Cristiano Ronaldo says Saudi Pro League is better than major European league

The Portuguese icon also challenged those who doubt him to 'sprint' in the harsh Saudi heat and see the difference.

Ronaldo made the divisive call when speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, where he was a finalist for the Best Men's Player gong.

Although Ronaldo missed out on the top prize, he did pick up the award for the Best Middle East player in 2024 thanks to his exploits for Saudi outfit Al Nassr.

However, Ronaldo's latest honour was not what generated headlines.

Instead, it was his belief that the Saudi Pro League had surpassed French top flight Ligue 1.

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"Saudi League is better than Ligue 1, of course," Ronaldo said.

"France only has PSG. The rest are finished.

"Try to sprint in 38, 39 40-degree weather and see."

Ronaldo added: "It is difficult to become champion in Saudi. This year Al Hilal are better, Al Ittihad are top of the league, but I believe that we have to push hard to be champions.

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"I've been champion everywhere I have (played) and I believe I will be champion, but I've won this trophy for scoring so many goals and assists and maintaining my level."

Ligue 1 is widely considered as one of the top five leagues in world football alongside the Premier League in England, the Bundesliga in Germany, Serie A in Italy and LaLiga in Spain.

Of those five, Ligue 1 is often deemed the weakest.

However, according to Opta's Power Rankings for leagues across the world, Ligue 1 still remains one of the best.

Opta's league rankings are decided by the average team rating of clubs on a scale of to 100, with 100 being the best-ranked team on the planet.

Based on Opta's league rankings, Ligue 1 sits fifth with an 85.1 rating.

As for the Saudi Pro League, Opta has it ranked in 33rd and is rated 73.6.

Although the French top flight may be significantly stronger based on Opta's league rankings at this point in time, it is - as Ronaldo pointed out - dominated by PSG.

Since the 2012/13 season, PSG have won Ligue 1 a staggering ten times, with their success largely owing to Qatar Sports Investments purchasing the club in 2011.

Ronaldo's claim regarding the difference in quality between the Saudi Pro League and Ligue 1 is not the first time he shared that same verdict.

In January, the Portuguese icon trumpeted the fact the Saudi top flight was 'more competitive' than their French counterparts.

"To be honest I think the Saudi League is not worse than French league, in my opinion," Ronaldo said.

"In [the] French league I think you have two, three teams with a good level. In Saudi now I think it's more competitive.

"They can say whatever they want, it's just my opinion and I played there one year so I know what I'm talking about.

"But I think right now we are better than [the] French league, we still improve."

Whatever the difference in quality, Ronaldo is not letting up in the goalscoring department.

The Portuguese great has scored 16 goals in 19 games for Al Nassr across all competitions, with ten of those coming in the Saudi Pro League.

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However, he remains two goals behind Aleksandar Mitrovic's 12 league goals for Al Hilal.

Ronaldo's Al Nassr also have plenty of work to do if he is to add a Saudi Pro League title to his trophy cabinet as they sit 11 points away from league leaders Al Ittihad after 13 games.