Hours Before Facing Slovakia, Cristiano Ronaldo Shockingly Ditches His Own Nation, as He Predicts Saudi Pro League’s Rise

In January, Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia in a deal that reportedly made him one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. This move has been criticized by some, who argue that Ronaldo is abandoning his competitive spirit and chasing money by playing in the Saudi league. Ronaldo defended the Saudi Pro League, pointing to the number of high-profile players who have joined the league in recent months as evidence that he was not making a mistake by moving there himself.

However, CR7 made some serious claims regarding the competitiveness of the Saudi Pro League and compared it with his own nation’s leagues.

Cristiano Ronaldo defends Saudi Arabia once again

The Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has made a shock statement ahead of Portugal’s match against Slovakia. The 37-year-old, who plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr, said that the Saudi Pro League is better than the Primeira Liga in his homeland. Ronaldo declared that the Arab League has more quality players and that he is proud to be a pioneer in helping to change the country’s football culture.

As shared by @bt3 in a tweet that went viral, Ronaldo was speaking ahead of Portugal’s qualifier match with Slovakia for the EURO Cup and said that the Saudi league will overperform the Portuguese League, as the number of senior players in Saudi is much more.

The 5x-Ballon d’Or winner said, “I believe that the Arab League is better than the Portuguese one. It’s not just the controversy, there’s not so much fuss, and the quality of the names is much better. I hope it can get better, I know it will be difficult. Possibly impossible. It turns out to be a circus what has been happening lately.”

Ronaldo also argued that all leagues and countries face some kind of criticism and controversies, and it’s normal to happen. The Saudi top flight has made a major splash in the world of football in recent years, signing some of the biggest names in the game.

READ MORE: 72 Hours After Running Out of Time, 2 Players Ditch Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr as Key Positions Remain Vacant

After Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr, the league has also attracted Karim Benzema, Neymar, N’Golo Kante, Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Neves, Jordan Henderson, and Roberto Firmino. This influx of talent has helped to raise the profile of the Saudi top flight and make it a more attractive destination for players.

Ronaldo is proud to be a pioneer in Saudi Pro League

The Al Nassr talisman has said that he is proud to be a pioneer in helping to change the country’s football culture. He believes that the Saudi Pro League has a lot of potential and that it can become one of the top leagues in the world.

He said, “As an Al-Nassr player, I knew this was going to happen, It’s a privilege to change a country’s culture and football, to have great stars, it makes me proud. I was the pioneer and I feel proud of it.”

Ronaldo’s comments are a vote of confidence in the Saudi Pro League and its future. They also show that he is committed to helping the league reach its full potential.

It will be interesting to see how Ronaldo’s comments impact the Saudi Pro League in the coming years. If the league can continue to attract top players and invest in infrastructure, there is no reason why it cannot become one of the top leagues in the world.

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Cristiano Ronaldo will be seen next in action when Portugal faces Slovakia away from home for the EURO Qualifiers on Friday, September 8th.