Ronaldo drops future hint with Saudi Pro League comment

Tom Hancock

• 24 May 2023 18:24 BST
• 3 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo believes that the Saudi Pro League can become one of the best leagues in the world.

The former Manchester United star has helped the raise the profile of the Gulf state’s top flight since joining Al-Nassr in January – and he feels the competition has great potential.

Ronaldo was speaking after scoring the winner in Al-Nassr’s 3-2 comeback win over Riyadh rivals Al-Shabab on Tuesday, taking his tally for the club to 18 in 14 games.

READ: Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr | Goals, assists, results & fixtures

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was full of praise for Saudi Arabia – in terms of football and beyond. He told Saudi network SSC Sports:

“I'm very happy; it was a fantastic game. Even losing by 0-2, we always believed until the end. Congratulations to the whole team and the fans, who supported us a lot, thank you.

“The Saudi Arabia league [Saudi Pro League] is improving and next [season] will be even better. Step by step, this league could be one of the 'top five' worldwide.

“It needs time, infrastructure [and] players, but this country has incredible potential and incredible people. The league of Saudi Arabia will be great. I believe; it's my opinion.”

READ: PSG star challenged by Cristiano Ronaldo

"الدوري السعودي دوري قوي وليس بالسهل، ويحتاج إلى بعض اللاعبين وسيكون من ضمن أقوى 5 دوريات في العالم"

🎙️ كريستيانو رونالدو - لاعب #النصر#النصر_الشباب | #SSC pic.twitter.com/1UfC2LK7LE

— شركة الرياضة السعودية SSC (@ssc_sports) May 23, 2023

Cristiano just keeps going

Ronaldo’s remarks come after speculation that he could quit Al-Nassr and return to Europe in order to maintain his form in the run-up to Euro 2024.

The ex-Juventus and Real Madrid forward hopes to represent Portugal at that tournament in Germany – despite the fact that he will be 39 come next summer.

In March, Ronaldo made history by winning making his 197th and 198th appearances for his country, becoming the most capped men’s international player of all time – having already broken the record for the most international goals.