Neymar excited to face Ronaldo, Benzema after Al Hilal move - ESPN

Neymar said he has moved to a «very competitive» league by joining Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia and praised Cristiano Ronaldo for igniting the growth of the Saudi Pro League despite being called «crazy» when he moved to the Middle East last December.

Brazil forward Neymar, 31, quit French champions Paris Saint-Germain to join Riyadh-based Al Hilal, the reigning champions of Asia, in a transfer worth $98.6 million (€90 million).

The former Barcelona star had been linked with moves to Manchester United, Chelsea and a return to Camp Nou this summer, but speaking for the first time since the move he said that Ronaldo's decision to join Al-Nassr following his release from United during the 2022 World Cup helped make Saudi Arabia an appealing destination for himself and some of the game's top players.

«I believe Cristiano Ronaldo started all of this and everybody called him 'crazy,' and this and that,» Neymar said. «Today you see the league grow more and more.

»The league will be very competitive, especially after the signings made in the summer transfer window. I believe competitiveness is important. That's why I am joining this league. I am driven by challenges. I am there to help the league grow.

«I am very excited to write a new story chasing all the objectives with the club and my teammates — winning more and more titles and fulfilling the club's ambition. I am very excited in that regard.»

Neymar, who will reportedly earn an annual salary of $100m (€91.7m) at Al Hilal, brings the number of transfers to Saudi Arabia from Europe's major leagues (England, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Portugal) to more than 30.

And he said that the presence of Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino and others will make the Saudi league exciting and