Dubai witnessed an exceptional night by all accounts, as Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr FC, once again stole the show by winning the Best Player in the Middle East award for 2025 at the prestigious Globe Soccer Awards ceremony. This accolade was not merely an addition to the player's already overflowing collection of awards, but rather a confirmation of the enduring phenomenon of a footballing powerhouse that defies time, as the "Madeira Rocket" continues to make history despite reaching the age of forty.
Widespread global resonance: The legend never ages
This achievement received extensive media coverage from major newspapers and sports websites worldwide, all of which agreed that Ronaldo still possesses the same hunger he had at the beginning. The Portuguese newspaper A Bola , which is close to Ronaldo, headlined its coverage by emphasizing that Ronaldo “is still hungry for more,” noting that the award is living proof of his continued desire to break records and highlighting his ambitious goal of reaching 1,000 career goals.
In the same vein, ESPN succinctly summarized the situation with the phrase: “Cristiano proves once again… he is the best,” implying that his on-field statistics speak for themselves. Meanwhile, Brazilian network TNT Sports on the player's winning mentality, asserting that he “never tires of winning,” and that his third consecutive Ballon d'Or win reflects a consistently high level of performance rarely seen in the world of football.
Historic numbers and the millennium dream
From a numerical perspective, the French newspaper Foot Mercato the award to Ronaldo's prolific season with Al-Nassr, where he reached 956 career goals, considering the award a natural reward for this effort. The French newspaper L'Équipe went even further, asserting that the 1000-goal mark is no longer a distant dream, but a realistic goal that Ronaldo himself openly declared on stage in Dubai.
Ronaldo's influence and the status of Saudi football
This individual accolade cannot be separated from the broader context of football's development in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. Since Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr, the Saudi league has become a global phenomenon, attracting a host of world-class players. Ronaldo's winning the 2025 Best Player in the Middle East award reflects the success of the Saudi sports project in creating a highly competitive environment that allows legends to continue shining.
The Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai is an annual platform showcasing the remarkable development of sports infrastructure and investment in the Gulf region, where clubs have become genuine competitors in terms of market value and fan base. Ronaldo embodies this ambitious project, his influence extending beyond the pitch to make him a global ambassador for football in the Middle East, proving that age is just a number when it comes to willpower and high professionalism.
