'Eyes of the world' are on Saudi Arabia, says Fabio Martins

The Saudi Pro League's huge spending provided additional motivation for players plying their trade in the Gulf state, says Fabio Martins.

Four Saudi clubs – Al Ittihad, Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Ahli – made huge progress during the transfer window.

Karim Benzema, Neymar, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, Marcelo Brozovic, Riyad Mahrez, Franck Kessie and Ruben Neves were among the big names who joined Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit, Martins, a Portuguese winger who first played in Saudi Arabia in 2020 and now plays for Al Khaleej, believes the eyes of the world are now on the Saudi Pro League , and that's just an extra. motivation for players who can compete against superstar names.

“It's impossible not to be excited to play against Cristiano, Neymar, Benzema, Firmino, Mane, a lot of stars who have arrived, and they came with a lot of talent, a lot of quality, but they bring visibility to the world," Martins told Stats Perform.

"Because I think I'm not afraid to say that the league is in the top three or four in terms of visibility, because everyone is talking about it.

“Now everyone is excited to see what will happen here in Saudi Arabia. So all the players here are equally enthusiastic, motivated to do things well because we all know that the eyes of the world are there right now. »

Asked specifically about the impact Ronaldo has had since joining Al Nassr last season, Martins replied: "Oh, of course, a huge impact. He brings quality. He brings visibility because for Cristiano to arrive in a country like Saudi Arabia, it brings visibility, and whether we like it or not, professionalism grows with Cristiano and now with the arrival of other great players.

“I think it’s good for everyone here. I think it's good for Saudi football. And I believe that the league and the country certainly have the potential to grow step by step.

"Last year, when Cristiano arrived, I was very happy because I never thought I could play against Cristiano, talk with Cristiano. I was lucky because he gave me his shirt.

“We were there talking for about five or ten minutes about the country, about things here in Saudi Arabia. So we are lucky that the people who are here have the chance to play against such great players, because from Portugal we now have here Ruben Neves, Otavio, Jota for example.

"So it's very special to play against these kind of players and of course we are motivated to do things."