Cristiano Ronaldo has suggested that the Saudi Pro League is superior to the Major League Soccer after Lionel Messi was unveiled by US club Inter Miami.
The Argentine was introduced during the unveiling ceremony on Sunday after it was announced earlier this summer that he would join the Florida-based squad on a £45 million-per-year deal.
Cristiano Ronaldo, his arch-rival, relocated to Saudi Arabia, joining Al-Nassr after leaving Manchester United last season in a £175 million-per-year agreement.
Many more players, including famous names like Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Roberto Firmino, and others, have since followed him to the Middle Eastern country.
To put an end to rumours that he was mulling a return to Europe, the Portuguese star recently stated that he would remain in Saudi Arabia next season.
Following Celta Vigo’s 5-0 pre-season friendly triumph on Monday, Ronaldo delivered a candid appraisal of his future, declaring he will not be transferred to the United States or back to Europe.
“The Saudi league is better than the MLS,” he said, according to Fabrizio Romano.
“I’m 100 per cent sure I won’t return to any European club. I opened the way to the Saudi league and now all the players are coming here.
“I won’t return to European football, the door is completely closed,’ he added.
“I’m 38 years old, also European football has lost a lot of quality. The only league that for me 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, 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.”
His team recently recruited Marcelo Brozovic before a ban was imposed at the beginning of July.
“In one year, more and more top players will come to Saudi,” the Portuguese superstar continued. “In a year the Saudi league will overtake the Turkish league and Dutch league.
“Players who arrived aren’t like what the president of the European Union said. Jota and Neves are young players.”