The on-field antics, be it post-goal celebrations or simple thank yous and welcome gestures, between some players speaks volumes of their bonding and the moments they enjoy together being teammates. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the few celebrated figures who enjoys the luxury of having such characters around him.
He is quite a persona in his life novel. Conquering almost every prestigious award in his illustrious career, Cristiano Ronaldo has made a mark among every footballer he has played with. Over the years, he has managed to build some crazy chemistry with his teammates on and off the field.
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Starting his career with Sporting Clube de Portugal, he stayed six exhilarating seasons at Manchester United before making his dream move to Real Madrid. Patently some of his favourite teammates feature from these teams along with those who have played with the Portuguese star at international level.
Considering the fact that he has been playing at the senior level for some 15 years now, there are many to list down here. Here we have a look at five of his favourite teammates ever, the ones he will always want by his side while performing the patent Ronaldo jump near the corner flag.
#5 Yannick Djalo
The 30-year-old former Sporting CP player might not have made it big in Europe as a professional player but one thing he can certainly boast off in years to come is the fact that he remains one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s favourite teammates. Being a Sporting CP youth product it is evident how the two patched up. It is believed that the two had ebullient memories from their teenage years and Djalo brings the youthfulness out of the Real Madrid star.
A once-promising youngster, Djalo, started his senior career in 2005 and has since failed to live up to expectations. He played for many other clubs since then and at times was rumoured to join Premier League teams but a move never materialised.
As far as his international career is concerned, having played for various under-23 levels, he finally made his debut for the Portugal national team in 2010 which till now is his only appearance.
#4 Nani
Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani have been the backbone of Portugal’s rise over the last decade or so and are the best of mates, to say the least. The two played together during their youth appearances for Sporting and eventually got to play at the national level when Nani made his debut for Portugal national team in 2006. The duo later went on to dazzle together for Manchester United and boast a healthy friendship.
Ronaldo even offered to share his apartment with Nani for the initial days after he sealed a move to Old Trafford in 2007 which the latter duly obliged. They spent 2 seasons together as Red Devils before Ronaldo switched to Real Madrid, but the two have been together at the international level till now.
Ronaldo’s affection for Nani was once again bright when he gave away the EURO 2016 Silver boot award after they edged past France in the final.
#3 Wayne Rooney
“Wayne has his own style. But with his hair he looks much better. He looks very good now. Before he was a little bit ugly, but now, with hair, he’s beautiful.”
Ronaldo spent some golden years at Old Trafford and it’s obvious that he will have a teammate of a lifetime from the bunch. Along with Rooney, the duo had colossal achievements together as fellow Red Devils and the way the two led Manchester United towards European glory says a lot about their friendship.
Ronaldo has always been full of praise for the England captain and he admires Rooney’s character a lot. Time and again, even at the worst of times when Rooney had a rough patch if there was someone who has always backed him to bounce back it has been none other Ronaldo. Once Ronaldo was quoted saying:
“I miss playing with Rooney. Maybe we will play together again one day. He was the kid of England, everyone loved him.”
Barring that bust-up during the EURO 2004 match between Portugal and England, they have had a fabulous time together.
#2 Pepe
Again, a player Ronaldo has played with for many years and is still teammates with. Be it their national team Portugal or club Real Madrid, these two have conquered Europe together and absolutely love each other’s endearment. They registered a double this year with the UEFA Champions league trophy and the EURO 2016 to their name.
Ronaldo has immense faith and appreciation for Pepe, so much so that he wants the Portuguese next to him each time he is on a mission to be victorious. Applauding the never say die attitude of Pepe, Ronaldo once said:
“Not only is he a fantastic defender, but he leaves nothing on the field. He gives everything Pepe is the team-mate I would want next to me in a war.”
Given an opportunity, Pepe isn’t too far either when it comes to lauding his teammate
“Without any disrespect to Eusebio or any other players who have played for the national team, Ronaldo is a symbol for Portugal. Given the goals that he has scored for Portugal and for his clubs, he is a player who is going to leave a long-lasting mark on football,” he was quoted as saying.
#1 Marcelo
The Brazilian and Ronaldo’s galactico teammate makes it to the top of the list. But it was not a fairytale start for the two as they met in an international match before Ronaldo joined Real Madrid. In the match Portugal lost 6-2 and the two were seen involved in a heated brawl. However, with Ronaldo’s dream move to Madrid, once they started training together at the Bernabeu, they turned out to be the best of pals on and off the field.
From training ground pranks to celebrating a goal the two are almost inseparable. When the ball finds back of the net from a Ronaldo shot, Marcelo is one of the first players to pounce on and embrace him. Just a couple of months ago, when the Portuguese’s form was critical, Marcelo cleared the aura of doubt saying that he will soon bounce back.
“There is plenty more to come from Ronaldo. He's is still young and he's a great team-mate.”
Ronaldo too returned the favour with a classy gesture by presenting him the match ball which he collected courtesy his hat-trick against Alaves. The video below is just a testimony to their closeness.
