Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has once again stirred the global football conversation, making a bold claim that finding the back of the net is a more straightforward task in Spain's prestigious La Liga compared to the emerging Saudi Pro League where he currently plies his trade.
Ronaldo's Fiery Defence of the Saudi League
In a no-holds-barred interview with broadcaster Piers Morgan on his YouTube show 'Piers Morgan Uncensored,' the Al Nassr forward didn't mince his words. He launched a staunch defence of the Saudi league's competitive standard while simultaneously taking a swipe at his detractors. Ronaldo emphatically stated that the Saudi Pro League is "much, much better" than both the Portuguese and French leagues, with the exception of Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1.
"They can say whatever they want but the numbers don't lie," Ronaldo declared, referencing his own incredible scoring record. He challenged critics who have never experienced the league's unique conditions, particularly the extreme heat. "They have never been here, they never played here, they don't know what it means to run in 40 degrees," he added, highlighting a significant physical challenge that players face in the Middle East.
History Repeats: A Pattern of Provocative Claims
This is not the first time the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has made headlines with his views on the Saudi league's quality. Last year, at the Globe Soccer Awards, Ronaldo had asserted that the Saudi Pro League was "better than Ligue 1." His reasoning then was similar, pointing out the dominance of PSG in France compared to a more competitive landscape in Saudi Arabia.
"In France, they only have PSG, everyone else is finished. Nobody can beat them because they have the most money and the best players," Ronaldo had argued at the time. His latest comments reinforce this long-held position and add a new, more personal layer, drawing from his own scoring experiences across different European leagues.
The Goal-Scoring Verdict and a Call for Recognition
The crux of Ronaldo's latest argument rests on the difficulty of scoring. "For me, it's more easy to score in Spain than in Saudi," he stated, a significant admission from a player who terrorised defences for nine years with Real Madrid. He expressed frustration that goals scored in the Saudi league are not considered for prestigious awards like the European Golden Boot, despite the influx of top international talent.
"They should count the goals, top score for the golden ball. They don't count the Saudi league. Why? Look at how many top players we have in the league," Ronaldo questioned. He urged journalists and fans to seek opinions from other players in the SPL rather than consistently questioning him, framing himself as the easiest target for criticism.
This ongoing narrative from one of football's greatest-ever players continues to fuel debates about the shifting balance of power and quality in world football, putting the Saudi Pro League firmly in the international spotlight.
