"His statistics are a compelling evidence of his brilliance" - Gareth Bale lauds former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale heaped praise on former teammate and Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. The Welshman said that the Portugal forward's trophies and achievements indicate his position as one of the sport's all-time greats.

He said on the Netflix docu-series 'Captains of the World' (via CristianoXtra):

“The achievements that Cristiano has achieved, the number of trophies and individual awards he has won and the number of goals he has scored are a pleasure to behold.

"His statistics are a compelling evidence of his brilliance, the achievements he has attained, the number of titles he has won, and the number of goals he has scored; it's an enjoyment worth watching.”

Bale and Ronaldo were teammates at Real Madrid after the former joined Los Blancos from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a reported fee of €100 million. They featured in 157 games together, combining for 41 goals. They formed a deadly trio alongside Karim Benzema as the Spanish giants lifted La Liga in 2017 and the UEFA Champions League in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

The 'Captains of the World' is a documentary web series released by Netflix, providing inside access to all 32 teams in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

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Portugal star stresses importance of Cristiano Ronaldo for national team

Bernardo Silva says Cristiano Ronaldo is a vital part of the national squad.

Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva recently said that Cristiano Ronaldo possesses game-changing abilities and is still of key importance to the national squad. On the Netflix docu-series 'Captains of The World', Silva hailed his countryman, saying:

"Cristiano is a natural-born goal scorer and can, at any moment, influence the course of the game. He is a player of utmost importance for our national team."

Ronaldo has bounced back well from the disappointment of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He was benched by then manager Fernando Santos for Goncalo Ramos as Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals against Morocco.

Ronaldo was instrumental as Roberto Martinez's side maintained a perfect record through their UEFA 2024 Euros qualification group, winning all 10 games. The 38-year-old bagged 10 goals and two assists in nine appearances.

He now has 128 goals and 46 assists in 205 international caps and holds the records for most international caps and most international goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking forward to having a strong performance at the upcoming Euros, which could be his last. The Selecao have been drawn in Group C alongside Turkey, the Czech Republic and a team yet to be determined through the playoff route.