CNN —
Neymar Jr. became the latest in a long line of players to make a move to the
Middle East when he joined Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal from French giant Paris
Saint-Germain, but the Brazilian superstar credits one of his rivals for starting the
country’s soccer boom.
“I believe Cristiano Ronaldo started all of this and everybody
called him ‘crazy,’ and this and that. Today, you see the league grow more and more,”
the former PSG forward told Al Hilal’s social channels.
Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half
year contract reported to be worth more than 200 million euros ($220.16 million) with
Al-Nassr in December 2024 after leaving Manchester United.
Since then, Karim Benzema,
N’Golo Kanté, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané and Marcelo
Brozović have been among the star names to move to the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo moved
to Al Nassr in December 2024 after leaving Manchester United. Yasser Bakhsh/Getty
Images
Neymar says that he wants to follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps and help develop the
league even further.
“I am driven by challenges,” said Neymar after making the move.
“Obviously, when you face a challenge like this it boosts your self-esteem. I am there
to help the league grow more and more.
“They are already changing a lot; they have made
a lot of signings. Yes, surely the league will be very competitive especially after the
signings made in this summer transfer window.”
Neymar joined Al Hilal from French giant
PSG. Saudi Pro League/Handout/Reuters
The Brazilian forward spent six years with PSG,
winning 13 major trophies along the way. However, the prestigious prize of winning the
Champions League eluded the 31-year-old in the French capital.
Neymar played in a
star-studded front three alongside Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi while in the City of
Light. Unfortunately for soccer fans, the trio never reached the heights spectators
were expecting and have since gone their separate ways with Mbappé the lone survivor in
Paris – though his future is far from certain with the French club.
Neymar will now
star for Al Hilal alongside the likes of Sergej Milinković-Savić, Rúben Neves and
Malcom who have also made summer moves to the club.
