"Cristiano Ronaldo is smoking too much hookah" - Ex-MLS star says CR7 is trying to stay relevant after Lionel Messi's Inter Miami transfer

Former MLS midfielder Michael Lahoud recently ridiculed Cristiano Ronaldo's claim that the Saudi Pro League is better than the MLS. He added that the Portuguese star was just trying to stay relevant after Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami.

Lahoud played for Philadelphia Union and FC Cincinnati during his time in the MLS after being picked by Chivas USA in the 2009 SuperDraft. He even spent a season in NASL with New York Cosmos on a season-long loan in 2016.

Speaking to CBS Sports, Lahoud claimed that Ronaldo's suggestion, that the Saudi Pro League will be better than the Eredivisie and the Super Lig after one season, was ludicrous. He said:

"Ronaldo has been smoking way too much hookah. This is a ludicrous statement in terms of in one year for the Saudi Pro League to be better than those leagues [Eredivisie & Super Lig]. This comes on the heels of Lionel Messi's unveiling. Just when Messi talks about bringing the world's game to the doorstep of North America at the 2026 World Cup, this is what we've seen from Cristiano Ronaldo. This is all about Messi and all about relevancy. And what he said about Serie A, when he left Juventus - left the team in shambles."

What did Cristiano Ronaldo say about MLS following Lionel Messi's move?

Cristiano Ronaldo made some bold claims on Monday night after Al Nassr's 5-0 loss to Celta Vigo in a pre-season friendly. He claimed that the Saudi Pro League was better than MLS and will overtake Super Lig and Eredivisie in the next year.

Ronaldo was quoted by ESPN as saying:

"Saudi league is better than MLS. 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."

Cristiano Ronaldo also claimed that the Saudi League had gotten better because of him. He believes that he paved the way for big name players to come to Saudi Arabia. He said:

"They criticized me for coming to Saudi League, but what happened now? I opened the way, and now all the players are coming here. My decision to join Saudi clubs was 100% crucial to bring in new top players. It's a fact. When I joined Juventus, Serie A was dead, and then after I signed, it was revived. Wherever Cristiano goes, he generates higher interest."

Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr last season after his contract with Manchester United was terminated. He earns a whopping €200 million per season at the Saudi side.