Cristiano Ronaldo continues to delight his fans and shock critics with his goal-scoring ability. However, in the last few years, it has been a tough journey for the Portuguese forward. Amid all the criticism and judgment, an ex-teammate of the Portugal veteran also recently backed him for doing the right thing and shutting up his trolls with his performances.
The lethal striker continues to have big plans in the next few years with both club and country. Looking at his scoring numbers from this year, it doesn’t look like the 38-year-old is going to slow down anytime soon.
Ex-Portugal star defends the mentality of Cristiano Ronaldo against critics
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Cristiano Ronaldo has broken so many records in his playing career. Despite this, a certain section of fans continue to question his ability. A number of experts also have their reservations about the longevity of his career. Former Portuguese star and his teammate Hugo Almeida has bashed these trolls. He feels Cristiano Ronaldo has been doing the right thing by shutting the trolls with his performances on the pitch.
He said, “We still have El Bicho (‘The bug’ a complimentary nickname given to Cristianoby the Spaniards). He is 38 years old and still very hungry. He is still one of the best scorers in the world which is crazy. People wanted him to go down for many years but it never happened”. For the fans that don’t know, Spanish sports broadcaster Manolo Lama gave him that name mainly because CR7 is like a bug that can frighten opponents with his goal-scoring prowess.
💬 #Hugo_Almeida🗣️ :
“ We still have El Bicho (‘The bug’ a complimentary nickname given to @Cristiano by the Spaniards). He is 38 years old and still very hungry. He is still one of the best scorers in the world which is crazy. People wanted him to go down for many years but it… pic.twitter.com/7IPMtS8YPk
— Saudi Football News (@saudifootnews) November 21, 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo is no doubt in brilliant form for both Al Nassr and Portugal’s national team. As 2023 is coming to an end, how has this year been for the soccer veteran?
Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong at 38
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In 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to leave Manchester United. Everyone thought he would go to a top European team. But, he surprised everyone and signed for Al Nassr. Since, the move, he has proved everyone wrong. This year, the lethal striker has scored 46 goals and provided 13 assists in only 51 games for club and country. At the dusk of his career, the Portuguese forward seems to still be at his best.
The 38-year-old is leading the race for most goals this year against the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. Even then, many fans have backed both Mbappe and Haaland to win the Ballon d’Or. The stats indicate that Ronaldo is fitter than ever. He also wants to play in the FIFA World Cup in 2026. There is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo will play in the World Cup should he continue the same form.
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