Cristiano Ronaldo: Al Nassr Star Receives Rare Reviews From Barcelona Hero

• Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco were former international teammates
• Both are two of the greatest ever players to come out of Portugal
• The Barcelona director has shared an insight into Ronaldo’s skills

Cristiano Ronaldo possesses an ability that only he has, according to a former international teammate and Barcelona sporting director.

Ronaldo began his professional career in 2002 and burst onto the scene when he joined Manchester United in 2003, where Sir Alex Ferguson groomed him into a star.

At 39 and having achieved almost everything in football except the FIFA World Cup, he is still active and making giant strides with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

In 2023, he was the best goalscorer in the world – he netted an incredible 54 goals, surpassing top European strikers like Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

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Deco names a skill Ronaldo has

Per Goal, Deco and Ronaldo debuted for the Portuguese national team in 2003 and appeared together 57 times, including at Euro 2004 on home soil, where they lost the final to Greece.

The attacking midfielder had a great career, though not as glamorous as Ronaldo’s and hung his boots in 2013. He is Barcelona’s sporting director, and in an interview with FourFourTwo, he named an attribute that sets his compatriot apart from others.

“Simply being around someone who was obviously different, on and off the pitch. I was struck by his ability, his speed and the way he played. His game had a lot of intensity. He tired out the opposition – he didn’t let the opposing full-back breathe,” he said.

“That was something I hadn’t seen in any player up to that point. He always had great technical ability, too. It was amazing to watch him.”

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The former Manchester United player has been tipped to play into his 40s and is hoping to play for his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Hazard claims he's better than Ronaldo

Sports Brief reported on Eden Hazard claiming he’s better than Ronaldo based on pure football abilities, even though he acknowledged him as the bigger player.

The comment stirred controversies on social media, with most fans disagreeing with him and going nostalgic over the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in his early days.