‘What’s better than to get Messi?’: Wayne Rooney takes aim at Ronaldo over MLS criticism

Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent remarks regarding the quality of the Saudi Arabian Pro League as compared to the American MLS have caused great debate in the world of football. The Portuguese superstar, who plies his trade for Al Nassr in the Pro League, made some interesting comments about how his arrival in Saudi Arabia has caused the cascade of stars joining the league, and elevated it a level above the MLS.

Ronaldo’s timing of these comments was of interest, as he made it soon after Lionel Messi’s official unveiling to the fans of Inter Miami, the club he joins this summer. Some viewed Ronaldo’s comments as a dig towards Messi competing in a lesser league, continuing their historic rivalry even from continents apart. However, a different opinion was shared by Ronaldo’s former teammate and attacking partner for Manchester United, Wayne Rooney.

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Ex-Man United captain Rooney, who is currently a manager in the MLS with DC United, gave his opinion on how the addition of Messi to the league could take the MLS to heights it hasn’t experienced before. Importantly, the former England striker also felt this was the kind of deal that could allow it to remain competitive with the Saudi league.

‘What better way to go and get Messi to join the league?’

Speaking in an interview with The Athletic, Rooney said “I think it’s huge for the league. It probably needed this signing, with Ronaldo going to Saudi Arabia, and you’ve got Benzema going out there. You can see how the Saudi league is trying to get certain players in there.”

The Saudi league has certainly become more of a destination for top players nearing the end of their careers, such as Ronaldo and Benzema, but also for athletes in their prime, with the likes of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves joining the league.

“For the MLS to get Lionel Messi was huge. To show that it can compete with obviously the riches of Saudi, and what better way to go and get Lionel Messi to join the league? It’s exciting for everyone in the country, and even as a manager against him, we’re all excited to see how it develops.”

While Ronaldo’s transfer to Al Nassr was a sensational piece of news, Messi’s move to Miami might be even more so. The Argentinian continued to be productive for Paris Saint-Germain in his last season, and is coming off a player of the tournament performance at the Qatar World Cup where he sealed himself as the best men’s footballer of all time.

Rooney, who developed at Man United alongside Ronaldo and faced off against Messi’s Barcelona in two Champions League finals in 2009 and 2011, albeit in losing causes, was still optimistic about the standard the MLS could present. In his opinion, the perspective of the MLS as seen from Europe does not line up with the quality it has to offer.

“I think the quality is very high. It’s probably a bit disrespected. You get agents phoning and it’s almost an insult, some of the players they offer — they’re nowhere near ready or good enough to play in the league.”

Rooney has enjoyed a successful managerial stint following the close of his career. The Englishman, who left United as the club’s all-time top-scorer, joined the MLS and DC United in 2018, before returning to England with Derby County as a player-manager. After announcing his retirement, Rooney almost kept Derby up despite a massive points deduction as the team headed into administration, and now holds DC United within the playoff spots of the MLS.