“There I was, signing a Ronaldo jersey”- Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate opens up on "strange" incident with fans

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammate Julian Gressel recently weighed in on a Cristiano Ronaldo-related incident that left him amused.

Gressel played a significant role in Inter Miami's 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution on April 27. The 30-year-old USMNT star, who joined Miami in January, played 75 minutes in midfield, contributing to the team's remarkable victory.

Gressel didn't stop celebrating after the final whistle. He lingered near the stands, taking in the mood as the stadium thinned away. This rare opportunity allowed him to phone his family from the hallowed field.

A few dedicated fans who stayed for the post-game meet-and-greet also had the opportunity to interact with Gressel. It seems like both his family and the Inter Miami fans were impressed by his performance and down-to-earth nature.

Speaking on the most recent episode of the PLAYER / MANAGER podcast, which he co-hosted with popular online streamer Zealand, Gressel provided an insight into the surreal world of fan interactions.

"At first, I see most of them, give them a hug, and chat for a few minutes. It's nice. Then suddenly, everyone jumps in wanting pictures and autographs. It makes you wonder if some even knew who I was beforehand. There I was, signing a Ronaldo jersey – that one was really strange," he said.

Despite this, Messi's teammate was happy to sign it and suggested that the large Portuguese population in Providence and Boston may have been the reason behind the request to sign a Cristiano Ronaldo jersey.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's former Manchester United teammate comes to his defense

Cristiano Ronaldo isn't short of supporters, and a familiar face from his Manchester United days just stepped up to back him. Ex-United striker Louis Saha isn't happy about Ronaldo being dissed by another former Red Devil, French defender Frank Leboeuf.

"I heard Frank Leboeuf say that Portugal can't win with Cristiano Ronaldo. I think it's disrespectful. Yes you can have your say and say and yes it’s possible that Portugal are not going to win with or without him, but saying he can’t win the competition at all is very harsh,” said Saha to OLBG (via SPORTbible).

Cristiano Ronaldo is still a legend, even in light of recent criticism over his work ethic off the ball. Even if popular perception may have changed slightly, his accomplishments cannot be disputed.

He is not only one of the greatest football players of all time but also Portugal's all-time top scorer, having scored an incredible 128 goals in 206 appearances. His trophy case is stuffed to the gills from winning championships with some of the top clubs in the world. Ronaldo is now focusing on Euro 2024, where Portugal's Group F opponents are Georgia, Turkey, and Czechia.