Brazilian star and Al-Hilal Saudi Club player Neymar da Silva sparked a major controversy when he affirmed that the Saudi Pro League has become stronger and better than the French League.
During a press conference in the Brazilian city of Yara, Neymar stated: “I confirm that football is the same, and when looking at the names, I see that the Saudi League has become better than the French League. The training there is extremely intense, and myself and my teammates at Al-Hilal thirst to achieve victory and win championships.”
Neymar at the press conference today! pic.twitter.com/NaoOwjIVpJ
— Brasil Football 🇧🇷 (@BrasilEdition) September 7, 2023
Neymar continued his statement, saying: “Everyone sees the Saudi Pro League as weak, and the same thing happened to me when I moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, At that time, everyone thought the same about me, but I did not face the same level of aggression from defenders throughout my life as I did when I was playing for Paris Saint-Germain.”
He further commented on the Saudi Pro League, saying: “Winning the championship has become extremely difficult because most teams have strengthened their squads with many stars, The tournament will be highly exciting and enjoyable.”
It is worth mentioning that the Brazilian national team is preparing to play a match against the Bolivian national team as part of the qualifying rounds for the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, September 9, followed by a match against the Peruvian national team on Wednesday, September 13.