Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo discussed the development of the Saudi Pro League and said the competition is on par with Ligue 1 in France.
Since his move in January last year, Ronaldo has inspired a number of the world’s best players to make the move to the Middle East last summer.
Neymar, Roberto Firmino, Ruben Neves, Allan Saint-Maximin, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Riyad Mahrez, Franck Kessie, Aymeric Laporte, and Sadio Mane are some of the names that became part of the Saudi Pro League.
A highly entertaining campaign saw Al-Hilal lead the league table with 53 points after 19 games, seven ahead of rivals Al-Nassr.
Speaking on the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo believes his move changed the dynamic of the competition and also talked about the criticism he faced when he decided to leave European football.
“[The criticism] is part of the journey,” Ronaldo said at the Globe Soccer Awards. “I’m always dealing with that. I’m a professional for 22 years. It’s part of my journey to be a better man and a better player; a better father.
“I like when people doubt me, and I prove again that [after] one year, [I’ve been] successful. Last year I had a bit of a difficult journey, but I’m glad that happened because it made me feel stronger, and as you can see, this year I [played] a fantastic season.
“I think the Saudi League is not worse than the French league. In the French league, you have two or three teams with a good level.
“In Saudi, it’s more competitive. People can say what they want, but I have my opinion and I’ve played there for a year so I know what I’m talking about. Right now, we are better than the French league. We are still improving.”