JEDDAH: As usual, Cristiano Ronaldo led the way, with the likes of Neymar, Steven Gerrard and Robbie Fowler not far behind.

Amid the celebrations of Saudi National Day on Sept. 23, a number of foreign players and coaches from the Saudi Professional League celebrated the occasion by donning the Kingdom’s traditional thobe in videos and photos that quickly went viral on social media.

Ronaldo and teammate Sadio Mane appeared in a video posted on Al-Nassr’s official account on X and similarly, former England captain and Ettifaq coach Gerrard showcased the Saudi look in a clip posted by his club.

But it’s not the first time that foreign players have shown their support in this way.

Ronaldo first wore the traditional attire during the celebration of the Saudi Founding Day on Feb. 22, posing in a navy blue and gold daqlah, which is designed to be worn over a thobe.

Al-Ittihad’s French striker Karim Benzema also appeared in the national dress at the official draw of FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023 held recently in Jeddah, when he called the Saudi thobe “an elegant attire.”

In recent weeks, international players who joined the SPL during an unprecedented summer transfer window seem to have increasingly embraced their new lifestyle and local culture, providing their fans all over the world with photos while wearing the Saudi traditional dress: a long-sleeve shirt and ankle-length robe worn along with a headscarf, known as the shemagh, that has a ring around it, called aqal.

Online platforms have been flooded with images of Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Allan Saint-Maximin, Igor Coronado, Romarinho, Marcelo Grohe, Roger Ibanez, former Al-Hilal striker Bafetimbi Gomis, former Saudi national team coach Herve Renard and Al-Ittihad’s Portuguese coach Nuno Santo sporting the look.

Al-Nassr fan Suliman Al-Otaibi said: “Seeing Ronaldo walking on our streets in our attire sends a positive message to his vast follower base, which runs in the hundreds of millions. Who knows, the Saudi dress might even become a trend in Europe.”

Amer Helabi echoed those sentiments, saying: “Respect to all those players for respecting the culture of the country.”

Another fan said: “The thobe suits them. I hope they wear it occasionally.”

Another poster on X said the scores of international players wearing the Saudi national dress did not bother him in the least, and that in fact, he found the trend “endearing.”

Homoud Al-Bugami posted: “National Day is a good opportunity for those big names in football to learn about the history of Saudi Arabia and the motifs they see around them.”

Saudi football player Hussain Al-Qahtani praised Ronaldo, Benzema and other players for indulging in Saudi cultural activities, promoting their tradition and rich historical origin.

“It is so great to see such famous players wearing our traditional thobe,” he said.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr. Jamal Al-Tarqi told Arab News that foreign players in the SPL wearing the Saudi uniform is a sign of dedication to the work they do as professional players, stressing that they are showing their adaptation to the culture of the Kingdom.

“When such big names in football wear the Saudi traditional thobe, they are indeed getting accustomed to the Saudi culture and they are showing love and loyalty to this country,” he said.

JEDDAH: LIV Golf makes its highly anticipated return to Royal Greens Golf & Country Club for LIV Golf Jeddah, presented by ROSHN, October 13-15, when the league’s 2023 regular season will reach its epic conclusion and set the stage for the Team Championship — and the future for many LIV golfers.

The event marks the thirteenth tournament of the league’s first full season. Superstar names among the list of 13 major winners who will compete in King Addullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia include 2023 PGA Championship winner and 2023 US Ryder Cup Team selection Brooks Koepka, 2022 Open Champion Cameron Smith, World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson, 2020 US Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau, and two-time major winners Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Martin Kaymer.

There will be much to play for among those atop the individual standings — a star-studded list competing for the season-ending individual title. Those further down the standings face a battle to secure their future, with those players ranked 45 and below in the standings’ “Drop Zone” at season’s end facing relegation and the reality of losing their LIV Golf status for next year.

Following an exciting final round at LIV Golf Chicago — the 12th event of the season — Smith currently leads the individual standings with 170 points after victories in London and Bedminster. In-form American Talor Gooch, a three-time individual champion this season, is in hot pursuit of the Australian with 162 points. Last week’s LIV Golf Chicago champion and ‘Mr. 58,’ Bryson DeChambeau, occupies the third place in the standings with 146 points. Other players in contention of a top three finishing spot include 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Jeddah winner Koepka and 4Aces GC captain Johnson, among others.

As the final opportunity to secure points in the individual standings, the pressure to play well in Jeddah intensifies. Those who finish in the top 24 in the overall standings will lock-in their position in the LIV Golf League for the next season. Players finishing in the “Open Zone” (positions 25-44), however, may face trade or release by their respective teams. Meanwhile, those finishing in positions 45 and below sitting in the “Drop Zone” will be relegated and will automatically qualify for the League’s promotional tournament, where they will have the opportunity to earn their spot back for the 2024 season.

Aside from the individual standings race, each player in the 48-man field has good reason to make their scores count, as the final team standings following LIV Golf Jeddah will determine seeds 1-12 for the LIV Golf Team Championship in Miami the following week, with the top four teams receiving first-round byes. Through 12 events, 4Aces GC — featuring Johnson, Reed, Peter Uihlein, and Pat Perez — sits atop the team standings with 188 points after team victories in Adelaide and London.

DeChambeau’s Crushers GC (178 points), which includes Paul Casey, Charles Howell III, and Anirban Lahiri, made significant gains thanks to their victory last week in Chicago, giving them a seven-point lead in second place over Torque GC. Torque GC features Chilean stars Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira, Colombian Sebastian Muñoz, and Spanish rookie David Puig, who closely trail Crushers GC with 171 total points following wins in Orlando, DC, Andalucía, and Greenbrier.

The all-South African Stinger GC, featuring major champions Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, and Dean Burmester, currently sits in fourth place with 157 points. RangeGoats GC (155 points) occupies fifth place, thanks to five top-three finishes this season, driven by standout performances by Gooch, Harold Varner III, Thomas Pieters, and captain Watson.