Al-Nassr captain Cristano Ronaldo has made a bold claim that the Saudi Arabian Pro League is better that the Major League Soccer, days after longtime rival Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami.
Ronaldo, 38, made a surprise move to Al Nassr in December 2022, a move which has since seen the likes of Karim Benzema, N’golo Kante, and Edouard Mendy, among others, flock into the Saudi Pro League.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star previously stated that the Saudi Pro League would attract world-class players and will be among the best leagues in the world.
“The Saudi league is better than the MLS,” Ronaldo said after a 5-0 defeat to Celta Vigo in a pre-season match on Monday.
“I am 100% sure I won’t return to any European club. They criticised me for coming to Saudi league, but what happened now? I opened the way to the Saudi league and now all the players are coming here.
“In one year, more and more top players will come to Saudi. In a year, the Saudi league will overtake the Turkish league and Dutch league.”
When asked about his possible return to Europe, he emphasized that the door is closed, saying he is only focused on helping improve the Saudi Arabian league.
“I won’t return to European football, the door is completely closed,” he said.
“I am 38 years old. Also, European football has lost a lot of quality. For me, the only league that has a lot of quality and is at a higher level than all the others is the Premier League.
“The Spanish league does not have that great quality. The Portuguese league is a good league, but it is not a top league. The German league, I think, has also lost a lot. I’m sure I won’t play in Europe again. I want to play in Saudi Arabia.”
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