Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent claim that the Saudi Pro League is stronger than France’s Ligue 1 has drawn widespread criticism following his latest interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.
During the candid discussion, the 40-year-old football legend reflected on his remarkable career, which has seen him play in Portugal, England, Spain, Italy, and now Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in 2022 after leaving Manchester United for the second time, a move marked by his controversial comments about then-manager Erik ten Hag during an earlier interview with Morgan.
Three years on, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner welcomed Morgan into his Riyadh home for another in-depth conversation, during which he defended his achievements and the quality of football in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo, who has scored an astonishing 952 career goals for club and country, is chasing a historic milestone of 1,000 goals before retirement. With 102 goals already for Al-Nassr — including nine this season — the veteran forward remains a key figure as his team tops the Saudi league table.
Addressing critics who have questioned the competitiveness of his current league, Ronaldo responded defiantly:
“It’s excuse after excuse. Every year I keep scoring more goals. Even in a bad year, I score 25. If I were in the Premier League playing for a top team, I’d be scoring the same.
People don’t know what it’s like to play in 40-degree heat. The Saudi League is better than the Portuguese league and, honestly, better than the French league — which is only about PSG.”
However, data from Opta Power Rankings contradicts Ronaldo’s assessment. The Saudi Pro League currently ranks 29th globally, far below Ligue 1 in fifth and Portugal’s Liga in ninth place.
Despite standing by his praise for the Saudi league, Ronaldo acknowledged that England’s Premier League remains the most competitive football league in the world.
“The Premier League is the number one, of course,” he admitted.
