Ronaldo: 'Saudi Pro League is better than MLS'
"Saudi Pro League is better than MLS," replied the 38-year-old striker when asked about the possibility of going to the US to play like Messi - his one-time rival in Europe.
The former Real and Man Utd player is also proud to be the one who started the trend to come to Saudi Pro League to play. "Now, every player comes here," he said.
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in January, after leaving Man Utd because of a disagreement. Following in his footsteps, a series of stars like Karim Benzema, Marcelo Brozovic, N'Golo Kante or Roberto Firmino also poured in this summer, in addition to the appearance of many famous coaches. These moves help the Saudi Pro League to be elevated.
However, Al Hilal club could not convince Messi to move to Saudi Arabia after his contract with PSG expired. The Argentine captain chose Inter Miami and made his debut yesterday.
Ronaldo has scored 145 goals for Man Utd, 450 goals for Real and 101 goals for Juventus. His collection includes 32 collective titles, including five Champions League, three Premier League, two La Liga and two Serie A. But from 2021, the 38-year-old striker no longer feels victorious. Last season, he scored 14 goals in 19 games. However, Al Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League, stopping in the semi-finals of the Saudi Super Cup and the semi-finals of the King Cup.
Ronaldo also confirmed that he will not return to Europe to play. According to him, the quality of tournaments in Europe has declined in recent years. "I am 100% sure that I will not play for any team in Europe anymore. I am 38 years old and European football is no longer the same quality as before. The only tournament that remains competitive and developed is the Premier League. They are ahead of all the other awards," he commented.
Yesterday, Ronaldo started for Al Nassr in a friendly match against Spanish club Celta Vigo in Portugal. He left the field at halftime, when the score was 0-0. This match, his team lost 0-5.
Al Nassr will play a second friendly match on July 20, against defending champion Portugal Benfica. Ronaldo said he could play more in that match, about 60 to 70 minutes, instead of 45 minutes like before Celta Vigo.
