Cristiano Ronaldo apunta a una excavación finamente velada a los críticos de Saudi Pro League

Cristiano Ronaldo clearly doesn't agree with critics of of the Saudi Pro League.

The Portuguese superstar scored a hat-trick for Al-Nassr in their 4-0 friendly victory over Rio Ave on Thursday night and had some words about the current state of football in Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo was responding to a question about the arrival of Portugal team-mate Joao Felix, who joined Al-Nassr from Chelsea in a £26m deal just over a week ago.

Felix had the opportunity to rejoin his former club Benfica and it has been claimed that Ronaldo was crucial in convincing him to join Al-Nassr instead, with some questioning if it was the right move.

'Stealing is bad form,' Ronaldo replied. 'No one has ever stolen anything from Benfica. 

'Everyone knows Joao; he's very talented. I think he'll help us a lot in the Saudi league, which is very competitive. 

'You don't know him; you're not there, you don't show up, but we saw him at the Club World Cup. 

'I think it was a better option for Felix than playing in the Portuguese league; just look at the number of stars there are in Saudi Arabia. 

'Regardless of not playing in the Champions League, it was a very wise decision on his part. 

'Calling him to convince him? I don't do that, I don't pick up the phone. It's not my job. You (journalists) said that, but my job is to train and play.' 

Ronaldo has scored four goals in three games in pre-season and is looking to win the Saudi Pro League for the first time since his move from Man United in 2022.

The 40-year-old ended last season on a high, winning the Nations League with Portugal.