⚽ FIFA World Cup 2030: Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay ⚽

[Ale88]

I don't see what the number of people have to do with this: it's all about the culture and what people care about. In Saudi Arabia basically almost nobody cares about football because it's not a relevant sport for them. Messi plays in Miami, a city with a huge Argentinian population and many other Latinos, people who live and breathe football.

You said "many of us started watching Saudi league because of CR7", I guess it depends where you're from because people in Europe couldn't care less about Ronaldo and the Saudi league. Sure, there's been a lot of talking and curiosity after he moved there but then it faded out. There are plenty of good matches to watch, way better than the Saudi League.

If you don’t like CR7 just say it and stop hiding behind your baseless claims that “people in Europe could care less about Ronaldo” or that “people’s interest in the Saudi pro league dropped after the initial hype”, those are your personal opinions not a generalized fact and you’re certainly not a spokesperson for the majority of the population of folks in Europe so your statement don’t really hold water IMO.

There are certainly better leagues than the Saudi pro league but there’s no denying that Cristiano arrival there created a ripple effect and increased the relevance of the league; I personally know a lot of folks that started to pay attention to the SPL and their sole reason is because CR7 is there.

Ronaldo didn’t just merely bring European/foreign attention to Saudi football alone; there is evidence that his arrival also stimulated interest of the people and citizens within Saudi Arabia itself regardless of the fact that they were not really infused into the football culture like the Argentines and Latinos that you mentioned.

There are stats and evidence that supports all this that i have said, perhaps you should look into them before commenting.

Ok, so please, go ahead and show me all these stats of European fans/countries watching the Saudi League because there is a 41-year-old Ronaldo playing against a bunch of unknown Arab teams. I'm really looking forward to seeing these stats and compare them to the local stats because I really struggle to imagine an English or Spanish guy wanting to watch a match of the Arab league instead of a local match. But I could be wrong so please, go ahead and share with us these stats and evidence that support what you're saying, thank you!

[Gost ms]

I don't see what the number of people have to do with this: it's all about the culture and what people care about. In Saudi Arabia basically almost nobody cares about football because it's not a relevant sport for them. Messi plays in Miami, a city with a huge Argentinian population and many other Latinos, people who live and breathe football.

You said "many of us started watching Saudi league because of CR7", I guess it depends where you're from because people in Europe couldn't care less about Ronaldo and the Saudi league. Sure, there's been a lot of talking and curiosity after he moved there but then it faded out. There are plenty of good matches to watch, way better than the Saudi League.

I knew that when big club matches like Al-Nassr are held, there are always a lot of spectators. So how can you say that no one in Saudi Arabia is interested in football?I think it is difficult to judge the football interest of the whole country just because one of Ronaldo's matches had a low attendance. I am not saying that I am completely right. But I told you what I knew.

Speaking of Messi, of course, his influence in MLS is quite significant. Especially Inter Miami's high attendance, ticket demand and overall attention are all visible.

When Neymar was in the Saudi Pro League, the number of spectators was much higher than it is now. When Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo were there, the number of spectators was much higher between each match of the two teams. If we see Cristiano Ronaldo leave Al Nasr, then maybe we will see that audience gap again. Because the biggest reason for adding Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to Saudi Pro is to popularize the Saudi Pro League on the world stage.

We cannot ignore the influence of Messi, but we cannot deny that the audience of MLS was already much higher. Since Messi went to MLS, the audience attendance has definitely increased a lot. If I ever get the chance, I will definitely go to watch Inter Miami's match, not to watch another team's match.

[HustleZ]

When Neymar was in the Saudi Pro League, the number of spectators was much higher than it is now. When Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo were there, the number of spectators was much higher between each match of the two teams. If we see Cristiano Ronaldo leave Al Nasr, then maybe we will see that audience gap again. Because the biggest reason for adding Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to Saudi Pro is to popularize the Saudi Pro League on the world stage.

We cannot ignore the influence of Messi, but we cannot deny that the audience of MLS was already much higher. Since Messi went to MLS, the audience attendance has definitely increased a lot. If I ever get the chance, I will definitely go to watch Inter Miami's match, not to watch another team's match.

