'People tell my son there's a better player than his dad' says Cristiano Ronaldo

What’s the story?

Cristiano Ronaldo is very proud of his footballing abilities and he was named the best player in the world after winning his fourth Ballon d’Or in December. But the Portuguese admitted that there are people who tell his son that he isn’t the best player the world and that there is someone better than him.

Lionel Messi is considered widely by many to be a better footballer than Ronaldo. His son is apparently reminded of that fact by certain people who Ronaldo refused to name.

Speaking to Egyptian channel ON TV, he said, “There are people who sometimes say to him that 'there is another player who is better than your father', but he knows how to deal with that. He is a smart boy, like me.”

“I often tell him "be yourself and be polite. I know that he will go through periods of adversity as there are jealous people out there, but I see him as a happy child.”

In case you didn’t know...

Ronaldo’s son has made comparisons of his father with other footballers before. He once called Gareth Bale faster than his dad to which Ronaldo replied that there is no-one faster than him.

It is nice to see Ronaldo jr. learning the right things to do from the Portuguese superstar and it might so happen that he also becomes a footballer one day.

The heart of the matter

Ronaldo and Messi have a long rivalry that has been the talk of the footballing world in the last decade. The last player other than Messi or Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or was Kaka in 2007 which goes to show how dominant the two have been.

The Portuguese takes a lot of pride in being named the best player in the world which is the reason why he is so protective of his son and wants him to remember how important hard work is to becoming a successful professional in any field.

Asked if he would prefer his son to also become a footballer he said, “Of course I would like it if he became a footballer," he admitted."I know that it is a challenge and that it isn't easy, but he can be whatever he wants to be as I won't pressure him.”

He was also specific as to which position he wants his son to play in."I might be pushing him a little in the direction of becoming a footballer, but not to be a goalkeeper as I want him to be a forward!”

What’s next?

It remains to be seen if Ronaldo’s son will also become a footballer like his father but it’s clear what will make Ronaldo happy. The Portuguese is now 31, but still feels he has a long way to go in his career.

“My goal is to keep going as I am and I have several years left as a footballer. For my age I have two enormous contracts [with Real Madrid and Nike] and that motivates me even more to keep working hard, to keep up my level of performance and to keep doing what I love.” Ronaldo told the media outlet.

Sportskeeda’s take

I’m no parent but Ronaldo seems to be doing a lot of things right so far when it comes to parenthood. It will be the Portuguese’s aim to get his son to play football and make a career out of it and it is very likely he will traverse that path.

Will his son be as good as his father? Only time will tell.