American podcast host refers to Cristiano Ronaldo as ‘Penaldo’ during chat with Bundesliga star; player’s response leaves them in splits
Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson is a huge Cristiano Ronaldo fan and he recently made his sentiments known after his idol was jokingly mocked. The Sweden international was a guest on The Cooligans YouTube channel where he spoke about his game and his admiration for the Portuguese legend.
While talking about Ronaldo being Hugo's favorite player, one of the podcast hosts Christian Polanco jokingly referred to the Al-Nassr ace as 'Penaldo,' suggesting that Ronaldo scored most of his goals through penalties.
Larsson and both hosts burst out laughing. The Bundesliga star briefly walked out of the show, jokingly suggesting that he was offended. However, he returned to speak about modeling his game after the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Larsson, 20, talked about Cristiano Ronaldo being his childhood hero. He spoke about his admiration for the 39-year-old both on and off the pitch and how the legend inspires him despite Larsson being a midfielder and the Portuguese icon being a forward. He said:
“I don’t look up to him as a football player, [I look up to him] more of like a person. Growing up and realizing football is a lot about what goes on in your head and outside the pitch. And I think in that respect, Cristiano is the best in the world. I think the mentality he has [is something I really admire]." (5:18)
However, co-host Alexis Guerreros who identified as a Lionel Messi fan didn't concur with Larsson's comment, lightheartedly saying Ronaldo is second-best (5:54).
Hugo Larsson joined Frankfurt in 2023 from Malmo FF. In 41 games for the Bundesliga outfit, he has registered three goals and three assists.
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first man to score 900 goals
Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first player in history to score 900 career goals. The 39-year-old achieved this milestone after he netted Portugal's second goal in their 2-1 UEFA Nations League clash with Croatia on Thursday (September 5).
Speaking after the game, the Al-Nassr forward professed his excitement about scoring his 900th career goal, saying (via The New York Times):
"It means a lot. It was a milestone I wanted to reach for a long time. I knew I would reach this number, because as I continue to play, it would happen naturally."
He added:
"It was emotional because it's a milestone. It seems like any other milestone, but only I know, and the people around me, how hard it is to work every day, to be physically and psychologically fit, to score 900 goals. It's a unique milestone in my career."
Ronaldo is also the player with the most goals in men's international football with 131 goals in 213 games.