This was the only reason players were bought that expensively and big salaries were given to them so more viewers could watch the saudi league and the league benefit form it. It happened as it was expected and the saydi pro league got more and more popular. These are just marketing tactics done by people just for advertising, as all the famous players were no more than an advert

[Die_empty]

When Neymar was in the Saudi Pro League, the number of spectators was much higher than it is now. When Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo were there, the number of spectators was much higher between each match of the two teams. If we see Cristiano Ronaldo leave Al Nasr, then maybe we will see that audience gap again. Because the biggest reason for adding Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to Saudi Pro is to popularize the Saudi Pro League on the world stage.

We cannot ignore the influence of Messi, but we cannot deny that the audience of MLS was already much higher. Since Messi went to MLS, the audience attendance has definitely increased a lot. If I ever get the chance, I will definitely go to watch Inter Miami's match, not to watch another team's match.

The Saudi Professional League has some major reasons why it decided to spend so much on players like Ronaldo, Neymar, Benzema, and others. Some of them include helping them win the right to host the World Cup, boosting the country's tourism sector, and competing with European leagues. In my view, the country has achieved only the first goal I mentioned above. The SPL has failed to gain global recognition that will boost the country's tourism sector. Only a few people will travel to Saudi Arabia to watch matches in the country. The league has also failed to develop young talent that could attract interest from top leagues in Europe and America. This is looking like another failed Chinese experience.

If Ronaldo leaves that league, it will lose the little goodwill and publicity it has built over the years. Most people became interested in the League because of the Portuguese international. And the League organizers have not been able to make it independent of that influence.

[Shussainshah]

When Neymar was in the Saudi Pro League, the number of spectators was much higher than it is now. When Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo were there, the number of spectators was much higher between each match of the two teams. If we see Cristiano Ronaldo leave Al Nasr, then maybe we will see that audience gap again. Because the biggest reason for adding Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to Saudi Pro is to popularize the Saudi Pro League on the world stage.

We cannot ignore the influence of Messi, but we cannot deny that the audience of MLS was already much higher. Since Messi went to MLS, the audience attendance has definitely increased a lot. If I ever get the chance, I will definitely go to watch Inter Miami's match, not to watch another team's match.

I think the mission to popularised Saudi pro league is completed and they spend so much money on that's so they are already counting himself in the world top 20 league positions and maybe we can see him top 10 in the near future because when they started football project in Saudi their main aim are to bring big star into them when big star are playing in your league the whole learn from them and they also started the football academy and that's make this league as a foundation. Because the new generation love big star so much so they definitely love football and learn from that's academy so in my opinion Saudi pro league mission is completed and if they want to sell Ronaldo it doesn't make them weak because they are already building the foundations.

[Jaycoinz]

When Neymar was in the Saudi Pro League, the number of spectators was much higher than it is now. When Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo were there, the number of spectators was much higher between each match of the two teams. If we see Cristiano Ronaldo leave Al Nasr, then maybe we will see that audience gap again. Because the biggest reason for adding Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to Saudi Pro is to popularize the Saudi Pro League on the world stage.

We cannot ignore the influence of Messi, but we cannot deny that the audience of MLS was already much higher. Since Messi went to MLS, the audience attendance has definitely increased a lot. If I ever get the chance, I will definitely go to watch Inter Miami's match, not to watch another team's match.

I think the mission to popularised Saudi pro league is completed and they spend so much money on that's so they are already counting himself in the world top 20 league positions and maybe we can see him top 10 in the near future because when they started football project in Saudi their main aim are to bring big star into them when big star are playing in your league the whole learn from them and they also started the football academy and that's make this league as a foundation. Because the new generation love big star so much so they definitely love football and learn from that's academy so in my opinion Saudi pro league mission is completed and if they want to sell Ronaldo it doesn't make them weak because they are already building the foundations.

It's far more complex than that my friend, a remember a time when the Chinese league was also experimenting on similar project like this and they got all the big super stars to the league which got them some attention but everything as of now looks like it actually didn't work out because not seeing the impact so far when we talk about the Chinese league being top tier league but I guess the influence that Christaino Ronaldo has is totally on a different level.

