Cristiano Ronaldo names ‘best club ever’ in football
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has called his former club, Real Madrid, the best ever in football history. It's no surprise that the Portuguese icon named the club where he's enjoyed some of the best years of his footballing career as the greatest.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Los Blancos from Manchester United for a reported fee of €94 million in the summer of 2009.
The 39-year-old striker made 438 appearances across competitions for the Spanish giants, bagging 450 goals and 131 assists. Ronaldo won four UEFA Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles, among other honors at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Speaking about the club on his YouTube channel with ex-Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo said (via @MadridXtra):
"Real Madrid is the best club ever in history."
Real Madrid also have an incredible European pedigree. They've won the UEFA Champions League an incredible 15 times, more than any other outfit in the continent. AC Milan come second on this list with seven titles.
Los Blancos are also the current UCL champions. They managed to defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the finals of the 2023-24 season after seeing off Bayern Munich and Manchester City in the semis and quarters, respectively.
Real Madrid have also been crowned Spanish top-flight champions on 36 occasions. However, they've not started off the new season very well, having picked up just eight points in four matches so far, four points short of leaders Barcelona.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti speaks about Cristiano Ronaldo's contributions to the club
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti recently discussed a number of club-related topics, including current and past players in an interview with Marca.
Among these was a short conversation surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo, who spent nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Portuguese forward eventually departed the La Liga outfit and joined Juventus in the summer of 2018 for a reported fee of €117 million.
Speaking about Ronaldo's contributions, Ancelotti said (via Madrid Universal):
"He has been and continues to be a great professional. One of the best of all time. A legend, a great professional and an example. He has been a fantastic teammate, much appreciated by the rest of the players."
Some of Ronaldo's former teammates from his time in the Spanish capital continue to represent the club, including Croatia legend Luka Modric. The pair shared the pitch 222 times across competitions, bagging 16 joint goal contributions.