"The best player in the world" - Portugal star hails teammate Cristiano Ronaldo after his performance in 3-0 win over Ireland
Portugal midfielder Danilo Pereira has waxed lyrical about his captain Cristiano Ronaldo, calling him the 'best in the world'. Danilo plays his club football with PSG, arriving from Porto in the summer of 2021.
In the recently concluded 2023-24 season, the 32-year-old contributed a goal and an assist in 34 games across competitions as Luis Enrique's side won three titles, including Ligue 1.
Meanwhile, his compatriot Ronaldo is coming off a superb first full season with Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr, whom he joined on a free transfer in December 2022.
The 39-year-old rolled back the years with a 44-goal campaign, including a record 35 strikes in the league, helping his team to consecutive second-placed finishes. He made a sparkling return to international football, striking a brace in A Selecao's 3-0 friendly win in Aveiro over the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday (June 11).
Following the five-time Ballon d'Or's performance, Danilo lavished praise on Ronaldo (as per TCR):
"Ronaldo is the best player in the world."
Following the first of his two goals in the win, Ronaldo became the first men's player to score in 21 straight years in international football. He went scoreless in two games in 2003 but has scored in every year since then.
Winning Euro 2024 is our primary goal despite potential personal milestones - Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is on the cusp of multiple milestones at the upcoming European Championship in Germany. One of them is the first player to appear in six editions of the competition, with nobody else doing more than four.
While he's proud of his potential milestone, Ronaldo is focused on helping his team go all the way, calling it their 'primary goal'. A Selecao won their only European Championship title in 2016 in France.
"I'm proud to be the first player to play in six EURO tournaments," Ronaldo told UEFA.com. "I'm thrilled about it as it shows the longevity of my career. However, it's merely a chapter in what Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved in football.
"I'm happy and I feel privileged to be here to help the national team achieve its goals and, of course, try to go on and win it, which is our primary goal."
The Portugal captain is also looking to extend his record of scoring in most different editions of the Euros to six, with nobody else doing so in more than three.