Ivan Toney didn’t mince words when talking about the league he’s playing in now. Speaking to The Guardian, the English forward claimed the Saudi Pro League is right up there with the Premier League. That kind of statement hits straight at British pride, considering the English league is widely seen not just as the richest but as the toughest competition on the planet.
“Cristiano Ronaldo has played all over the world and probably knows much better than me, since I’ve only played in England. For me, the Pro League is at the level of the Premier League. If Al-Ahli were in the English league, we’d have a good campaign and finish near the top four. It’s a quality league and people shouldn’t turn their noses up at it. We saw Al-Hilal play against City and they won,” Toney said. For Premier League followers, it’s hard to imagine a comment more provocative than this one.
Between confidence and exaggeration
Toney’s record in Saudi soccer is nothing to shrug at. Since leaving Brentford in 2024 for roughly £40 million, he’s racked up 35 goals in 48 matches for Al-Ahli. He finished second in the scoring charts, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, won the Asian Champions League, and also lifted the Saudi Super Cup against Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.
At his new club, he’s the star man, and that spotlight has clearly boosted his self-belief. Still, putting a league that’s just finding its feet, powered mostly by huge financial backing, on the same scale as the most established and balanced competition in the world feels like a reach. The Premier League isn’t just about famous names, it’s about the grind, the relentless pace, the pressure in every single round, and the fact that even lower-table clubs can give giants a bloody nose. The Saudi Pro League hasn’t reached that level.
The wound to English pride
When Toney insists Al-Ahli would hold their own in England and even push for a top-four spot, he’s striking right at the national ego. For English fans, who are used to seeing mid-table teams steal points from the big boys week after week, that kind of claim borders on blasphemy. It’s telling that Toney himself admitted he once thought about praising Saudi teams on social media for their run at the Club World Cup but backed off, worried about the backlash he’d face back home.
The example he leaned on, Al-Hilal’s 4–3 victory over Manchester City, carries symbolic weight but doesn’t stand as proof of anything greater. One game doesn’t define the strength of a league. Sure, City can lose on a given night, but across a 38-match Premier League season, it’s rare for anyone to stay at the top against so many demanding opponents, week after week, without slipping.