From the skinny teenager that joined Manchester United in 2003 to the sturdy competitor he is today, Cristiano Ronaldo has defied the odds countless times to emerge as arguably the world’s best player and even greatest of all-time.
Football has undergone many changes in recent year, especially across the last several months. But if one thing remains a constant, it’s Ronaldo starring on the biggest stage.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to shatter records at ease, with his latest landmark seeing him score 101 international goals for Portugal. A mind-blowing achievement that not even the likes of Pele or Lionel Messi have managed.
But Danilo, who conquered LaLiga and the Champions League alongside the GOAT at Real Madrid, believes it’s Cristiano’s all-round ability that sets him apart from his peers.
The Brazilian full-back, who joined Ronaldo at Juventus last season, told FIFA.com: “Cristiano is an indisputable great.
“What he does in matches, his statistics, say everything. He’s extremely competitive in training, and this reflects in matches. He has so many qualities. Perhaps what sets him apart is that he’s good at every aspect of the game.
“And he’s a really cool guy. I have a really good relationship with him – we were together for two years at Real Madrid and now at Juventus. We chat about everything.
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“He has a very human side. He’s always asking things about Brazil. For example, during COVID he’s always asking how the situation is in Brazil. He worries about it. He’s very human, really nice.”
Danilo and Ronaldo have a new coach in Turin this season in the inexperienced Andrea Pirlo.
Asked for his first impressions of the Italian great as a coach in training, Danilo replied: “He’s really chilled.
“He really understands the players’ mentality on the pitch as he only stopped playing recently. He knows Juventus inside out. He knows how to get his message across, to speak to players one-on-one, to get the best out of them.
“And he’s been applying some really good tactical ideas and he is very clear with how he wants the team to play, which I really like. The early days with Andrea have been really positive.”