Ahead of an upcoming match for Portugal in the 2024 European Nations Cup qualifiers, the Portuguese star and Al-Nasr player, Cristiano Ronaldo, spoke about the Saudi League and his expectations for the development of its competitions in the coming years.
In a press conference on Wednesday, ahead of his country’s match against Liechtenstein, which is scheduled for Thursday, Ronaldo said, “I feel really good,” adding, “I am in a very competitive league. They should look at the Saudi championship differently.”
On a large scale, the Saudi League is considered weaker than the European leagues, but Ronaldo believes that these matches have prepared him to return to the ranks of the Portuguese national team, and he expects that the reputation of the Saudi Premier League will improve in due time, according to the “”Stats PerformSports data analytics specialist.
This was confirmed by Ronaldo, saying: “It is clear that it is not like the English Premier League. I would be lying if I said that, but it (the Saudi League) is competitive.”
“Potentially, in five to six years, if they continue with this plan, it will be in the five most competitive leagues in the world.”
Several Saudi newspapers reported, including:preceded” And”News24Ronaldo’s expectations about “the Saudi League, and the fact that it will become the fifth or sixth most competitive league in the world in the coming years.”
Portugal’s new national team coach, Roberto Martinez, called up star Cristiano Ronaldo before the 2024 European Championship qualifiers this month, according to Reuters.
Portugal will host Liechtenstein on Thursday, before visiting Luxembourg on March 26 in the first two matches of Group X.
The 38-year-old was included in the squad after former Portugal coach Fernando Santos started him on the bench for his country’s last two World Cup matches in Qatar, before losing to Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Ronaldo, who moved to the Saudi club Al-Nasr after the World Cup, holds the record for the most goals in international football, with 118 goals.
Ronaldo has scored eight goals so far in the Saudi League, including a hat-trick in one match.
