Cristiano Ronaldo’s Dig at Ligue 1 Backfires As Saudi Pro League Truth Revealed
Cristiano Ronaldo's dig at Ligue 1 has backfired, following the release of fresh information about the quality of the Saudi Pro League.
The 40-year-old joined Saudi club Al Nassr in 2022, following a controversial interview with Piers Morgan, in which Ronaldo said he had no respect for Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.
Now, Ronaldo has conducted another interview with Morgan, which he described as his most personal to date.
He confirmed he will retire soon and has already been planning for life after football.
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Ronaldo has scored 952 goals for club and country, and is aiming to become the first player in history to score 1,000 goals before he hangs up his boots.
The Portuguese forward has already found the back of the net 102 times for Al Nassr, including eight goals this season, as his side sit top of the Saudi Pro League.
In his recent interview, Ronaldo hit back at critics dismissing his continued goalscoring feats.
He said: "It's excuse after excuse. Year after year, I keep scoring more goals. Even in a bad year, I scored 25 goals.
"If I were playing in the Premier League now, for a big team, I would score the same as now. I just keep doing my job. I'll repeat it.
"The Saudi League is better than the Portuguese First Division, as well as the French League."
However, the Saudi Pro League is significantly lower in quality than both the Portuguese and French leagues, according to the Opta Power Rankings.
Ligue 1 is regarded as the fifth strongest league in the world, while Liga Portugal comes in at ninth in the rankings.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Pro League sits at 29th - with both the Ecuadorian and Cypriot leagues ranked higher.
Opta's model looks at the average ratings of every team in all competitions, and then assesses the competitiveness and overall quality of the leagues.
Despite the poor ranking of the Saudi Arabian league, Ronaldo continued to talk up the strength of the division.
"The Premier League is clearly the best," he said.
"All the numbers count for awards. The Saudi League doesn't. Why? Ask the other players who think the Saudi League is good...
"Since they say I only score more goals because I'm there...
"For me, it's easier to score in Spain than in Saudi Arabia."
Ronaldo has committed to spending another two years at Al Nassr, having signed a staggering £492 million deal during the summer.
He explained that he will 'probably cry' when he hangs up his boots, admitting it will be a tough call to make.
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Saudi Pro League, Ligue 1, Football, Al Nassr
James Taylor