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Al-Hilal star defender Joao Cancelo has said that the quality of Saudi Pro League is improving gradually, but didn't agree with Cristiano Ronaldo's claim that it ranks among the world's top five leagues. Cancelo's statement came during a press conference ahead of Portugal's FIFA World Cup qualifier against Ireland, which is set to take place on November 13.
Change in level of Saudi Pro League since Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival
The level of Saudi Pro League is improving gradually since Cristiano Ronaldo made the surprising decision to join Al-Nassr in January 2023.
Various stars have opted to follow Ronaldo's footsteps since then, consisting of players like Cancelo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Kingsley Coman.
While Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad have emerged as league winners over the last three seasons, Al-Ahli, and Al-Qadisiyah have also improved their competitiveness, making the product more appealing to fans.
Joao Cancelo disagrees with Cristiano Ronaldo
During an interview with Al-Nassr's official website in June, Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the SPL was top five in the world:
“Of course, we [the Saudi Pro League] are still improving but I believe that in this moment that we are in top five [leagues in the world] already. I still believe that we will continue to improve, and we have time and we have shown in the last two years that the league is going up all the time."
He added:
“I am happy because I know that the league is very competitive. Only the people who have never played in Saudi, they don't understand nothing about football say this league is not top five [in the world]. I believe 100% in my words, and the people that play in this league they know what I am talking about.”
However, Cancelo was recently questioned if he agreed with Ronaldo's claim, to which he replied:
“It’s a good sign that the quality is constantly improving; it has improved a lot compared to last year. I think that’s the country’s goal, to raise the level of the league. Among the top five leagues? I haven’t played in the French league yet, but the Premier League is still the best. The Italian league is returning to its former glory; I also played in the German league, which is a very high-level league. I can’t say for sure, but the level in Saudi Arabia is much better now.”
Cristiano Ronaldo's big claim on Saudi Pro League
During a recent interview with Piers Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo claimed that the Saudi Pro League was superior to both Ligue 1 and the Portuguese First Division. As per the Opta Power Rankings, The SPL is currently ranked 29th in the world.
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