"When I touch the ball they boo" - When Cristiano Ronaldo explained why he 'likes' being booed by rival fans in stadiums

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most widely celebrated footballers in the world, loves playing in front of fans in stadiums. What's more, he even loves it when he is booed by opposition supporters. The Portuguese legend believes that fans are at the heart of a football match.

In a conversation recorded by Goal in 2020, which is doing the rounds now, Ronaldo was seen reminiscing about the presence of fans in stadiums. During that time, the world was in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, and as a result, football matches had to be played behind closed doors in empty stadiums.

"For me, I have to be honest, to play in an empty stadium is boring in my opinion. We, the players, respect all the protocol and health is the most important thing of all, of course, but I don't like it, to be honest," Ronaldo had said at the Globe Soccer Awards back in 2020.

"I do it first of all because I love football. My passion is always football. I play for my family, my kids, my friends, the fans. But I don't like it, to be honest. It's so weird. I like when people boo Cristiano. When I touch the ball they 'boo', I like it. I hope in 2021 they can change the rules and we can see the stadiums full of people," he had added.

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"It's great when you look and see the kids want to be like you" - Cristiano Ronaldo

In that same conversation, Ronaldo had mentioned why he feels that kids are the future of football. The current Al-Nassr star also spoke about how his son, Cristiano Junior, wants to become like him when he grows up.

The 39-year-old was plying his trade for Juventus in the Serie A in 2020 when COVID-19 hit the world. Ronaldo is among the most successful strikers the world has seen, having scored 907 goals for club and country at the senior level.

"It's great when you look and see the kids want to be like you. They cut their hair like me. They want skills like me. I see my son, 10 years old and he wants to look like me and I say: 'You have a long way to do it, to be like your father'," Ronaldo had said.

"The future is the kids. I have four and I wish them all the best. When I see the kids around, for example in Dubai, they run and say 'Siii'. It makes me happy because they recognise my effort, my dedication, my hard work. I'm proud when I see stuff like that and it gives me motivation to carry on and continue like that," he added.

Ronaldo will next be seen in action when Al-Nassr square off against Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on Friday, October 25. He has scored six goals and bagged two assists already in the league this season.