Cristiano Ronaldo claims scoring goals in Spain is easier than Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that scoring goals in the Saudi Pro League is more difficult than doing so in La Liga, with the former Real Madrid man defending the level of football in Saudi Arabia’s top league.

Ronaldo was speaking to Piers Morgan in the latest interview between the pair, years after his bombshell interview in which he criticised Erik ten Hag despite still playing for Manchester United.

The Portuguese joined Saudi side Al-Nassr after that interview in 2022, and he has since scored 102 goals in 115 matches at his new club while remaining a key part of the national team under Roberto Martinez.

When asked by Morgan about criticism, Ronaldo pointed out that he scores more and more each season, explaining that “even in a bad year I score 25 goals”.

He went on to defend the standard of football across the league, claiming that it is better than Portugal’s Primeira Liga.

“I don’t need to speak, because they can say whatever they want, the numbers don’t lie. They can say ‘oh, it’s the Saudi league’ – they’ve never been here, played here, they don't know how to run in 40 degrees.

“And I still continue, I repeat, the Saudi league, it’s much better than the Portuguese league of course, the French league there is only PSG. Premier League is good of course, it’s the number one.

“Listen, I’ve played everywhere, for me, it’s easier to score in Spain than to score in Saudi,” he said, before adding that “if I played in the Premier League now, in a top team, I would score the same”.

Ronaldo, who also addressed the current situation around former club Manchester United, also questioned why the Saudi Arabian league is not taken into account when awarding the Ballon d’Or, adding: “They should count, the goals, to be the top scorer.

“The Golden Ball, why don't they count the Saudi league? Look how many top players we have in the league. Ask the other players if the league is good. Don’t ask me, it’s easy to ask me,” he added.

Ronaldo remains a key part of his national side and is likely to be a part of the Portugal squad for the World Cup next year, though he also suggested he will retire soon.

When asked about a his retirement, the 40-year-old replied: “Soon. But I think I will be prepared. It will be tough, of course. It will be difficult? Yes. Probably (I) will cry, yes… I’m (an) open person. (It) will be very, very difficult, yes.”