Al Hilal chief executive Esteve Calzada has taken aim at Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent comments about the Saudi Pro League, while also confirming the club’s long-standing interest in signing Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior.
Ronaldo, now at Al Nassr, has repeatedly claimed the Saudi top flight is improving quickly and has even suggested it is already ahead of leagues such as Ligue 1. Calzada pushed back on that view and insisted Saudi clubs still have a lot to prove on the pitch, particularly when measured against Europe’s elite competitions.
“I respect Cristiano, of course, but saying the Saudi league is better than the French league… I don’t agree,” Calzada said in remarks that underline the growing rivalry between the kingdom’s biggest clubs. “We are improving, yes, but we still have to be humble. The goal is to keep growing, to keep raising standards, and to compete better internationally.”
While Calzada disagreed with Ronaldo’s assessment, he did not dismiss the forward’s overall impact on the division. Saudi Arabia’s surge in global attention has been closely linked to Ronaldo’s arrival in late 2022, a move that helped open the door for a wave of high-profile signings and major investment across the league.
Calzada also addressed speculation around Al Hilal’s transfer targets and acknowledged that Vinicius remains a dream signing. The Brazil international has been linked with a blockbuster move to Saudi Arabia for months, with reports in Europe suggesting clubs in the league would be willing to pay a record fee and offer one of the biggest contracts in world football.
Without going into numbers or timelines, Calzada confirmed that Vinicius is on Al Hilal’s radar and that the club’s ambition is to attract players who can make an immediate difference at the highest level.
“Vinicius is a player we like,” Calzada said. “We have the ambition to bring top players. It’s not a secret. But these things depend on many factors, and we also have to respect the clubs and contracts.”
Vinicius is under contract at Real Madrid and remains central to the Spanish giants’ plans, particularly as the club builds an attack around stars such as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. Madrid are expected to push for a new agreement with Vinicius at some stage, though his long-term future continues to attract attention given the scale of offers that could arrive from Saudi Arabia.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, have already shown they are willing to compete at the top end of the market. The Riyadh side have assembled a squad packed with established names in recent windows, and they are again expected to be active as they look to strengthen for domestic competition and continental tournaments.
Calzada suggested the league’s next step is not simply signing famous players, but building a product that can match the best leagues in terms of intensity, coaching and overall quality.
“We are on the right path,” he said. “The league is moving forward, the clubs are getting stronger, and the project is serious. But we cannot pretend everything is already perfect. We need to keep working and keep improving.”
For now, Al Hilal’s message is clear: the club wants to be at the center of Saudi football’s rise—and a move for Vinicius remains an ambition, even if it is far from straightforward.
