“Idiots don’t understand anything about football” - Cristiano Ronaldo slams podcast for negative opinion on Joao Felix joining Al-Nassr

Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo came to his younger compatriot Joao Felix's defence following criticism from a podcaster over Felix's move to Saudi Arabia. Felix joined Ronaldo's Al-Nassr this summer.

After an underwhelming spell at Chelsea, the 25-year-old has joined Ronaldo in the Kingdom in a move reported to be worth £43.7 million. Felix arrived as a teenager at Atletico Madrid six years ago from Benfica but never showed his full potential. Following multiple spells at top clubs like Barcelona, AC Milan and the Blues, Felix has now left European football.

In a podcast titled Chuvereinho, Felix was criticised for his move to Saudi Arabia at a young age. However, Ronaldo responded to the video with a comment:

"Idiots. They don't understand anything about football, and they give their opinions."

From a market value of £100 million in 2019 to one-fourth of that in 2025 (as per the BBC), Felix has seen a sharp decline in his market value, having never scored more than 10 goals in a season.

Marcus Alves, a Lisbon-based journalist, said about Felix:

"The feeling back home is that Felix has officially given up on being a truly top-level international player."

"It doesn't seem there is any turning point for him," added Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague. "It drives coaches mad. They see the potential but he'll never fulfil it. It's a mental thing. It's not that he's not bothered - but he's not listening."

Felix seems to have hit the ground running at his new side, scoring four times in five games across competitions. That includes three strikes in two games in the Saudi Pro League, where Ronaldo and Co. are second, a point behind leaders Al-Qadisiyah, but have a game in hand.

How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared this season?

Cristiano Ronaldo has made a good start to his third full season in Saudi Arabian football, having arrived in December 2022 on a free transfer after more than two decades in European football.

In two games across competitions, the 40-year-old has netted twice and assisted once in 40 games across competitions.

In the process, he brought up a century of goals for the Knights of Najd, becoming the first player to reach triple figures for four different clubs (also Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus). Cristiano Ronaldo has also scored 140 times for Portugal, the most in men's international football.

However, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner remains without competitive silverware in Saudi Arabia, with Al-Nassr losing on penalties to Al-Ahli in the Saudi Super Cup final last month.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Bhargav