Cristiano Ronaldo: Saudi league better than U.S. Major League Soccer
The Portuguese superstar also said there was no chance of him returning to play for a European soccer club again
Cristiano Ronaldo said on Monday that the Saudi Arabian league, where he is playing now, is better than Major League Soccer in the U.S., which his long-time rival Lionel Messi officially joined this week.
He also said there was no chance of him returning to play for a European soccer club again.
"I'm 100 percent sure I won't return to any European club. I'm 38-years-old," the Portuguese soccer star said, as quoted by ESPN.
"European football has lost a lot of quality. The only valid one and still doing good is the (English) Premier League. They're way ahead of all the other leagues,” he added.
Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in December, after leaving the UK's Manchester United. He said his example paved the way for other top players to sign with Saudi teams after Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema from Real Madrid and N'Golo Kante from Chelsea joined champions Al-Ittihad.
"Now all the players are coming here... In one year, more top players will come to Saudi Arabia," Ronaldo said.
His Argentinian rival Messi, 36, was also expected to move to Saudi Arabia after two years at Paris Saint-Germain, but signed with MLS side Inter Miami instead.
"The Saudi league is better than MLS," Ronaldo claimed.