Saudi League: ‘Ronaldo started this, people called him crazy’: Neymar on joining Al Hilal

Neymar, a Brazilian professional and popular footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, said that footballer Cristiano Ronaldo played an important role in transforming the Saudi Pro League.

Neymar joined the Al Hilal club in a deal worth $98.6 million. He left French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to join the Saudi Arabian side. After joining the club, he said, “Al Hilal is a giant club with fantastic fans, and it is the best in Asia.”

According to reports, Neymar praised Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr football club in December last year. Subsequently, the Saudi football clubs became popular.

Neymar reportedly said, “I believe Cristiano Ronaldo started all of this and everybody called him ‘crazy’. Today you see the league grow more and more.”

The Brazilian star further said, “I have learned that I am following a long list of Brazilian players who have played in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the years.”

Earlier this summer, Al Hilal signed Kalidou Koulibaly, Rúben Neves and Sergej Milinković-Savić. Neymar will perform with his new teammates in the Al Hilal club.

Al Hilal is one of four clubs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia along with Al Nassr, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad. These football clubs were also taken under the ownership of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. In recent months, these clubs reportedly started signing various international footballers.

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Earlier this month, it was revealed that Clement Lenglet, a popular and professional French footballer who plays as a center-back for La Liga club Barcelona and the France national team, might join Al Nassr FC.

Reportedly, the Saudi Arabian club was offering €12 million per year in net salary to Clement Lenglet for his transfer. The Al Nassr club wanted to secure a deal for the Barcelona defender.