Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has stated that his transfer to the Saudi Pro League opened the door for other top international players to join the competition.
Speaking during a chat with Rio Ferdinand, the Portuguese star said he was the trailblazer whose move influenced the arrival of several big names.
Since his switch, players like Neymar, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, Sadio Mané, Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney have all made the move to Saudi Arabia.
“I will speak at the end of the season about many real matters,” Ronaldo said.
“I was the first to come to this league, and the rest came because of me.
“They must respect the referees; even if they make mistakes, they are human, and they make errors.”
His comments come after Al-Nassr’s 2-0 victory over Al-Ahli.