[Tonimez]

When Neymar was in the Saudi Pro League, the number of spectators was much higher than it is now. When Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo were there, the number of spectators was much higher between each match of the two teams. If we see Cristiano Ronaldo leave Al Nasr, then maybe we will see that audience gap again. Because the biggest reason for adding Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to Saudi Pro is to popularize the Saudi Pro League on the world stage.

We cannot ignore the influence of Messi, but we cannot deny that the audience of MLS was already much higher. Since Messi went to MLS, the audience attendance has definitely increased a lot. If I ever get the chance, I will definitely go to watch Inter Miami's match, not to watch another team's match.

This was the only reason players were bought that expensively and big salaries were given to them so more viewers could watch the saudi league and the league benefit form it. It happened as it was expected and the saydi pro league got more and more popular. These are just marketing tactics done by people just for advertising, as all the famous players were no more than an advert

The Saudi Pro league has shown that they understand the business very well which was why they insisted on spending the money to get the league to a limelight and I think the job has been done. Immediately after the signing of Christiano Ronaldo brought a different shape and view entirely. A league that was never known now becomes the last bus stop of many good European players. The money spent in bringing Ronaldo and Neymar was very instantaneously and precisely effective as many star players now come to the league on their own thereby boosting the league more and more and bringing these stars are almost effortless. Most signings are not only for the on field benefit, it brings fanbase and more views which is what matters more than any other on field exercise.

[Ale88]

When Neymar was in the Saudi Pro League, the number of spectators was much higher than it is now.

I just double checked how many matches Neymar played while he was in Saudi Arabia because I remember he was constantly injured and... Well, I think that only a few spectators actually saw him considering that he played a total of 7 (seven) matches between August 2023 and January 2025. In total he was on the pitch for 428 minutes, that means an average of 60 minutes per match.

[kennycryptoitalia]

You mean to talk in the past tense and not in the present tense? They are old now and their game is not that great like they used to be, it is time for those players like Messi and Ronaldo to retire. They should have already retired but for some reason sometimes they refuse to let go and accept that their time has past. The peak career in sports is usually very short sadly, I guess that could be why many have issues letting go. It is like if you became a famous artist and were very popular only for a few years and then later you are not that relevant anymore. If we are considering the Cup in 2030 that is 4 years from now, they should not be playing at all and should let newer generations have a chance. There is also some selfishness of taking away a position of the newer generations when these decisions are being made.

I neither want nor can hear anyone say that players like Ronaldo and Messi should be retired already. People like that should simply not be allowed to express their opinion. These are players who have entertained the entire world for twenty years and who deserve to play as long as their bodies allow, not because a mere journalist or someone whose opinion is worthless says they should retire.

[KTChampions]

When Neymar was in the Saudi Pro League, the number of spectators was much higher than it is now.

I just double checked how many matches Neymar played while he was in Saudi Arabia because I remember he was constantly injured and... Well, I think that only a few spectators actually saw him considering that he played a total of 7 (seven) matches between August 2023 and January 2025. In total he was on the pitch for 428 minutes, that means an average of 60 minutes per match.

Wow, thanks for the fact-check, for some reason, I remembered him playing around three games. And even that was mostly because I saw his disgraceful behavior when he kicked the ball at a player, yet the ref was afraid to even give him a yellow card. I have no other memories of his presence in the SPL.
All in all, judging by how things actually turned out, Neymar’s journey to the SPL looks more like a scam  He arrived and secured a ton of upfront payments and royal perks - the club paid for his villa, cars, and literally everything, he even got a hefty sum for every tweet about the club, lol. For his part, he failed to deliver anything that was expected of him.
It is simply unfair to put him on the same level as Ronaldo and other players who have been working honestly here for years.

[Saltysugar99]

I neither want nor can hear anyone say that players like Ronaldo and Messi should be retired already. People like that should simply not be allowed to express their opinion. These are players who have entertained the entire world for twenty years and who deserve to play as long as their bodies allow, not because a mere journalist or someone whose opinion is worthless says they should retire.

For the past few years, many people have been saying on social media that Ronaldo should retire. Many people have also said negative things about Messi many times since the 2014 World Cup. Even Messi himself decided to retire out of his emotion , although he later returned. If Messi had really retired considering people criticism, then Messi would not have been able to win the World Cup in 2022. And the thing about Ronaldo is that he is a good player, he is still physically fit, he plays football regularly in the club. So when he retires is his personal decision. There are still many people around the world who love playing football, that's why world famous players like Messi and Ronaldo are still involved in football. In the future, when Messi no longer plays for Argentina but he may continue to play for the club, then the audience for the match where Messi is performing in the club match will be more than the match where the Argentina national team is playing. Just as the stadium will be full, people will also watch the match live on TV.

