Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that scoring goals in the Saudi Pro League is more challenging than in Spain’s La Liga, insisting that critics underestimate the quality and competitiveness of Saudi Arabian football.
Speaking in his latest interview with Piers Morgan, the Portuguese superstar discussed the difficulty of playing in Saudi Arabia, the progress of the league, and his own continued success at Al-Nassr, where he has scored 102 goals in 115 appearances since joining in 2022. The sit-down marked another candid exchange between the two, following their explosive 2022 interview that preceded Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United.
Ronaldo said that while he has faced scrutiny for moving to the Middle East, the numbers speak for themselves. “I don’t need to speak, because they can say whatever they want — the numbers don’t lie,” he said. “They can say, ‘oh, it’s the Saudi league,’ but they’ve never played here, they don’t know what it’s like to run in 40-degree heat.”
The 40-year-old striker added that the Saudi Pro League offers a higher level of competition than Portugal’s Primeira Liga and is improving rapidly as it attracts more international talent. “I still continue, I repeat, the Saudi league is much better than the Portuguese league of course,” he said. “In France there is only PSG. The Premier League is good, of course, it’s number one. But listen, I’ve played everywhere — for me, it’s easier to score in Spain than to score in Saudi.”
When asked if he could still perform at the top level in Europe, Ronaldo confidently replied: “If I played in the Premier League now, in a top team, I would score the same.”
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward also questioned why performances in the Saudi league are not considered when awarding the Ballon d’Or or Golden Boot, calling for greater recognition of the players competing there. “The Golden Ball, why don’t they count the Saudi league? Look how many top players we have in the league. Ask the other players if the league is good. Don’t ask me — it’s easy to ask me,” he said.
Despite his advancing age, Ronaldo remains a central figure for Portugal’s national team under coach Roberto Martinez and is expected to represent his country at the World Cup next year. However, he acknowledged that retirement is approaching. “Soon,” Ronaldo admitted. “But I think I will be prepared. It will be tough, of course. Probably I will cry, yes. I’m an open person. It will be very, very difficult.”
