Cristiano Ronaldo: Saudi football will soon overtake Dutch, Turkish and American leagues

Cristiano Ronaldo thinks the Sauidi Pro League “is better” than Major League Soccer in the United States and will soon overtake the Dutch- and Turkish leagues. The Al Nassr striker said that to the press, including ESPN, after playing the first half of his team’s preseason loss to Celta Vigo in Portugal, his native country.

“The Saudi league is better than MLS,” Ronaldo said when the press asked him if he would ever move to the United States like Lionel Messi, who announced his move to Inter Miami CF on Sunday.

“I opened the way to the Saudi League, and now all the players are coming here,” Ronaldo said. “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.”

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in January after leaving his second stint at Manchester United. This summer, several high-profile players have signed deals to play in the Saudi Pro League, including Karim Benzema, Marcelo Brozovic, N’Golo Kante, and Roberto Firmino.

Ronaldo also says that he has no intention of returning to European football. “Returning to Europe, for me, is a closed possibility. I’m already 38-and-a-half years old, and… it’s not worth it,” he said, according to Eurosport. “Europe has lost a lot of quality. The only one that is one of the best is the Premier League. The Spanish league lost its level, the Portuguese one is not ‘top,’ the German one has lost a lot of quality.”