Riyadh Victory lost 5-0 to La Liga side Celtawigo in Portugal on Monday night, a day after Cristiano Ronaldo was asked about Lionel Messi's move to Major League Soccer. Cristiano Ronaldo quickly dismissed the idea and even ruled out a return to Europe.
"The Saudi league is better than Major League Soccer," Cristiano Ronaldo said.
"I opened the door to the Saudi league and now all the players are here," he added.
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly signed a nine-figure contract to join the Saudi Arabian club in December – a move he made before retiring. Exit from the chaos of Manchester United. Ronaldo reportedly earned more than €200 million in one season in Saudi Arabia.
The football icon is by far the biggest player to join a Saudi Pro League club. Several other prominent figures have since followed suit, including Karim Benzema, Marcelo Brozovic, N'Golo Kante and Roberto Firmino. Football is the latest example of Saudi Arabia's "sports shuffle", following attempts in areas such as golf, Formula 1 and more.
The 38-year-old Ronaldo's career is undoubtedly nearing its end. He played only half of Monday's friendly in Portugal, the first of two friendlies the team will play this week. However, judging by his performance on Monday, Ronaldo seems very happy to end his playing career in Saudi Arabia. His long history in Europe's three top leagues – the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A – is behind him and he doesn't want to come back.
"I'm 100 per cent sure I'm not going back to any European club," Cristiano Ronaldo said, "I'm 38 years old. And European football has lost a lot of quality. The only league that works and still performs well is the Premier League. They are far ahead of all other leagues in Europe. ”
Cristiano Ronaldo's remarks came after Lionel Messi's official debut with Internacional Miami in Major League Soccer. Messi, arguably the best footballer of all time, launched in Florida on Sunday night. His arrival marks a new era for the league, which has now welcomed its biggest star to date — even though he is 36 and his career is nearing its end. With a current record of just 5 wins, 3 draws and 14 defeats, Internacional Miami currently has the worst performer in Major League Soccer (MLS). Messi will make his club debut at Internacional Miami on Friday against Mexican side Cruz Azul.
Article source: 68 Sports