"I would start and end with Cristiano Ronaldo" - When WWE legend John Cena named the best footballer in the world
Earlier this year, professional wrestler and actor John Cena revealed his stance on the ongoing GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In a past interview with BBC's Mark Lawrenson, Cena made no qualms about his preference for Ronaldo, who has arguably been one of the most influential players worldwide.
Cena declared (via Elfildeo):
"If I had to name the best player, I would start and end with Cristiano Ronaldo. That's it."
Beginning his professional journey with Sporting Lisbon, Ronaldo transferred to Manchester United in 2003, kicking off a career that has seen him play across Europe. His journey came full circle with a second tenure at Old Trafford before embarking on his latest adventure with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Though his move to Saudi Arabia raised eyebrows initially, owing to the league's relative lack of prestige, the decision has been somewhat vindicated.
At 38, the former Real Madrid star has continued to astound, marking this Saudi Pro League season with an incredible six goals and four assists in just four appearances. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has seen an influx of top-tier talent like Neymar and Karim Benzema after Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival.
While John Cena's preference leaned toward Ronaldo, the debate surrounding the better player remains far from settled, as many athletes have picked Lionel Messi instead.
Cristiano Ronaldo achieves 1,000 unbeaten football games record
Cristiano Ronaldo added a remarkable accolade to his ever-growing list of achievements as Al-Nassr secured a 2-0 victory over Persepolis. While the Portuguese icon did not contribute directly to the scoreline, he hit a milestone: a total of 1,000 unbeaten games, including wins and draws.
Over the course of those 1,000 games, according to Daily Mail, Ronaldo's teams have recorded 776 victories and 224 draws—an exceptional statistic by any standard. Even at the age of 38, Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down, as evidenced by his goal-scoring for Al-Nassr.
The Saudi club capitalized on their numerical advantage in the encounter against Persepolis at Tehran. The tide of the match decisively turned when Milad Sarlak was dismissed just seven minutes into the second half for a foul on Ronaldo.
Just ten minutes following the incident, Abdulrahman Ghareeb found the back of the net, courtesy of a deflected strike stemming from Marcelo Brozovic's assist. In the 72nd minute, Mohammed Qassem further cemented Al-Nassr's lead, unleashing a shot that found its mark on the roof of the net.