The Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo did not only change Al Nassr’s results on the pitch, but also reshaped the club’s image on the global map. Since the arrival of the “Al-Alami” captain in Riyadh, Al Nassr’s shirt has transformed from a local symbol into a global product sweeping markets, driven by massive fan demand stretching from the Middle East to Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

In a season in which “Al-Alami” was crowned champion of the Saudi Roshan League, the figures confirmed the enormous marketing impact created by Cristiano Ronaldo. Al Nassr entered the list of the world’s top 10 best-selling football shirts, surpassing historic European clubs, in an unprecedented achievement for an Arab and Asian club.

Al Nassr managed to secure a place among the top 10 football clubs worldwide in shirt sales, after selling more than 1.2 million shirts globally during the current season, in which it won the Saudi Roshan League title, according to a study conducted by Euroméricas Sport Marketing.

Ronaldo’s impact on Al Nassr shirt sales

The study attributed the club’s rise to the influence of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, whose millions of followers on social media helped turn Al Nassr’s shirt into a global marketing icon that went beyond the Middle East, attracting thousands of fans and shirt collectors in the Americas, Asia, and Australia.

Ronaldo with the Saudi League Cup. (Al-Nassr account on X)

Real Madrid leads globally

Data released by Euroméricas Sport Marketing showed a clear dominance by Spanish club Real Madrid, which topped the global ranking with over 3.13 million shirts sold, boosted by the popularity of French star Kylian Mbappé and Brazilian player Vinícius Júnior.

Euroméricas Sport Marketing is a consulting and sports marketing research agency specializing in sports marketing and analysis. It is ranked among the top five companies in this field and is the first of its kind in Latin America.

Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain behind Real Madrid

Spanish club Barcelona ranked second with 2.94 million shirts sold, while French club Paris Saint Germain came in third after selling 2.54 million shirts, following its UEFA Champions League title win last season.

Vinicius and Mbappé. (Agencies)

Bayern Munich, Inter Miami, and Boca Juniors among the best-selling club shirts

German club Bayern Munich ranked fourth globally with 2.3 million shirts sold, followed by Inter Miami of the United States with 2.1 million, then Argentine club Boca Juniors with 1.9 million.

Manchester United of England came in seventh with 1.85 million shirts, followed by Flamengo of Brazil in eighth with 1.6 million, and Chelsea of England in ninth place with 1.4 million shirts sold.

Al Nassr is the only Arab and Asian club on the list of best-selling shirts

Al Nassr ranked tenth globally and fourth among non-European clubs, becoming the only Arab and Asian club included in this prestigious international ranking, surpassing several historic European teams.

Messi. (AFP)

Inter Miami, a marketing phenomenon led by Messi

The list also highlighted a similar marketing phenomenon to Al Nassr, through the remarkable rise of Inter Miami, which jumped to fifth place globally after selling 2.16 million shirts, driven by the presence of Argentine star Lionel Messi.

Absence of Italian clubs from the list of best-selling shirts

In contrast, historic Italian clubs were absent from the top ten list, which the report described as an indicator of a widening commercial and marketing gap between Serie A and emerging leagues, particularly the Saudi league, which is increasingly competing for major shares in the global sports industry.