[banana33]

There's no need to compare both of them because they're playing different role on the pitch. Ronaldo is good at scoring goals than Messi while, Messi is more of a play maker than Ronaldo and we have seen this in their various achievements. Ronaldo has scored the highest goals so far, in the history of football and Messi have won all the competitions including world cup. Though, Ronaldo is richer than Messi.

I absolutely agree with you. Messi is a midfield player who knows how to create a difference with the extra man in any area of the pitch, whether in defense, in midfield, or in attack. He is a player capable of providing assists, but with a foot that pairs perfectly with scoring. While Ronaldo is a one hundred percent athlete, flexible in all offensive departments, who knows how to score in every way, with his head, his foot, his shoulder and even his butt.

[EL MOHA]

I absolutely agree with you. Messi is a midfield player who knows how to create a difference with the extra man in any area of the pitch, whether in defense, in midfield, or in attack. He is a player capable of providing assists, but with a foot that pairs perfectly with scoring. While Ronaldo is a one hundred percent athlete, flexible in all offensive departments, who knows how to score in every way, with his head, his foot, his shoulder and even his butt.

Why do you guys when you do this kind of comparison actually remove the fact that Messi once played as a winger and most importantly as a false nine in his early years and even under Pep guardiola and also why do you guys eliminate the fact that Ronaldo also played more wide midfield roles in his early days at Manchester United and he on became a striker after joining Real Madrid and that was even at a later stage, let’s be serious we shouldn’t be downplaying one players ability just to credit the other player.

[changaa]

The current frenzy surrounding Messi may not have happened to any player in the past. And perhaps all the spectators go to watch the game to see Messi's extraordinary performance for Miami too, so all the tickets are sold out. Messi will play his last match for Argentina. I saw this on several news portals, where despite the high ticket pricing for that match, there has been a huge demand. Especially the spectators want to witness Messi's last match from the stadium. It is a matter of pride for them. And Messi has not only performed well. He has created an emotional attachment with his fans all over the world, including his country. That is why just as people all over the world watched that match in the FIFA World Cup final, the entire world will be paying attention to Messi's last match for Argentina.

I believe it is also right that this is the case, as Messi is a phenomenal player who has taken football to another level, it is right that he is given the correct credit. And it is normal that, especially in Argentina, it is almost seen as a day of mourning when a player of Messi's caliber decides to abandon his national team. For those who have followed football since Messi first stepped onto the pitch, they know that this day was bound to come sooner or later.

[Audrey Simmons]

There's no need to compare both of them because they're playing different role on the pitch. Ronaldo is good at scoring goals than Messi while, Messi is more of a play maker than Ronaldo and we have seen this in their various achievements. Ronaldo has scored the highest goals so far, in the history of football and Messi have won all the competitions including world cup. Though, Ronaldo is richer than Messi.

You cannot enjoy football without debates, emphasis on club rivalry and arguments, same with the GOAT debate, these arguments are what make the sport interesting, you don't only see these arguments in football, it happens in different sports as well. We love both players, but the comparison is what would never end, as long as everyone has their favorites.

[cande86]

Since 2007 we have been on this debate of who is better and who is not, almost 20 years in now and everyone isn't tired yet, I think this comparison is just so boring but aside that I think this comparison in my opinion has actually been more of an insult to both players than comparison because in the context of crediting one of the player we are disrespecting the other one.

Does obsession beat talent? I believe that we cannot talk about this, because it almost seems that Cristiano Ronaldo does not have talent and this is obviously not true. Just think of the seasons he played during his career with Manchester United and Real Madrid to see a player obviously out of the ordinary. Beyond the number of goals, he was a player who always brought impressive plays and speed, to which many newspapers simply never gave credit. While Messi is an equally strong player, with equally formidable dribbling and scoring qualities.

