Cristiano Ronaldo has doubled down on his sensational claim from early 2024 that the Saudi Pro League was better than Ligue 1.
The Portuguese legend was speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards, where he was honored again, this time with the gong for Best Middle East Player 2024.
Ronaldo moved to the Middle East and Saudi Arabia when he signed for Al-Nassr in early 2023, and has subsequently sparked a mass exodus of talent from Europe to the Saudi Pro League.
As such, Ronaldo had claimed earlier this year that the quality of the division was now superior to that of the French top flight, and took the opportunity on Friday evening to underline that hypothesis.
‘The Saudi League is of course better than Ligue 1. France only has PSG. The rest is done.
“Try sprinting in 38, 39, 40 degree weather and see…”
Cristiano Ronaldo doubled his criticism of the French top flight on Friday evening
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner won the award for Best Middle East Player of 2024 on Friday
His Al-Nassr is eleven points ahead of Al-Ittihad and is currently fourth in the Saudi Pro League
He added: ‘It is difficult to become a champion in Saudi Arabia. This year Al-Hilal is better, Al-Ittihad is at the top of the league, but I believe we have to push hard to become champions.
“Everywhere I have played I have been a champion and I believe I will be a champion, but I won this trophy because I have scored so many goals and assists and maintained my level.”
Since moving to Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr have yet to win the Saudi top flight, with leaders Al-Ittihad some 11 points ahead of Ronaldo and Co, who are in fourth place.
The French league is considered one of the top five divisions in Europe, along with the Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s LaLiga.
Yet Ligue 1 is considered by many to be the weakest of the five. Only one French team has ever won the Champions League or European Cup (Marseille in 1993).
By comparison, the other four have had numerous victories; Spain leads the way (20), followed by England (15), Italy (12) and Germany (8), while France remains in seventh place behind the Netherlands (6) and Portugal (4).
“The Saudis are in a process that will take a long time, but step by step we will reach the highest level,” Ronaldo said in January 2024.
‘I believe they will be in the top three or four in the world. I think we will achieve that step by step.
Ronaldo’s move to the Saudi Pro League saw a number of familiar faces move from Europe
The 39-year-old suggested that there are no big clubs in France other than PSG
‘The level at the moment? To be honest, I don’t think the Saudi league is worse than the French league in my opinion.
‘I think in the French league there are two-three teams with a good level. In Saudi Arabia I think it is more competitive.
‘They can say whatever they want. This is just my opinion and I’ve been playing there for a year so I know what I’m talking about.
“But I think we are better than the French league at the moment.”
During Ronaldo’s appearance on Friday evening, he also discussed the current situation at his former club Manchester United.
After completing a partial takeover of Sir Jim Ratcliffe 12 months ago, United are yet to really push on and return to the top of the pile.
A managerial change earlier this season brought Ruben Amorim into the top spot, and after a good start the head coach has suffered three successive defeats in a period marked by stringent cost-cutting measures.
Speaking on Friday, Ronaldo hinted that a major overhaul would be needed to return the club to its former glory.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos group took control of United’s football operations 12 months ago
But results on the pitch are yet to improve with the club in the midst of their worst ever Premier League start
Ronaldo insisted the punishment should not be aimed at his former Portuguese teammate Ruben Amorim
“They need it, I said this a year and a half ago, and I’ll keep saying it, the problem isn’t with the coaches, it’s like… I always give this example… it’s like an aquarium.
‘If you get the fish in and it’s sick and you take it out and you solve the problem and you put it back in an aquarium, you get sick again.
‘Manchester United’s problem is the same. The problem does not always lie with the coach. It’s much more than that.’
As well as highlighting the problems he believes have caused the club to stagnate in recent years, Ronaldo also made the bold claim that he could personally solve the problems.
He continued: ‘If I become the owner of the club, I will make things clear and change things that are bad there.’