Cristiano Ronaldo is revered as one of the best players to grace the sport in history, with an enormous fan following. And Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has revealed that he has been a fan of the Portuguese since his childhood while opening up on one of his regrets.
Real Madrid Ace Rodrygo Labels Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Role Model’
During a recent appearance on a podcast, Rodrygo asserted that he narrowly missed out on his biggest dream of playing alongside the Portugal and Al-Nassr striker at Real Madrid.
“I wanted to play with Cristiano Ronaldo, but it didn’t happen. It’s a shame, as he’s my role model. I have always looked up to him,” the right-footed wide operator said.
After arriving from Manchester United in 2009, Ronaldo relished a trophy-laden stint at Los Blancos until 2018. He departed the La Liga giants after helping them lift the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League trophy, securing a permanent move to Serie A outfit Juventus.
On the other hand, Rodrygo was in Brazilian side Santos’ books in the summer of 2018. He joined Real Madrid in July 2019, a year after the Al-Nassr star ended his stint in Madrid. He relished a fine debut season at Los Blancos, winning the 2019-20 La Liga title.
Since leaving Santos in a $53 million transfer, Rodrygo has won three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies. He has also guided the Alvaro Arbeloa-coached outfit to three Supercopa de España crowns, two UEFA Super Cups, and one Copa del Rey trophy.
However, the Brazilian forward has struggled to perform well for Real Madrid this campaign. The 25-year-old has scored just three goals and contributed six assists in 26 games across competitions for his side, featuring in just 1071 minutes of first-team action so far.
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Meanwhile, Ronaldo has taken his first step in being involved in team ownership. He bought a 25% stake in Spanish club UD AlmerÃa, who were last in the La Liga in the 2023-24 term, through a CR7 Sports Investments subsidiary earlier on Thursday, Feb. 26.
He told AlmerÃa’s website, “For a long time, my ambition has been to contribute to football beyond the soccer pitch. UD AlmerÃa have strong foundations and clear growth potential. I look forward to working with the leadership team to support the club’s next phase.”
AlmerÃa are currently competing in the La Liga 2, the second tier of Spanish soccer, and are in third spot in the 2025-26 domestic standings. They are on 49 points from 28 games, one point off league leaders and promotion favorites Real Racing Club de Santander.
