Ronaldo's praise of Saudi Arabia is refuted

Midfielder Riyad Mahrez has hit back at Cristiano Ronaldo's claims that the Saudi Pro League is among the top five leagues in the world.

Mahrez disagrees with Ronaldo's views.

Sharing with L'Equipe on July 20, Mahrez said: "I think the five major European leagues are still ahead. We can start competing with other leagues. The gap between the leagues is not far. The goal is not to become the best league in the world right now. We are aiming for a long-term plan."

Mahrez admitted that he has felt the progress of Al Ahli and the Saudi Arabian clubs, from tactics, personnel to team management. "Everyone is trying to achieve the target, and I think they will succeed," he added.

In May, Ronaldo sparked controversy when he praised the Saudi Pro League. He said: "The Saudi Pro League is in the top 5 leagues in the world and will continue to grow. We have time and the last 2 years have proven that. People who have never played football in Saudi Arabia do not understand anything about football here."

In recent years, Saudi Arabian clubs have spent a lot of money to attract many famous stars such as Ronaldo and Mahrez to play football. This move has significantly increased the attraction of the tournament. Saudi Arabia has also achieved certain successes, including Al Ahli's 2024/25 AFC Champions League championship.

In addition, Saudi Arabia also won the right to host the 2034 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup. This country once wanted to host the 2030 World Cup with Egypt and Greece but failed.

Ronaldo's shining moment In the early morning of June 9, Ronaldo scored the equalizer 2-2, creating the premise for Portugal's 5-3 victory in the penalty shootout of the 2024/25 Nations League final.

Source: https://znews.vn/loi-khen-cua-ronaldo-ve-saudi-arabia-bi-phan-bac-post1570288.html