LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly shaded Lionel Messi with claims that the “Saudi championship is much better than the USA.”
The Portuguese superstar has been in the Middle East ever since he made the decision to join Al-Nassr following the Qatar 2022 World Cup finals.
Following his release from Manchester United, he was a free agent at that time. Since then, Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain has expired, allowing him to select the next stop in his extraordinary career.
The Argentine legend has joined MLS team Inter Miami, which is a huge win for MLS and the American game overall. It is reported that Saudi Arabian interest was turned down.
Ronaldo has suggested that Messi took the easy option in heading for the United States, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner telling reporters when asked what the future holds for him: “Returning to Europe, for me, is a closed possibility, I’m already 38-and-a-half years old and… it’s not worth it.
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“Europe lost a lot of quality. The only one that is one of the best is the Premier League, the Spanish league lost its level, the Portuguese one is not ‘top,’ the German one also lost a lot of quality. The USA? No, the Saudi championship is much better than the USA.”
With players like Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and Marcelo Brozovic joining him in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo believes the Middle East is the place to be.
Ronaldo has played for Sporting, United, Real Madrid, and Juventus while living in Europe. In one year, more and more elite athletes will visit Saudi Arabia, the Turkish and Dutch leagues will be surpassed by the Saudi league.
Al-Nassr failed to win the Pro League or the domestic cup and Ronaldo finished his first season there empty-handed.
Nevertheless, he scored 14 goals in 19 appearances and is still going strong for Portugal, where he has 200 caps and 123 goals to his credit.