5 players who were fortunate enough to play with Cristiano Ronaldo
Unlike his eternal rival Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo has ventured into three of Europe's top five leagues, stamping his mark of authority on each of his destinations. Due to his frequent change of clubs, the Portuguese talisman has had the opportunity to play alongside a varied set of players, ranging from average to legendary.
Notable teammates of Cristiano Ronaldo over the years
Having played predominantly for Real Madrid, most of his achievements date back to his time at the Bernabeu. Similarly, some of Cristiano Ronaldo's most distinguished teammates also hail from the Spanish capital. The prolific forward has been fortunate enough to share the pitch with the likes of Raul, Iker Casillas, Kaka and Guti, among others.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League records are ridiculous 😳 https://t.co/MzyADdBuHT
Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo was part of the legendary Manchester United squad of the 2000s, boasting players like Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Paul Scholes and more. Even at Juventus, the veteran obtained the chance to play alongside legends like Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and the evergreen Gianluigi Buffon.
With so many legends to label as his teammates, Cristiano Ronaldo has had the cream of the bunch to accompany him on the field. However, as the other side to a coin, there also exists a set of players who were lucky to play with him. On that note, let's take a look at five players who were fortunate to be on the same team as Cristiano Ronaldo:
#5 Nuri Sahin (Real Madrid)
An integral part of the Borussia Dortmund side that famously pipped Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title in the 2010-11 season, Nuri Sahin was a revelation at the club. His consistent showings caught Jose Mourinho's eye the following season, and the Portuguese bought the holding midfielder to Madrid for a nominal fee of €10 million.
At the time of his signing, Sahin was touted to become a superstar with Los Blancos. Expected to trouble the reputation of Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira as starters, Sahin failed miserably to displace either of the two players. A promising player in Germany, the Turkey international could not uphold the burden of being at a club of Real Madrid's stature.
This would’ve been the coldest pic of all time if it wasnt for Nuri Sahin https://t.co/04HBnfwz2L
Even with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line, Sahin could only produce a meager two-goal involvement. His misery was brought to a premature end as Sahin went on to spend two of his three seasons contracted to the La Liga giants, on loan. Out of his 10 Real Madrid appearances, seven came alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Having joined Antalyaspor last summer in his native country, Sahin was very lucky to have partnered with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner at club level.
#4 Joao Mario (Portugal)
Exuding great potential in his early days, Joao Mario was quickly snapped up by Inter in 2016 for a sizeable fee of €40 million. The Nerazzurri valued him immensely due to his initial promise at Sporting CP and were compelled to take a punt on him following Portugal's victory at Euro 2016.
Fast forward five years, and Inter released their once-prized asset for free after three underwhelming loan spells. Despite his consistent failures at club level, Mario has somehow managed to convince his national team boss to provide him with constant opportunities. Subsequently, the 28-year-old midfielder has managed to rack up 29 matches alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lokomotic Moscow Player On Ex-Inter Man Joao Mario: "He Did Not Adapt To Serie A" #InterMilan #FCIM sempreinter.com/2021/09/30/lok…
Mario was yet again given an international call-up by Fernando Santos in August 2021 after being frozen out of the team for two years. While he has been much better for Portugal than any of his club sides, Mario has always failed to match the level of his distinguished teammates. With a recent transfer to Benfica, the washed-up Portuguese will be hoping to recoup his lost reputation.
Also read: 5 La Liga records that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi failed to break