Since joining the Saudi Pro League in 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo has been the league’s most vocal cheerleader. The Portuguese star never misses an opportunity to promote the SPL’s growing reputation. In June, Ronaldo stirred the pot by claiming that the Saudi league was “better than MLS,” throwing shade at the league his longtime rival Lionel Messi now calls home. This time, though, the mercurial Portuguese set his sights on a different target—Ligue 1, one of Europe’s elite leagues—and made some eyebrow-raising comments.

On Friday, during the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, Ronaldo was honored as the Best Middle East Player for his performances at Al-Nassr. The 39-year-old forward has been in scintillating form this season, boasting 16 goals and three assists in just 19 games across all competitions. However, it wasn’t just his numbers that got people talking.

“The Saudi League is better than Ligue 1, of course,” CR7 boldly declared during the awards ceremony. “France only has Paris Saint-Germain. The rest are finished.”

He didn’t stop there, doubling down with even more cutting remarks: “The French league? Easy… I don’t care what people are thinking. But they should go there (Saudi Arabia) to play and see and run in a 38 or 39 or 40 degrees Celsius and sprint a few times to see.”

But the stats say otherwise. According to the Opta Power Rankings, Ligue 1 sits comfortably as the fifth-best league globally, while the Saudi Pro League lags far behind in 33rd place. To put it into perspective, Saudi clubs average a power rating of 73.6, ranking alongside Colombia’s Primera A and the Greek Super League. MLS, another league Ronaldo dismissed earlier this year, is notably stronger, holding the ninth spot globally.

Sure, CR7’s efforts to boost the SPL’s image are understandable—he’s playing the hype man. But these over-the-top claims are drawing a mixed bag of reactions.

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to hype RSL despite criticism

Cristiano Ronaldo again took shots at Ligue 1 during the Globe Soccer Awards in January. When asked about its global standing, he boldly remarked, “The level right now? To be honest, I think the Saudi league is not worse than France’s league, in my opinion.” Ronaldo also insisted that Saudi football is more competitive, saying, “This is just my opinion, and I have played there for one year, so I know what I’m talking about.”

Not stopping there, CR7 praised Saudi Arabia as a footballing destination. “I am not arrogant, but the future is changing, and the whole world is changing,” he said. “Saudi Arabia is a wonderful country and truly deserves it.” Ronaldo even predicted a meteoric rise for the SPL, saying, “I believe they are going to be in the top three or four [leagues] in the world, and, step by step, we are going to reach that.”

However, not everyone agrees with Ronaldo’s rosy outlook. His Al-Nassr teammate Aymeric Laporte expressed his frustrations with Saudi contract negotiations. “They haven’t made it too easy for us,” Laporte admitted. “In fact, there are many players who are unhappy… You negotiate something and then they don’t accept it after you have signed it.”

Adding to the criticism, former Liverpool player Stan Collymore labeled the SPL “irrelevant.” He argued that historic leagues like England, Spain, and Italy command legacy and tradition that Saudi Arabia can’t match. “I’m 50 and I can’t ever see in my lifetime that the Saudi Pro League will be thought of as a top five global league,” he said bluntly. But it seems CR7 is not going to stop hyping his new kingdom. What do you think of Ronaldo’s remarks? Do you think it holds weight? Let us know in the comments section below.