Cristiano Ronaldo says the Saudi Pro League is better than France’s Ligue 1, while he joked on Friday that he might continue playing for another decade.
The Al Nassr captain, 38, was the star attraction at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards at Atlantis, The Palm, where he scooped three prizes.
Ronaldo, who concluded 2023 as the leading goalscorer in men’s football for the calendar year, picked up honours for Best Middle East Player, the Globe Soccer Maradona Award for most goals of the past 12 months, and Fans’ Favourite Player of the Year.
Speaking during a panel discussion before the awards ceremony, as part of the Dubai International Sports Conference, Ronaldo was asked about the level the revamped Saudi Pro League has reached. “To be honest, I think the Saudi league is not worse than the French league, in my opinion,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said. “In the French league I think you have two, three teams at a good level.