Home Sport Cristiano Ronaldo insists the ‘Saudi league is better than MLS’ after Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami as he takes credit for influx of players and says ‘European football has lost all of its quality’ – except the Premier League

Cristiano Ronaldo insists the ‘Saudi league is better than MLS’ after Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami as he takes credit for influx of players and says ‘European football has lost all of its quality’ – except the Premier League

Sport — 05/17/2024

Cristiano Ronaldo has declared that the ‘Saudi Pro League is better than the MLS’, only one day after Inter Miami unveiled Lionel Messi.

The Argentine was given with his new club shirt during the unveiling ceremony on Sunday, after it was reported earlier this summer that he would join the Florida-based team on a £45 million per year contract.

The former Manchester Untied forward also claimed that 'European football had lost a lot of quality'
Ronaldo, meanwhile, was one of the first big stars to come to Saudi Arabia, joining Al-Nassr after leaving Manchester United last season in a record £175 million-per-year contract.

Many other players have followed him to the Middle Eastern country, like Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and even Steven Gerrard.

Lionel Messi (front-left) was unveiled by Inter Miami in a ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday night, with co-owner David Beckham (right) seen on stage alongside him
While Ronaldo just declared that he will stay in Saudi Arabia next season, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has also been linked with a return to Europe and his previous club Real Madrid.
However, following a 5-0 pre-season friendly defeat by Celta Vigo on Monday, Ronaldo has provided a candid assessment of his future, declaring that he will neither be transferring to the United States or back to Europe, while also taking credit for the wave of players headed to the Middle East.

According to Fabrizio Romano, “the Saudi league is better than the MLS.”

‘I am quite certain that I will not return to any European club. I paved the path for the Saudi league, and now all the players are flocking here.

‘I won’t return to European football; the door is entirely closed,’ he said.

Messi (middle) left Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer and will now join up with the MLS on a deal that will keep him at the club until 2025
‘I am 38 years old, and European football has lost a lot of quality. The Premier League, in my opinion, is the only league with a high level of quality.

‘The Spanish league is not very high in quality. The Portuguese league is good, but it is not the best league. I believe the German league has also suffered significant losses. I’m confident I won’t play in Europe again. I want to play in Saudi Arabia.

Karim Benzema (pictured) is one of several big names to follow Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League this
His squad, Al-Nassr, barely lost the Saudi Pro League title to league rivals Al-Ittihad last season, but FIFA prohibited them from registering new players last week because they failed to pay £390,000 in add-ons for former Leicester midfielder Ahmed Musa.

Despite this, the club bought Marcelo Brozovic before the ban was applied in early July, and they have also been connected with a bid for Hakim Ziyech.

‘In one year, more and more great players will come to Saudi Arabia,’ the Portuguese superstar said. ‘In a year, the Saudi league will surpass the Turkish and Dutch leagues.