England international Ollie Watkins made a bold statement about the Saudi Pro League's quality, asserting it is on par with the Premier League. His comments followed an impactful debut for Al Hilal, where he scored in their 3-0 victory over Al Ahli on 1/9.

Coming on at the start of the second half at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Watkins headed a goal in the 86th minute, securing the win for his new team. This marked his first match since departing Aston Villa to join Al Hilal on a three-year contract. Watkins even admitted he was surprised by the intensity of the match, having only had a few days of training with Al Hilal. He stated he expects more scoring opportunities once he gets into sync with his new team.

Forward Ollie Watkins during Al Hilal's victory over Al Ahli at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 1/9. *Photo: Al Hilal*.

Watkins' assessment carries significant weight, as he is not a player past his prime moving away from top-tier football. He left Aston Villa, a Premier League team currently competing in the Champions League, to join Al Hilal. Before his transfer, Watkins spent six years playing for Aston Villa, scoring 108 goals in 278 matches across all competitions. With 91 Premier League goals, he became Villa's highest goal scorer in the league's history. Last season, Watkins also helped Villa win the Europa League and is part of the England squad for the World Cup 2026.

The Al Hilal club is also no longer solely relying on stars past their peak, reinforcing the league's rising profile. Before Watkins, the club signed Crysencio Summerville from West Ham for approximately 60 million pounds. Summerville also scored in the win against Al Ahli, before Watkins completed the 3-0 victory. Al Hilal started the 2026-2027 season impressively with three consecutive wins and 12 goals.

Watkins joined Al Hilal at a time when the Pro League continues to increase its appeal to players who have competed in the Premier League. Other prominent players have echoed similar sentiments about the league's growing stature. Riyad Mahrez, a former Leicester and Man City player, once said Saudi Arabia has the highest level in the Middle East, assessing the league's quality as good and capable of further development. Cristiano Ronaldo even rated this league higher, stating after extending his contract with Al Nassr until 2027 that he believes the Pro League is already among the top five leagues in the world. The Al Nassr captain added that the league is still developing and its competitiveness is increasing.

However, statistical data presents a contrasting picture. According to Opta statistics, the Saudi League only ranks 39th among club competitions worldwide, with an average team score of 75. This places it significantly behind Europe's top leagues. The Premier League ranks first with 92,3 points, far ahead of the Bundesliga (86,9) and La Liga (86,3). Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States, for comparison, ranks 19th with 78 points.

Hoang An (via ESPN)