“Saudi League Is Better”: Ronaldo Slams MLS Just a Day After Messi’s Unveiling

• Cristiano Ronaldo has taken a swipe at the MLS
• The Al-Nassr forward believes that the Saudi League is better
• Lionel Messi was officially unveiled as an Inter Miami player on Sunday

Cristiano Ronaldo has said that the Saudi Pro League surpasses the MLS in quality and stated unequivocally that he harbours no intentions of playing in the United States.

In the wake of Lionel Messi's grand introduction as Major League Soccer's star attraction, Ronaldo took the opportunity to publicly undermine the league's calibre and affirm his dedication to elevating the Saudi Pro League into a premier global competition.

This summer, Saudi clubs have spared no expense in an ambitious endeavour to entice renowned players to the Middle East with staggering amounts of money.

Besides the Portuguese icon, who made his move to Al-Nassr in January, the league has successfully secured the services of the current Ballon d'Or holder, Karim Benzema, who joined Al-Ittihad in June.

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And despite being linked with FC Barcelona, Ronaldo's compatriot Ruben Neves made a surprising decision to sign with Al-Hilal, while N'Golo Kante has joined forces with Benzema at Al-Ittihad.

As reported by talkSPORT, it appears that Liverpool midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson are on the verge of finalising transfers to the nation.

“The Saudi league is better than MLS,” Ronaldo said, as quoted by ESPN.

“Now all the players are coming here . In one year, more top players will come to Saudi Arabia.”

Messi snubs Saudi Arabia

The cherry on top of the Saudi executives' aspirations this summer would have been persuading Messi to join forces with Ronaldo, propelling the league to unprecedented levels of success.

However, despite serving as a tourism ambassador for the country, Messi rejected an offer to join Al-Hilal, opting instead to dedicate himself to growing the game in North America, per Marca.

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Messi is set to make his inaugural appearance for Inter Miami in a Leagues Cup showdown against Cruz Azul on Friday.

Encounters like that offer fans greater accessibility to watch compared to Ronaldo's matches with Al-Nassr, as their pursuit of football dominance in Saudi Arabia is still in its nascent phase.

Ronaldo's Al-Nassr suffer humiliating defeat

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo had a nightmarish start to pre-season as Al-Nassr suffered a crashing 5-0 defeat against Celta Vigo on Monday, July 17.

Sports Brief earlier reported that the Saudi Pro League giants were handed a reality check in their third preparatory game ahead of the 2023-24 season as things took a tumultuous turn.

Despite a decent first-half performance that held Celta to a goalless draw, things unravelled in the second half, worsened by a red card, resulting in a demoralizing 5-0 defeat.