Ainas (Riyadh Victory) striker Cristiano Ronaldo (Cristiano Ronaldo) said the Saudi Pro League is better than Major League Soccer and that he has no plans to play in the United States or return to European teams.
Ronaldo said in an interview with media after Ainas' 5-0 defeat to La Liga side Celta in the pre-season warm-up game. "The Saudi league is better than Major League Soccer," the Portuguese star said when asked if he would move to the United States like his former La Liga rival Lionel Messi, who made his appearance as a player for Internacional Miami FC on Sunday.
Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted at the end of the first half of the warm-up game, when the score was still 0-0, and Ronaldo added: "I want to open a new path for the Saudi league, now all the players are here."
This summer, many high-profile players did follow Ronaldo's lead and pan for gold in the Saudi League, with Karim Benzema, Marcelo Brozovic, Ngoro Kante and Roberto Firmino all signing up to play in the Saudi Pro League. Former Inter Milan player Brozovic played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo on Monday after joining Ainas on July 3. Ronaldo also added: "In a year's time, more and more top players will come to the Saudi league. In a year, the Saudi league will overtake the Turkish league and the Dutch league".
The 38-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo left after his second spell at Manchester United amid heated rhetoric before joining Ainas in January's winter transfer window, his first full season at Ainas. The top scorer in Real Madrid's history, Cristiano Ronaldo, also said his days playing in Europe were over, where he believes the level of play has declined in recent years.
Ronaldo continued: "I'm 100 per cent sure I won't go back to any European club, I'm 38 years old. European football has lost a lot of quality. The only thing that works and still performs well is the Premier League. The Premier League is far ahead of all other leagues".
The match was also former Valencia and Liverpool manager Benitez's first in charge of Celta, who was hired by the La Liga side in June after finishing 13th in La Liga last season.
Ainas will play their second friendly match on Thursday in Portugal, against Benfica in the Portuguese Premier League. "My plan is to play 45 minutes today," Ronaldo continued. "Against Benfica, I could play 60 or 70 minutes. It's best to adjust your state little by little to get to your best".
