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An old quote from Cristiano Ronaldo has resurfaced after Al-Nassr embarrassed Lionel Messi's Inter Miami 6-0 on Thursday, February 1. While the Portuguese superstar sat the game out because of an injury, he had the last laugh as his teammates demolished the Major League Soccer (MLS) side.
Anderson Talisca scored a hat-trick for Cristiano Ronaldo's side, with Otavio, Aymeric Laporte and Mohammed Maran also finding the back of the net. Ronaldo's eternal rival Lionel Messi was named on the bench due to a recent knock and came on as a late substitute.
Following the Saudi Arabian side's emphatic win over Inter Miami, Cristiano Ronaldo's old quotes have resurfaced. The Portuguese superstar previously claimed that the Saudi Pro League is better than Major League Soccer.
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The 38-year-old also claimed that he paved the way for star players to Saudi Arabia with his switch to Al-Nassr while vowing never to return to Europe as a footballer. Cristiano Ronaldo said, as quoted by journalist Fabrizio Romano:
"Saudi league is better than MLS. I'm 100% sure I won't return to any European club. I opened the way to Saudi league... and now all the players are coming here."
The Saudi Pro League has seen an influx of star players from Europe, and Cristiano Ronaldo has certainly played a big role in this. The star attacker has arguably been the best player in Saudi Arabia since joining Al-Nassr, having scored 38 goals and provided 13 assists in 44 games across competitions.
Lionel Messi, on the other hand, is currently the poster boy of MLS and has also attracted some big names to Inter Miami. The likes of Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez have all joined their former Barcelona teammate at the MLS franchise.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s new teammate Aziz Behich once had a tussle on the pitch with Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo's new Al-Nassr teammate Aziz Behich once had a heated exchange with Lionel Messi on the pitch. The two clashed during a Round of 16 match in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar where Argentina emerged victorious with a 2-1 scoreline over Australia.
Behich, who featured for the Socceroos in that encounter, claimed that he was nudged by Lionel Messi after the ball had gone out of play. Speaking after the match, the 33-year-old full-back said (via Fox Sports):
"He (Messi) pushed me once the ball was out and I’ve always been throughout my career that, when I’m on that pitch I kind of see black. I don’t see an opponent or a name or anything like that. I’m out there to help my team win and I do whatever I can for that to happen. There’s obviously respect there for the opponent and that, but it’s just a heat of the moment thing."
However, Behich insisted that the incident not be exaggerated by the media as nothing violent occurred. He added:
“It ended up being face-to-face, no words were exchanged, nothing violent or anything like that but one of his teammates tried to tell me not to speak to him or something. But it was nothing to over-exaggerate .... it was just a heat of the moment thing."
Argentina eventually went on to win the FIFA World Cup, with Lionel Messi winning the Golden Ball.
