Neymar hails Ronaldo for starting Saudi Pro League boom

Neymar Jr. became the latest in a long line of players to make a move to the Middle East when he joined Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal from French giant Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), but the Brazilian superstar credits one of his rivals for starting the country's soccer boom, according to CNN Sport.
"I believe Cristiano Ronaldo started all of this and everybody called him 'crazy,' and this and that. Today, you see the league grow more and more," the former PSG forward told Al Hilal's social channels.
Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half year contract reported to be worth more than 200 million euros ($220.16 million) with Al-Nassr in December 2022 after leaving Manchester United.
Since then, Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kanté, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané and Marcelo Brozovic have been among the star names to move to the Saudi Pro League.
Neymar says that he wants to follow in Ronaldo's footsteps and help develop the league even further.
"I am driven by challenges," said Neymar after making the move. "Obviously, when you face a challenge like this it boosts your self-esteem. I am there to help the league grow more and more.
"They are already changing a lot; they have made a lot of signings. Yes, surely the league will be very competitive especially after the signings made in this summer transfer window."