Al Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo has said that the Saudi Football League "is better" than Major League Soccer in the United States of America and that he has no plans to play in the US or return to any team in Europe.
Speaking to the media after the 5-0 friendly loss to Celta Vigo in Portugal, Ronaldo was asked if he would switch to the US like arch-rival Lionel Messi, who made it official on Sunday at Inter Miami.
"The Saudi League is better than the MLS," Ronaldo said. "Now all the footballers are coming here. For a year, many top players are coming to Saudi Arabia."
Ronaldo was replaced after the first half when the score was 0:0. "I opened the way to the Saudi league, and now everyone is coming here," he added.
Several high-profile footballers have followed Ronaldo's move to Saudi Arabia, including Real Madrid's Karim Benzema and Chelsea's N'Golo Kante, who have joined Al-Ittihad.
The Portugal captain joined Al Nassr in December, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract after leaving Manchester United.
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"I am 100 percent sure that I will not return to any European club. I am 38 years old now", he said, writes ESPN. "European football has lost a lot in quality. The only one that is valid and doing well is the English Premier League. They are far from other leagues."
Ronaldo's great rivalry with Messi since his time in La Liga was rumored to return to Saudi Arabia, before the Argentine completed his move to Inter Miami, signing a contract until 2025.
