“To Be Honest, I Think the Saudi League Is Not Worse Than the French League” Cristiano Ronaldo Lauds The SPL’s Growth
The Saudi Pro League has seen significant investment, allowing teams to sign high-profile players such as Neymar, Mahrez, Mane, and many more. With more and more players heading to Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo believes the talent available has made the league quite competitive.
Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, where he won the 2023’s Fans Favorite Player of the Year and Best Middle East Player, Ronaldo said, “To be honest, I think the Saudi league is not worse than the French league, in my opinion.” Since finishing runners-up in the 2011/12 season, Paris St. Germain has won Ligue 1 nine times. PSG finished runners-up twice in that same period, with Lille (2020/21) and Monaco (2016/17) ending at the top.
To Cristiano, such domination is an indication that Ligue 1 lacks competitiveness. He noted, “In the French league, I think you have two or three teams who are at a good level. In Saudi, I think it is more competitive.” Cristiano was quick to preface the comment as his opinion based on his time playing in the Saudi Pro League. In his time at Al Nassr, he’s scored 44 goals and made 50 appearances.
In his decorated career that saw him lift the Ballon d’Or trophy five times, Ronaldo has played in some of the top European Leagues, including the Primeira Liga (Porto), English Premier League (Manchester United), La Liga (Real Madrid) and Serie A (Juventus). While this may just be Cristiano’s opinion, his experience makes his opinion significant.
