The Al-Nassr superstar made some bold claims about the Saudi Pro League, and it was no coincidence they came after the Argentine's arrival in the U.S.
Cristiano Ronaldo is, without question, one of the greatest footballers of all time. He's won everything there is to win at club level across spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, along with a European Championship in Portugal colours, while breaking almost every scoring record in the books.
After earning his fifth and now almost certainly last Ballon d'Or in 2017, Ronaldo told : "I'm the best player in history, in the good moments and the bad ones. I respect everyone's preferences, but I've never seen anyone better than me. I have always thought that. No footballer can do the things I can. There's no player more complete than me."
But that wasn't the statement of a man who feels secure regarding his status in the game. If Ronaldo was truly the No.1, he wouldn't have the compulsion to remind everyone whenever he's in front of a camera.
Lionel Messi has never had the same impulse, because he's always let his feet do the talking. The Barcelona legend has two more Ballons d'Or than Ronaldo, and is a shoo-in for a record-extending eighth award at the 2023 ceremony after inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar.
Ronaldo and Portugal came up woefully short at the tournament, which likely pushed him into completing a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. Accepting a contract at Al-Nassr to become the highest-paid player ever was the only way for him to steal the spotlight back from Messi.
But the shock element of the transfer didn't last for long. Ronaldo was unable to lead Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title last season, and his performances did little to convince anyone that he is still capable of delivering at the very highest level.
And now, Messi has taken centre stage once again. After bringing the curtain down on a disappointing two-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain, the diminutive forward took the decision to take on a new challenge in MLS with Inter Miami.
Predictably, Ronaldo has weighed in. But the 38-year-old's latest comments only confirm his standing as a has-been desperately trying to stay relevant.
Getty'Smoking too much Hookah'
Ronaldo made sure to keep himself in top physical condition during his summer holidays, and reported for pre-season duty at Al-Nassr with a spring in his step. But the former United striker came crashing back down to earth after a friendly clash against Celta Vigo on Monday.
Al-Nassr were battered 5-0 by Celta, who finished 13th in La Liga last season – albeit with Ronaldo not on the pitch for any of the goals after coming off at half-time. After the match, the veteran striker attempted to play down the defeat with a staunch defence of Saudi football.
Having seen the likes of Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly follow him to the Middle East in recent weeks, Ronaldo told reporters: "I opened the way to the Saudi League, and now all the players are coming here. In one year, more and more top players will come to Saudi. In a year, the Saudi league will overtake the Turkish league and Dutch league."
Ronaldo was then baited into a swipe at Messi, and he couldn't resist. It was put to him whether he would ever consider a switch to MLS, to which he replied: "No, the Saudi championship is much better than the USA."
It was a bold statement designed to generate headlines, and even Ronaldo will know deep down just how absurd it was. Former Philadelphia Union and FC Cincinnati midfielder Mike Lahoud described the Al-Nassr star's remarks as "ludicrous" in an appearance on , after jokingly accusing him of "smoking way too much hookah".
And Ronaldo's former United team-mate Wayne Rooney, who is currently in charge at D.C. United, perfectly summed up the general consensus on the matter in an interview with . "This league [MLS] has all the capabilities of becoming one of the biggest leagues," he said. "You can see how Saudi are trying to get certain players, so for MLS to get Messi was huge. How better to show it can compete with the Saudi riches than by getting Messi?"
AdvertisementGetty Images'Continuing to defy everyone’s expectations'
MLS has seen a whole host of legendary players grace the pitch down the years, from David Beckham and Thierry Henry to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Rooney himself. The competition has enjoyed rapid growth since its inception back in 1993, and Messi's arrival in the U.S. is the latest step in its natural progression.
The Saudi Pro League is also now attracting some of the biggest names, but it will still be some time before it can be considered as an elite club-football stage. "I’m not threatened by that at all," MLS commissioner Don Garber said of how quickly football in the Middle East is developing at a roundtable last weekend. "I’ve seen it happen with China, and I wasn’t concerned about that any more than I’m concerned about what’s happening in Saudi Arabia, it’s quite the opposite."
Garber went on to explain why Messi's transfer to Inter Miami is so ground-breaking while revealing how high MLS' stock has risen since his appointment in 1999. “The league has significance, it’s got 30 teams, and it’s got a valuation of $15 billion,” he said. “Think about that, $15 billion, that’s the collective value of all of our teams. When I came in it was $250 million. So I don’t think that there’s any look back. It now is ‘What’s the future going to look like?’
