Cristiano Ronaldo has spent years insisting that the Saudi Pro League deserves far more respect, and now Ollie Watkins has arrived in the competition with an early experience of his own. The Al-Hilal striker, who left Aston Villa in a $69 million move, made an immediate impression alongside Ronaldo’s rival club Al-Nassr, adding another intriguing chapter to the growing debate over the standard of soccer in Saudi Arabia.
Watkins could hardly have asked for a better introduction to his new surroundings. The 30-year-old came off the bench at half-time and scored on his Al-Hilal debut in a 3-0 victory over Al-Ahli, heading home Sultan Mandash’s cross at the back post in the 86th minute. The result also maintained the Blue Waves’ perfect start to the domestic campaign. Simone Inzaghi’s side has collected 12 points from its opening four matches.
Meanwhile, Watkins immediately gave supporters a glimpse of what he could bring to a squad packed with established European talent. His move to Saudi Arabia brought an end to an impressive six-year spell at Aston Villa. He left the club having scored 108 goals in 278 appearances, including 91 Premier League goals, making him Villa’s all-time leading scorer in the competition.
The England international also joined a star-studded Al-Hilal squad featuring Crysencio Summerville, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Theo Hernandez and Yassine Bounou. The club is set to add Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli in the coming days, underlining the level of ambition surrounding the Saudi side.
Watkins explained that his decision to join was heavily influenced by what he had seen from Al-Hilal. “I knew straight away [to join Al-Hilal when the offer came]. I watched the Club World Cup and I saw how well they performed. I always see who’s at the top of the league and they’re always up there,” he said.
The verdict that echoes Ronaldo
It was after the match against Al-Ahli that Watkins offered his assessment of the competition, and his comments were striking given his Premier League background. Rather than describing the Saudi Pro League as a step down, the former Aston Villa striker said its standard was comparable to England’s top flight.
“The level I saw here today was honestly of Premier League quality,” the Englishman told reporters. “The match was very strong physically and demanding, and the quality was extremely high.”
Watkins admitted that the intensity surprised him after arriving in Riyadh. “I didn’t expect it to be like that when I first came onto the pitch. I checked out the pitch before the game. The atmosphere was amazing. The fans were calling my name. Amazing start.”
His assessment closely resembles comments previously made by Cristiano Ronaldo, who has repeatedly defended the quality of the Saudi league since moving to Al-Nassr. In 2024, Ronaldo argued that the competition was already stronger than Ligue 1 and predicted that it would eventually become one of the world’s leading leagues.
Ollie Watkins of Al Hilal celebrates scoring
Watkins joins growing chorus
The former Villa striker is also not the first Premier League player to make such a claim after moving to Saudi Arabia. Ivan Toney, who plays for Al-Ahli, previously offered a similarly bullish assessment of the competition.
“For me, the Saudi Pro League is on a par with the Premier League,” Toney said. “If Al-Ahli were in the Premier League, we’d give it a good go and we’d be close to the top four. It is a quality league and people should not turn their noses up.”
For Ronaldo, Watkins’ verdict provides another high-profile voice backing up a position he has maintained for years. The growing influx of established European players has also made direct comparisons increasingly interesting, particularly when those players arrive with extensive Premier League experience.
