Toni Kroos has once again made it clear he is no fan of the Saudi Pro League. Developments surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo have prompted the former midfielder to address the topic on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen.

Toni Kroos has never been shy about saying what he thinks, and he has once again aimed his criticism at the Saudi Pro League, using Cristiano Ronaldo as the central reference point in his argument.

Speaking on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen, the former Real Madrid midfielder described the Saudi league as a phenomenon driven more by celebrity gravity than football culture, and suggested that the competitions global relevance is far more fragile than many assume.

"The Saudi league is a strange phenomenon," Kroos said. "No one had ever heard of it before Cristiano Ronaldo arrived, and now they show no respect for the man who made them world famous. If Cristiano leaves tomorrow, this league will lose all its appeal. Without Ronaldo, no one would watch the Saudi league."

Kroos remarks are built around a simple idea: that the Saudi Pro League, despite the money, marketing, and influx of recognizable names, still depends heavily on a single global magnet to pull in neutral attention. From his perspective, Ronaldo is not just a star within the league, he is the leagues international shorthand, the figure people associate with Saudi football when they are not already invested. That makes any public friction involving Ronaldo feel bigger than a standard club dispute, because it risks damaging the narrative Saudi football has been selling to the outside world.

The comments come at a moment when Ronaldo is reportedly unhappy with the way Saudi football is being run, and that dissatisfaction has spilled into his availability for Al Nassr. In recent days, the Portuguese forward has been absent from the club, with reports describing his frustration at what he views as unequal treatment inside the Saudi game. The core complaint is said to be that other top clubs receive preferential conditions, creating an uneven playing field that undermines the competitiveness the project claims to be building.

Just as damaging, the situation has been linked to alleged overdue payments affecting Al Nassr players and staff. If true, that is the kind of issue that travels quickly because it clashes directly with the leagues image: a competition that sells financial power, star recruitment, and professional modernization. When a league markets itself as a new center of gravity, any hint of administrative instability becomes a story in itself, especially when it involves its most visible player.

From Kroos point of view, the irony is sharp. He is essentially arguing that Ronaldo helped turn the Saudi league into something that could be spoken about globally, and yet he now appears to be in conflict with the very environment that benefited most from his presence. Kroos frames that as a lack of respect, and his wording suggests he sees Ronaldo as someone whose value to the leagues visibility is still being underestimated even after everything that has happened since his arrival.

The broader subtext is also important. Kroos represents a traditional European football viewpoint that is skeptical about projects built primarily on financial attraction rather than historical sporting ecosystems. When he says nobody would watch without Ronaldo, he is not only talking about casual fans, he is also questioning whether the league has created any lasting emotional connection outside its borders. In other words, has the Saudi Pro League built a product that stands on its own, or is it still leaning on borrowed global fame from a handful of icons.

For Al Nassr, the immediate problem is competitive, not philosophical. Ronaldo absence, even for a short stretch, changes the identity of the team. He is not only their most decisive finisher, he is their reference point in attack, the player around whom chance creation is often structured. Without him, the tactical plan tends to shift, and the psychological weight on the supporting cast increases.

That is particularly relevant with Al Nassr scheduled to play in Turkmenistan on Wednesday, where they face Arkadag in a continental Asian competition often described as comparable in format and profile to the Europa League. The match itself matters for progression, but it also matters symbolically: these fixtures are where clubs aim to prove their seriousness beyond domestic headlines. If Ronaldo does not travel or does not feature, it becomes another chapter in a story that already has momentum.

It also raises questions about how quickly situations escalate when the biggest name in the league is involved. A normal disagreement between player and club can often be contained internally. With Ronaldo, it becomes part of a wider conversation about the leagues governance, fairness, and the durability of its global strategy. Any extended absence invites speculation: is this simply a short term protest, a negotiating tactic, a reaction to specific incidents, or a sign of a deeper breakdown in trust.

Kroos comments push that narrative further because he is not just reporting on it, he is attacking the foundations. His claim that the league loses its charm if Ronaldo leaves is deliberately provocative, but it taps into a real dynamic in modern sports media: attention is not always proportional to quality, it is often proportional to storylines and recognizable faces. Ronaldo remains a global storyline on his own, and the Saudi league benefits from being part of his ongoing career arc.

At the same time, the Saudi Pro League has worked hard to broaden its appeal beyond one individual. Multiple clubs have recruited high profile players and coaches, and the league has attempted to present itself as an emerging destination rather than a novelty. Kroos argument is that none of that matters to most viewers unless there is still a central superstar acting as the hook. In his view, the project is still dependent rather than independent.

If Ronaldo returns quickly and the issue is resolved, the episode may be remembered as a brief flashpoint. If it drags on, it becomes more serious, not only for Al Nassr but for the leagues external image. Either way, Kroos has ensured the debate will not stay quiet: he has framed the story as a referendum on respect, legitimacy, and whether the Saudi league has built anything that survives beyond the presence of its biggest icon.