One time world footballer of the year and Portugal striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, says the Saudi Pro League has the potential of becoming a “top-five league in the world” if it can attract more big-name players like him.

Ronaldo, 38, said Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, and Luka Modric all “very welcome” to join him in Saudi Arabia.

The former Manchester United maestro who completed his first season with Al Nassr after joining in December stressed that he’s not leaving his new Saudi club anytime soon.

Speaking on the potential arrival of big players such as Lionel Messi, Karim Benzima, Luka Modric and others who have been linked to Saudi, he said: “If they are coming, big players and big names, young players, ‘old players’, they are very welcome because if that happens, the league will improve a little bit,” Ronaldo said in an interview with the SPL.

“The league is very good but I think we have many opportunities to still grow. The league is competitive. We have very good teams, very good Arab players.

He further charged the league organisers to improve on the available facilities to make the league compete favourably with others.

“But they need to improve a little bit more the infrastructure. Even the referees, the VAR system, should be a little quicker.”

Ronaldo vowed to complete his five years deal with Al Nassr while hoping that the league will become one of the best in the world: “I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here. And in my opinion if they continue to do the work that they want to do here, for the next five years, I think the Saudi league can be a top five league in the world.”