Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: Ronaldo Nazario, Brazil, Ronaldo, Real Madrid, Inter Milan
Ryan Sidle
Topics: Ronaldo Nazario, Brazil, Ronaldo, Real Madrid, Inter Milan
How do you get into the starting XI ahead of one of the greatest strikers ever? According to Ronaldo, one teammate tried to take him out till 5am in order to get into the team.
Ronaldo is considered one of the greatest ever strikers and the Brazilian may have put paid to any questions of who the best was if it weren't for his many injuries.
The Brazilian won two World Cups, scoring the winning goal in the final against Germany in 2002, though he didn't play a single minute in the United States in the 1994 tournament.
The former Real Madrid forward revealed that his time in the squad did help him, as he looked up to fellow strikers Romario and Bebeto.
"I learned a lot from Romario and Bebeto," the 45-year-old told former Inter Milan teammate Christian Vieri on the Italian's Twitch show Bobo TV.
"They were an inspiration for me even if Romario was a motherf***** because he forced young players to clean his boots or bring him coffees."
However, that wasn't the only problem that Ronaldo found with his former teammate, explaining that Romario used to take him out till early in the morning to try and tire out the three time FIFA Player of the Year winner.
"A few years later, in 1997 I was an important player already. I had already won the Ballon d’Or and during the training retreat for the Copa America, Romario suddenly told me: ‘Get ready, we go out tonight, don’t worry.’
"He had prepared a ladder to climb over the hotel’s wall and there was a taxi waiting for us on the other side.
"We returned at 5 am and I was exhausted the following day in training. I understood that Romario did it on purpose to tire me out and take my spot in the starting XI."
Ronaldo was also asked who he thinks the best striker in the world is right now, and the Brazilian picked Real striker Karim Benzema.
"Benzema, no doubts about it. Lewandowski after him. Haaland will become the No.1, but the other two are better than him at the moment.
"Mbappe is also really strong. I’ve read he’s signed a €50m-a-year contract with Real Madrid. Surely, we played at the wrong time."