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Former Olympique Marseille defender Hiroki Sakai has expressed his admiration for Portugal and Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese icon has had an illustrious career, having won a plethora of trophies with club and country. With five Ballon d'Ors, he has also staked his claim as one of the best players of all time.
At 38, Ronaldo is, unfortunately, nearing the end of his career. The forward recently moved away from European football, joining Saudi Arabian giants Al-Nassr on a free transfer.
The former Real Madrid superstar, though, is still regarded as the best player in the world by many fans, players and pundits. Urawa Reds captain Sakai is among those who share that opinion.
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Expressing his admiration for Ronaldo, Sakai said that the megastar is incomparable. The Japan international added that he hopes to play against the Al-Nassr captain before he hangs up his boots.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world and can never be compared, but I have not had the opportunity to face him," Sakai said (via Kooora). "Perhaps I will have that opportunity in the future in the AFC Champions League."
Sakai notably led Urawa Reds to AFC Champions League glory, helping the Japanese club beat Al-Nassr's local rivals Al-Hilal 2-1 on aggregate in the final. He will hope to face Ronaldo and Co. in the competition next season.
Al-Aalami, though, have to win the Saudi Pro League to qualify for the competition. They are currently second in the table, sitting three points behind leaders Al-Ittihad. With five games left, the Mrsool Park outfit face an uphill task to leapfrog the Jeddah-based club.
Cristiano Ronaldo a face doubt for Al-Nassr's clash against Al-Khaleej
Al-Nassr cannot afford to drop any more points if they want to retain hopes of winning the title. Hence, they will be determined to get another three points on the table when they host Al-Khaleej on Monday (May 8).
However, Al-Aalami could be without star forward Cristiano Ronaldo for the game. The Portuguese icon could miss the clash due to muscle fatigue, according to reports.
Ronaldo is expected to undergo a medical examination on Sunday (May 7) evening. Al-Nassr will then decide if the forward is fit enough to feature against Al-Khaleej.
The former Manchester United superstar has bagged 12 goals and two assists in 15 appearances across competitions for the Saudi giants. He will be determined to add more to his tally and help the club overtake Al-Ittihad in the title race in coming weeks.