“You have heard us say that we want MLS to be a league of choice, a league of choice for players, for fans, for partners, and ultimately for investors. When you have the best player of all time making Major League Soccer his league of choice, I think it’s a real testament as to where MLS is and where it’s going in the years ahead.”
Garber added: “It’s just continuing to defy everyone’s expectations. And at some point, five years from now or 10 years from now, there will be some player who is thinking about Major League Soccer because he saw the success and experience of Lionel Messi with Inter Miami.”
GettyMessi isn't finished yet
It's fair to say that Messi is now winding his illustrious career down, having celebrated his 36th birthday on June 24. But MLS is not a retirement league, and the Argentina international has a huge task on his hands to transform Inter Miami's fortunes.
Miami are sitting rock bottom of the Eastern Conference after 22 matches, and it will take a miracle for them to bounce back and reach the MLS playoffs. But Messi has been joined at DRV PNK Stadium by former Barcelona team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, and he's linking up with a manager he knows very well.
Tata Martino coached Messi at Camp Nou in 2013-14 before a two-year spell in charge of the Argentina national team. And after signing a contract with Inter Miami last month, he will have another opportunity to work with three modern Barca icons.
“When we spoke with Leo, I spoke with Sergio, we talked about arriving to have success, to compete and compete well," Martino said after seeing Messi and Busquets unveiled in Florida. "This happens to us even on a personal level. Sometimes we associate the United States, Miami, holidays — this isn’t that. We want to compete… They are not footballers who are going to come here to not compete."
Indeed, Messi had already confirmed as much in his first appearance in front of his adoring new fanbase. “I can’t wait to start training and competing," he said. "I’m here with the desire I’ve always had to compete, to want to win, and to help the club continue to grow."
The World Cup winner may have turned his back on European football, but he hasn't taken the easy option by joining Inter Miami. Messi will have to perform at his best to lift Martino's team, and it appears he will relish the unique challenge.
Messi also had an offer on the table from Saudi Arabia, as GOAL confirmed that Al-Hilal were ready to hand him a €500m-per-year (£435m/$541m) contract earlier this summer. But unlike Ronaldo, Messi remains one of the best players in the world, and he still has another important chapter to add to his legacy.
"If it had been a matter of money I would have gone to Arabia or elsewhere," Messi told when explaining his choice to sign for Inter Miami. "It seemed like a lot of money to me and the truth is that my decision went another way and not for money."
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GettyThe Pro League reality
This is not the first time that Ronaldo has made outrageous claims over the quality and potential of the Saudi Pro League. "I'm not going to say that the league is a Premier League, that would be a lie," he said in March. "I'm surprised by the strength. It has good teams, it is balanced, the Arab players are good, the foreigners give quality.
"Possibly it will be, in five to six years' time, if they continue this plan, the fourth or fifth-most competitive league in the world." Ronaldo reiterated that stance towards the end of his first season in the Middle East, but the chances of his prediction coming true that quickly are slim to none.
According to , the Saudi Pro League is ranked 68th in the world right now, just seven places above League One in England, while MLS currently sits in the 54th slot. The statistics show that Ronaldo is in Messi's shadow once again, whether he wants to admit it or not. The Pro League is not going to suddenly become a top competition with the addition of a few more ageing superstars. But MLS is genuinely now in a strong position to rise dramatically.
After Inter Miami confirmed Messi's impending free transfer last month, the club's managing owner Jorge Mas said: "I think there will always be a before and after Messi when we talk about the sport in the United States. I have a very, very strong-held belief that we can create in North America and the United States if not the greatest league, one of the top two leagues in the world. I cannot overemphasise the magnitude of this announcement.
"Having the world’s greatest player here is something that is significant for our league, and for the football ecosystem in the United States… Lionel Messi is coming to this country to win cups and make a difference. I think it’s incumbent upon myself and my partners in the league, the other owners, to seize the moment."
That may also seem like a huge stretch, but it's not as far-fetched as Ronaldo's pitch for the Pro League. MLS already has the history, infrastructure and global profile behind it to advance to new heights, and the addition of Messi will certainly fast-track that process.