Real Madrid and Manchester United hero Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed he will not return to Europe to play club football, citing his age and loss of quality in European football.

“I won’t return to European football. The door is completely closed,” the Portuguese captain said. “I’m 38 years old. Also, European football has lost a lot of quality…the only valid one is the Premier League. They’re way ahead of all the other leagues,” he also added.

He also claimed that the Saudi Professional League is better than the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS), the new home of his long-time rival Lionel Messi. Messi now plays for Inter Miami.

“Saudi league is better than MLS,” the comments came less than 48 hours after Messi was unveiled as the new player of Inter Miami, a club co-owned by Manchester United legend David Beckham.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner left Europe to join Saudi Professional League side Al Nassr in a world record worth $200 million after Manchester United mutually terminated his contract following a media tirade against the club by Ronaldo.

Ronaldo said he was criticised for going to Saudi Pro League but insisted he was vindicated as the move to Al Nassr paved the way for other top European players to join the league.

“They criticised me for coming to the Saudi League, but what happened now? I opened the way…and now all the players are coming here. My decision to join Saudi clubs was 100% crucial to bring in new top players,” stated the former world-best footballer. “It’s a fact. When I joined Juventus, Serie A was dead, and then after I signed…it was revived.”

Ronaldo added, “Wherever Cristiano goes, he generates higher interest. I’m 100% sure I won’t return to any European club. I opened the way to the Saudi league…and now all the players are coming here.”

Ronaldo projected the Saudi Pro League that “in one year, more & more top players will come to Saudi” and that “in a year the Saudi league will overtake the Turkish league and Dutch league. Players who arrived aren’t like what the president of the European Union said.”

“Jota & Ruben Neves are young players,” the player said in response to comments made by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin that football administrators in Saudi should develop home-grown players through their academies instead of signing old players at the end of their careers.