Cristiano Ronaldo has no plans of ever playing within the MLS, and the worldwide soccer superstar had no problem taking a swipe on the league.
Ronaldo attempted to spice up the Saudi Pro League, diss MLS and take a shot at European soccer while speaking with reporters after a preseason appearance for Al Nassar.
The Saudi club, which Ronaldo signed with in January, was playing an exhibition match against La Liga side Celta Vigo.
“The Saudi league is best than MLS,” Ronaldo told reporters, in accordance with ESPN, after he was subbed out after the primary half of the match.
The Portuguese footballer had been asked about his thoughts on ever going to the USA to play within the MLS when he gave the reply.
Major League Soccer and Inter Miami have garnered headlines the world over after it was in a position to sign superstar Lionel Messi.
Messi spurned the Saudi Pro League’s reported offer of a $400 million-a-year deal and as a substitute opted for the struggling MLS club partially owned by David Beckham.
That didn’t appear to impress Ronaldo much as he not only insulted MLS, but additionally disapproved of the game’s direction in Europe.
“I’m one hundred pc sure I won’t return to any European club,” said Ronaldo, who played Manchester United and Real Madrid during his profession.
“I’m 38 years old. And European football has lost loads of quality. The one valid one and still doing good is the Premier League. They’re way ahead of all the opposite leagues.”
Whether or not the Saudi league will prove to be an actual challenger to the world’s top soccer leagues continues to be several years down the road. Nevertheless, backed by large financial investments from the Saudi government, the league has managed to lure among the game’s biggest stars there.
Karim Benzema, Marcelo Brozovic, N’Golo Kante and Roberto Firmino have all made the jump to play in Saudi Arabia this summer.
“I opened the option to the Saudi league, and now all of the players are coming here,” Ronaldo said.
Despite that, MLS commissioner Don Garber told reporters during Messi’s introductory event in Miami on Sunday that he wasn’t apprehensive in regards to the Saudi league poaching talent.
“You understand, it’s not nearly Europe, right? It’s about here. So I’m not threatened by that in any respect,” Garber said.
“I’ve seen it occur with China, and I wasn’t concerned about that any greater than I’m concerned about what’s happening in Saudi Arabia, it’s quite the alternative.”
