"At the time, he was a much more virtuous player" - Cristiano Ronaldo's ex-Portugal youth teammate who quit football at 25 shares verdict on him
Cristiano Ronaldo's former Portugal youth teammate Costinha recently spoke about playing alongside the legendary striker. The duo spent time together in the national youth team squad before Costinha retired at the age of 25.
Back in 2001, both players partook in an under-15 game for Portugal, as they beat South Africa 2-1. However, their lives diverged dramatically. While Ronaldo went on to become one of the biggest football stars the world has ever seen, Costinha turned to aviation.
In a recent interview with Maisfutebol, Costinha said (via talkSPORT):
"I think that the most emblematic moment of his career was really the first game for the national team, in the under-15s. Even today, I get goosebumps when I hear the anthem."
"Of course, it becomes even more emblematic because Cristiano Ronaldo also made his debut that day, although we were far from knowing how far he would go. At the time, he was a much more virtuous player and was already on a much higher level than the others."
Cristiano Ronaldo continued in the same vein, which has led him to win an unprecedented five Ballons d'Or, only beaten by Lionel Messi's eight. The legendary striker, now 39 years old, is in the final years of his career, as he currently plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
His time with the Portugal national team also seems to be coming to an end, as he couldn't score a single goal at the Euro 2024.
Could Cristiano Ronaldo beat Usain Bolt in a race? The retired athlete once answered
While Ronaldo was well-known for his ruthless pace in his younger years, he certainly wasn't the fastest man on the planet. That title belongs to Usain Bolt, who ran 100 meters in just 9.58 seconds in the World Athletics Championship final in 2009.
However, by 2020, Bolt had certainly slowed down. During an interview at the time, he said Ronaldo would potentially beat him in a race. When asked who was faster, he said (via SPORTbible):
"For sure Cristiano Ronaldo. For me, he works out every day. He's a super athlete, you know what I mean? He's always on top of his game. He works hard, he's focused. So right now, I definitely think he's faster than me."
As of now, the legendary footballer is nearing 40, but he still trains regularly. This will certainly give him a chance over Bolt, who retired in 2017, if a race were to take place between the two icons.