[giorgione]

i recently watched one of Cristiano Ronaldo's matches in the Saudi Arabian league and it caught my attention how completely empty the stands were... there were barely 5,000 to 6,000 spectators in the stadium, tops.
on the other hand, every match Messi plays in MLS is sold out... even tickets for away games are gone months in advance when Miami plays on the road. and ticket prices jump to 4 or 5 times their normal price for games Messi plays in.

There are those matches that are perhaps less followed in Saudi Arabia too. I also don't think that Inter Miami can have an empty stadium considering that they have a stadium located in Miami, which is one of the most populated cities in the United States, while Al Nassr has a team that is certainly beautiful to watch, but really speaking I don't know how much football can actually be followed in Arabia.

[Ale88]

When Neymar was in the Saudi Pro League, the number of spectators was much higher than it is now.

I just double checked how many matches Neymar played while he was in Saudi Arabia because I remember he was constantly injured and... Well, I think that only a few spectators actually saw him considering that he played a total of 7 (seven) matches between August 2023 and January 2025. In total he was on the pitch for 428 minutes, that means an average of 60 minutes per match.

Wow, thanks for the fact-check, for some reason, I remembered him playing around three games. And even that was mostly because I saw his disgraceful behavior when he kicked the ball at a player, yet the ref was afraid to even give him a yellow card. I have no other memories of his presence in the SPL.
All in all, judging by how things actually turned out, Neymar’s journey to the SPL looks more like a scam  He arrived and secured a ton of upfront payments and royal perks - the club paid for his villa, cars, and literally everything, he even got a hefty sum for every tweet about the club, lol. For his part, he failed to deliver anything that was expected of him.
It is simply unfair to put him on the same level as Ronaldo and other players who have been working honestly here for years.

On a financial and personal point of view, Neymar's holiday career in Saudi Arabia has been a complete success because he made a ridiculous amount of money doing literally nothing. I don't want to spend time doing the calculation but if we check his salary and the amount of minutes played, well, I think nobody else in the football history made more money than him  

And they also did a huge favor to PSG because they paid a transfer fee, Neymar didn't arrive for free. For the player it was a total success; for the club it was one of the biggest failures ever considering the costs involved in this operation. Of course they don't even care because they have plenty of money, but that's a different thing.

[Somto9Light]

I believe that Messi is truly a phenomenon without equal, but i also believe that there is no Messi without Ronaldo and that the two without wanting to have created an unprecedented epic challenge, constantly stimulating each other, which is why i don't feel like saying who is the best and that Messi is better than Ronaldo, they are both great.

There's no need to compare both of them because they're playing different role on the pitch. Ronaldo is good at scoring goals than Messi while, Messi is more of a play maker than Ronaldo and we have seen this in their various achievements. Ronaldo has scored the highest goals so far, in the history of football and Messi have won all the competitions including world cup. Though, Ronaldo is richer than Messi.

We should understand that inasmuch as football is concerned, every football lover has a favourite player that they prefer as the best depending on what makes them think that such a player is the best. Forget about that almost everyone is talking about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there's some football fans that prefers Neymar Jr, some prefers Pele, some prefers Ronaldo, some prefers Maradona and that's just it but the reason why Messi and Ronaldo has been in our faces is because both players has maintained a long term rivalry that has lasted nearly 2 decades. Ronaldo and Messi are relevant in their own ways and what you said about both players is the truth but if we can put sentiment aside, we all enjoys the spectacular display of Messi but because of the controversy with Argentina at the World Cup makes it looks as if Messi's achievements was being orchestrated by FIFA.

[Justbillywitt]

We cannot ignore the influence of Messi, but we cannot deny that the audience of MLS was already much higher. Since Messi went to MLS, the audience attendance has definitely increased a lot. If I ever get the chance, I will definitely go to watch Inter Miami's match, not to watch another team's match.

The MLS never got the attention it was looking for before the arrival of Lionel Messi. They brought all the star players before Lionel Messi to make the league more popular but it didn’t work. Most People in Europe, Africa, Asia and possibly others were not interested in watch the MLS till Messi signed for Inter Miami. Messi globalized MLS, you can’t take that away from him. After Messi, several football stars has been signed to MLS but how many of them are you hearing their names? But the moment you hear Lionel Messi these days, what comes to your mind immediately is MLS.