Cristiano Ronaldo lauded by Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr as video showcasing Portugal icon's UCL goals comes to light
Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has lavished praise on his idol Cristiano Ronaldo in response to a video displaying all 140 of the Portuguese icon's UEFA Champions League goals.
Ronaldo left Europe in December when he joined Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr. However, his exploits in Europe's elite club competition will live on.
The 38-year-old won the competition five times, becoming the first player to achieve this feat. Moreover, he was a Champions League goal machine, bagging 140 goals in 183 appearances, the most by any player. He also provided 48 assists for Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus in the competition.
Vinicius caught wind of a video that went viral on X (formerly Twitter) showcasing Cristiano Ronaldo's brilliance in the Champions League. He responded:
"Addicted to scoring goals!! The CR7 animal!!! Yessss."
The Brazilian superstar has long idolized five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo. Vinicius expressed how the Portugal legend has inspired him (via Marca):
"I am inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo because I've watched all of his games and he marked an era at the club. He's an idol for me."
Vinicius never got the opportunity to play alongside Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Portuguese hero left Los Blancos in 2018, the same year the former Palmeiras sensation arrived.
However, he's following in his hero's footsteps, putting in inspired performances for Los Merengues. Vinicius has bagged 62 goals and 65 assists in 232 games, including 16 goals and 17 assists in 47 Champions League games.
Cristiano Ronaldo could return to Real Madrid but not as a player
According to El Nacional, Real Madrid could be prepared to offer Cristiano Ronaldo an emotional return to the Bernabeu. The La Liga giants could propose a position as an ambassador to their all-time top goalscorer.
Ronaldo is now at Al-Nassr and is impressing in the Saudi Pro League. He has bagged 11 goals and six assists in 11 games across competitions this season.
However, once the legendary forward calls time on his career, he could reunite with Los Blancos. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Al-Alami in January after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract with Manchester United.
Ronaldo's deal with Al-Nassr expires in 2025, and speculation is growing about his future beyond that point. The Portugal captain trained at Real Madrid's Valdebebas before his move to Saudi to ensure that he was still at top fitness.