Real Madrid academy players wanted to meet and take pictures with Cristiano Ronaldo as he trains at Valdebebas - Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo is training at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training camp, where academy players are eager to meet and take pictures with the Portuguese icon. That's according to Relevo, who has reported that the 37-year-old has been working on his fitness in the Spanish capital after Portugal's 2022 FIFA World Cup exit.
Selecao das Quinas exited the competition in the quarterfinals following a 1-0 defeat to Morocco. Real Madrid gave Ronaldo permission to use a different field than the one used by the first team to work on his fitness.
According to journalist Jorge Picon, when news broke of Ronaldo training in Valdebebas, Madrid's academy players wanted to meet him and take pictures. Ronaldo became a legend with Los Blancos, making 438 appearances, scoring 450 goals and providing 131 assists.
He left the club in 2018, joining Juventus for β¬117 million. The Portuguese is on the lookout for a new club after leaving Manchester United by mutually agreeing to terminate his contract during the World Cup.
He managed just one goal in five appearances during the tournament. Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr FC have made an astronomical β¬700 million offer to the legendary attacker. There were reports of Ronaldo accepting the offer, but he denied that, saying:
"No, that's not true β not true."
Real Madrid great Cristiano Ronaldo's future with Portugal national team
Cristiano Ronaldo is keen to stay on with the Portugal national team despite their demoralising exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The iconic forward reportedly feels he can still be an asset for the Selecao heading to the European Championships in 2024. The Real Madrid legend missed out on beating Portuguese hero Eusebio's record of nine World Cup goals, as he managed just one in Qatar. He's now just one shy of the late former Benfica striker's record, with eight goals in 22 World Cup appearances.
Ronaldo likely played in his last World Cup tournament, but he appears eager to continue for another two years.
He's an influential voice in the dressing room, and his experience and knowledge is hugely beneficial to the Portugal team.
However, Ronaldo endured a tumultuous tournament in Qatar following a fractious end to his relationship with Manchester United. Portugal manager Fernando Santos dropped him to the bench for the side's 6-1 win over Switzerland in the last 16 and the 1-0 quarterfinal defeat to Morocco.