When asked if he would be joining his former rival Lionel Messi in making a move to Major League Soccer (MLS), Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t mince words.
“The Saudi league is better than MLS,” the Al Nassr striker recently said, according to ESPN. He had been talking to the media after his team’s 5-0 pre-season loss to Celta Vigo.
“I’m 100% sure I won’t return to any European club. I’m 38 years old,” he added. “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 also suggested that it was he who was drawing athletes, saying: “I opened the way to the Saudi league, and now all the players are coming here.”
Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half year contract that was reportedly worth more than €200 million ($220.16 million) with Al Nassr in December following his departure from Manchester United, according to CNN. Since his move, stars like Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Roberto Firmino have joined The Saudi Pro League (SPL).
SPL reportedly offered Messi a $400 Million contract, but the World Cup winner decided to choose MLS team Inter Miami after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired.
Meanwhile, South Florida has been showing its appreciation for Messi. Only days after his Inter Miami unveiling ceremony, artists have quickly put up murals dedicated to him and restaurants have redrawn their menus to offer what is said to be the athlete’s favorite dish: breaded meat known as milanesa, The New York Times reported. The Miami Herald even released a seven-page spread about the seven-time Ballon d’Or award winner.
When discussing why he chose MLS, ESPN previously reported that Messi said in an interview with Spanish publications: “After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way and to enjoy the day-to-day more. Obviously, with the same responsibility and desire to play well and do things well as always. But in a calmer way.”
