Former Real Madrid left-back Marcelo recently took to social media to comment on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Instagram post following Al-Nassr’s victory over Al Rayyan in the AFC Champions League. The Saudi club emerged victorious with a 2-1 win, with Sadio Mane and Ronaldo both getting on the scoresheet.
In the match, Mane scored in first-half injury time, while Ronaldo netted a brilliant left-footed finish in the second half, further solidifying his status as the all-time leading goalscorer with an impressive tally of 904 goals. Ronaldo celebrated his achievement on social media, sharing pictures of the game and captioning it with a motivational message: “Hard work pays off. Let’s keep going!”
Marcelo, who enjoyed a successful nine-year spell as Ronaldo’s teammate at Real Madrid, left a congratulatory comment on the post, stating “And counting…” The duo played a key role in Real Madrid’s remarkable three consecutive Champions League triumphs between 2015 and 2018 under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane.
Their partnership on the field resulted in 33 joint goal contributions in 332 matches, helping Real Madrid secure numerous titles including four Champions League and two La Liga trophies. Despite Ronaldo’s departure in 2018, Marcelo continued his success at the club, clinching another Champions League title post-Ronaldo era.
However, not everyone shares the same admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo’s playing style. Former Real Madrid forward Antonio Cassano recently made headlines with his controversial comments about the Portuguese superstar. Cassano shockingly claimed that Ronaldo “doesn’t know how to play football” and criticized his focus solely on scoring goals rather than contributing holistically to the team.
In a podcast interview, Cassano compared Ronaldo unfavorably to other top strikers like Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez, and Karim Benzema, highlighting their ability to blend seamlessly with the team and not just score goals. Despite the criticism, Ronaldo’s remarkable goal-scoring record speaks for itself, with 450 goals in 438 appearances for Real Madrid alone.
Marcelo, currently plying his trade for Fluminense in the Brazilian Serie A, continues to follow Ronaldo’s success from afar. The bond between the two former teammates remains strong, with Marcelo’s recent comment serving as a testament to their enduring friendship despite being separated by different footballing paths.
