6 former Manchester United players who silently left the club despite legendary status
Football5 of Cristiano Ronaldo's Most Outrageous Comments Including Referring to Iceland as 'Small'
- Cristiano Ronaldo was at it again with explosive comments as he aimed a cold dig at Lionel Messi
- The Portuguese superstar bluntly stated the Saudi Pro League is superior to Major League Soccer
- This is not the first time the notably outspoken Ronaldo courted controversy with his comments
Cristiano Ronaldo was a trending topic on July 18 thanks to explosive comments he made about where his current league ranks in the world.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is no stranger to controversy, and he was at it again this week as he sensationally claimed the Saudi Pro League was better than Major League Soccer.
Ronaldo’s arch-rival, Lionel Messi, was recently unveiled by Inter Miami in the MLS and the Portuguese star's comments were largely perceived as a dig at his famed rival.
Sports Brief now takes a look at some of the most explosive comments made by Ronaldo in the past.
1. Ronaldo's dig at Atletico Madrid
In 2019, Ronaldo was irritated by Atletico Madrid fans who were taunting him after his Juventus side lost 2-0 in the round of 16 first leg.
He responded by taunting the fans back, reiterating the fact that he won five UEFA Champions League titles, while Atletico won none.
Notably, the Portuguese superstar went on to bag a hat-trick in the second leg to help Juventus sail through to the next round.
2. Ronaldo's comments about Barcelona's 'MSN'
When Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar Junior were in their prime at Barcelona, they were practically unstoppable.
But Ronaldo, thanks to his competitive nature, remained unfazed by the trio and once aimed a dig at the players by suggesting he performs without the help of anyone.
3. Ronaldo criticises Real Madrid teammates
On February 27, 2016, Ronaldo caused a stir online after questioning the quality of his teammates at Real Madrid. Then only 30, he famously said, 'If the whole team were at my level, we'd be first', per The Independent.
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FootballHis comments came after Los Blancos suffered a 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid to fall nine points behind league leaders Barcelona.
4. Ronaldo's infamous Piers Morgan interview
No one can forget how Ronaldo ended his relationship with Manchester United, with a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan paving the way for a bitter split.
Among other brutal comments, he slammed the club and its hierarchy, with his sentiments proving to be the final knell for his second stint with the Red Devils.
One of the standout points of the interview, per The Mirror, was Ronaldo slamming the club’s facilities, saying: 'Manchester right now, to compare with that club, I think it's behind in my opinion, which is something that surprised me'.
5. Ronaldo calls Iceland 'small'
In 2016, Portugal drew 1-1 with Iceland in the Euros, and Ronaldo could not hide his frustration after the game. He openly criticised the opposing team's tactics while boldly referring to the nation as 'small'.
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Football"Iceland didn’t try anything," Ronaldo said at the time, per The Guardian. "They were just 'defend, defend, defend' and playing on the counterattack. It was a lucky night for them."
United star, Ronaldo to reunite
Sports Brief also reported on a possible reunion between Ronaldo and Alex Telles, the latter of which has been the subject of transfer speculation for some time after falling down the pecking order at United.
According to reports this week, Al-Nassr could land the left-back for a bargain £4 million and the development has since been confirmed by transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, who stated the deal is 'all but done'.