Months after Cristiano Ronaldo claimed SPL is better than Ligue 1; Ivan Toney claims the Saudi League is 'on par' with the Premier League

Former Premier League striker Ivan Toney has backed Cristiano Ronaldo's claims about the Saudi Pro League. He believes that the Middle Eastern league does not get the respect it deserves, despite having the quality.

Speaking to The Guardian, Toney claimed that his side, Al-Ahli, would finish close to the Top four if they were playing in the Premier League. He believes that the Saudi Pro League is on par with the English top flight and said:

"Cristiano Ronaldo has been around the world and probably knows a lot more than me, as I have only played in the Premier League, the Championship and Leagues One and Two. For me, [the Pro League] is on a par with the Premier League. If [Al-Ahli] were in the Premier League, we’d give it a good go and we’d be close to the top four. It is a quality league and people should not turn their noses up."

Toney recalled Al-Hilal's win over Manchester City in the FIFA Club World Cup and added:

“We saw Al-Hilal play against Man City [at the Club World Cup] and beat them. I was going to tweet but I would have got killed back home, so I kept my mouth shut. But people saw the quality of Hilal. The standard in Saudi Arabia is high. They can play football here. The players here are not as known as in the Premier League, but there are many who can play there."

Al-Hilal defeated Premier League side Manchester City 4-3 in the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16, to send Pep Guardiola's side back home.

What did Cristiano Ronaldo say about the Saudi Pro League and Premier League?

Cristiano Ronaldo spoke about the Saudi Pro League earlier this year, claiming it was comparable to the Premier League, as it is already among the top five leagues in the world. The former Manchester United star has been adamant about it since moving to Al-Nassr and said (via ESPN):

"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."

Cristiano Ronaldo moved to the Saudi Pro League after his contract at Manchester United was terminated in November 2022. He signed a new two-year deal this summer, extending his star until 2027.

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