“When Cristiano Ronaldo invites you for lunch, just say no” - When Patrice Evra shared experience of meal with Portugal captain

During his coverage of the 2018 World Cup, former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra shared details of a meal he had with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Frenchman revealed how the Portuguese legend's dedication to training and caring for his body extends to his eating habits.

Evra played 9,042 minutes across 121 games with the legendary Portuguese star for the Red Devils. He discussed a lunchtime experience with the iconic forward, saying (via The Mirror):

"I will give advice to anybody - when Cristiano invites you for lunch, just say no. Not because of the food, but it feels like a training session over there. He asked me to come after training, I was really tired, but at the table was just salad and plain white chicken, just water, no juice."

"We started eating and I thought some big meat was coming after that, but nothing. He just finishes and starts playing with the ball. I've just finished eating but we start playing two-touch, then he wants to go to the pool to swim, afterwards some jacuzzi, sauna," he added.

The former Manchester United defender concluded, saying:

"Then I say why are we here? Do we have a game tomorrow? That is why I recommend to anybody, when Cristiano asks you for lunch to his house, just say no, don't go. He is a machine, never wants to stop training. Being serious, he deserves everything he has as he has worked so hard."

Cristiano Ronaldo's dedication to his health and physique has paid off, with the legend playing deep into his 30s. He is currently the most prolific footballer in the sport's history, scoring 916 goals.

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"He always pushed us and he knew he needed his teammates' support to win trophies" - When former Real Madrid star discussed playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo

In 2022, Former Real Madrid and Juventus defensive midfielder Sami Khedira shared how it felt playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. The German played with the Portuguese superstar at the Spanish capital and later in Turin with Juventus.

Khedira played 11,619 minutes across 174 games alongside the Portuguese legend at Real Madrid and Juventus, averaging 2.3 points per game and combining for seven goals. Speaking on ESPN FC's Gab and Juls show, the German had said:

“I met two Cristiano’s — the first at Real Madrid, a bit younger, and maybe a bit more insecure and selfish. Not in a bad way, but he had to find his personality. He scored many, many goals and was fantastic, but he did not have that much influence on the team."

"Then my second experience with Cristiano, at Juventus, he comes to the team and he has that same selfishness that ego to score, but he was more a leader — more a natural leader. He always pushed us and he knew he needed his teammates support to win trophies. In training, everyone wanted to beat Cristiano or if you were in his team, you wanted to help Cristiano win," he added.

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to play football professionally with the Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr. He has represented the Riyadh-based side 83 times, scoring 74 times and providing 18 assists.