"I think it was a better choice for João Félix to go to Saudi Arabia than to play in the Portuguese league," Cristiano Ronaldo commented to reporters after the Saudi team's 4-0 friendly victory over Rio Ave, in which he scored a hat trick and Félix added two assists.

The Portuguese captain said that João Félix "is a very talented player" and that he "will be a great help" to the team coached by Jorge Jesus, once again praising the Saudi league.

"It's my opinion, not just because I'm there, but if you see the number of stars there, the players, the competitiveness, I think it was a good choice for him. Regardless of not playing in the Champions League and people saying he's too young to play in Saudi Arabia, I think it was a very wise decision on his part," he emphasized.

Asked if he helped "steal" João Félix from Benfica, Cristiano Ronaldo responded critically: "Steal? Stealing is ugly; that's an ugly word. Nobody stole anything from anyone."

The Al Nassr forward also denied having called João Félix before the player was signed by the Saudis.

"I didn't call anyone. You've been saying, I didn't call anyone. That's not my job. My job is to train, play well, and score goals, if possible. Pick up the phone and call; that's not my job," he said.

Cristiano Ronaldo also addressed the start of the Portuguese First League, stating that he hopes "it will be a competitive league" and that it "continues to grow the way it has so far."

"I hope it can improve; there are always things to improve. And I wish Sporting, as you know, the best of all, and that they can be champions again," he concluded.

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