Ronaldo Claims He Is the ‘Messiah’, Opens Up on How He Resurrected ‘Dead’ Serie A

• Cristiano Ronaldo has opened up on how he revived a 'dying' Serie A
• In his three-year stint with Juventus, Ronaldo scored 101 goals in 134 matches
• He currently plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League

Cristiano Ronaldo has taken on the moniker of the "Messiah" as he confidently attributes himself to be the driving force behind the revival of the ailing Italian Serie A.

During his three-season tenure with Juventus from 2018 to 2021, Ronaldo firmly believes that his presence at the Turin club played a crucial role in elevating the league's status, which had been lagging behind Europe's top divisions.

Following his departure from Juventus, the 38-year-old experienced a challenging phase during his second stint with Manchester United before eventually becoming a pioneer among top football stars venturing to the Middle East by signing with Al-Nassr.

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Weighing in on his move to Al-Nassr, the distinguished five-time Ballon d'Or winner highlighted how his decision to join the Gulf region proved instrumental in attracting other players of similar calibre to join the Saudi Pro League.

“My decision to join Saudi clubs was 100% crucial to bring in new top players. It’s a fact,” he said as quoted by CXtra.

“When I joined Juventus, Serie A was dead and then after I signed… it was revived. Wherever Cristiano goes, he generates higher interest”.

Ronaldo's impact on Saudi League

Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo made the move to Al-Nassr, a remarkable trend has emerged, drawing a multitude of A-list players to the oil-rich nation, according to Sporting News.

Among the notable names are the reigning Ballon d'Or holder, Karim Benzema, the 2018 World Cup-winning midfielder, N'Golo Kante, and Liverpool's talented Roberto Firmino, all jumping on the bandwagon.

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As the current transfer window remains open, expectations are high that numerous other top-calibre players will be enticed to follow in Ronaldo's footsteps, lured by the allure of substantial financial rewards.

CR7 jabs Messi, MLS

In a related publication, Ronaldo 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, Sports Brief reported.

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.

Ronaldo's Al-Nassr fail in pre-season

While he made those bold assertions, Ronaldo endured a nightmarish start to pre-season as Al-Nassr suffered a crashing 5-0 defeat against Celta Vigo on Monday, July 17, Sports Brief reported.

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.