not go unnoticed by Al Nassr who wasted no time in bringing the icon to the Middle East.
He signed a two and half year deal with the Rudi Garcia coached club worth $207 million a year and the club has benefited immensely with its followers on Instagram skyrocketing.
10 million followers
Ronaldo’s followers’ curiosity has allowed the club to grab over 10 million followers since announcing his transfer, taking the total count to 11 million.
That’s a 1,072% increase in followers since the news of Ronaldo’s transfer broke.
The Saudi Arabian club, who have won 9 Professional League titles, can now boast of having more followers on Instagram than every English Premier League club outside the traditional ‘Big Six’ which includes Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.
This makes Al Nassr one of the most popular clubs among football fans and an attractive prospect for sponsors looking to connect with a large, engaged soccer fan base.
Ronaldo, who also played for Real Madrid and Juventus, became the first to reach 500 million followers on Instagram in December last year.
