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Unlike his eternal rival Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo has ventured into three of Europe's top five leagues, stamping his mark of authority on each of his destinations. Due to his frequent change of clubs, the Portuguese talisman has had the opportunity to play alongside a varied set of players, ranging from average to legendary.
Notable teammates of Cristiano Ronaldo over the years
Having played predominantly for Real Madrid, most of his achievements date back to his time at the Bernabeu. Similarly, some of Cristiano Ronaldo's most distinguished teammates also hail from the Spanish capital. The prolific forward has been fortunate enough to share the pitch with the likes of Raul, Iker Casillas, Kaka and Guti, among others.
Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo was part of the legendary Manchester United squad of the 2000s, boasting players like Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Paul Scholes and more. Even at Juventus, the veteran obtained the chance to play alongside legends like Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and the evergreen Gianluigi Buffon.
With so many legends to label as his teammates, Cristiano Ronaldo has had the cream of the bunch to accompany him on the field. However, as the other side to a coin, there also exists a set of players who were lucky to play with him. On that note, let's take a look at five players who were fortunate to be on the same team as Cristiano Ronaldo:
#5 Nuri Sahin (Real Madrid)
An integral part of the Borussia Dortmund side that famously pipped Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title in the 2010-11 season, Nuri Sahin was a revelation at the club. His consistent showings caught Jose Mourinho's eye the following season, and the Portuguese bought the holding midfielder to Madrid for a nominal fee of €10 million.
At the time of his signing, Sahin was touted to become a superstar with Los Blancos. Expected to trouble the reputation of Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira as starters, Sahin failed miserably to displace either of the two players. A promising player in Germany, the Turkey international could not uphold the burden of being at a club of Real Madrid's stature.
Even with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line, Sahin could only produce a meager two-goal involvement. His misery was brought to a premature end as Sahin went on to spend two of his three seasons contracted to the La Liga giants, on loan. Out of his 10 Real Madrid appearances, seven came alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Having joined Antalyaspor last summer in his native country, Sahin was very lucky to have partnered with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner at club level.
#4 Joao Mario (Portugal)
Exuding great potential in his early days, Joao Mario was quickly snapped up by Inter in 2016 for a sizeable fee of €40 million. The Nerazzurri valued him immensely due to his initial promise at Sporting CP and were compelled to take a punt on him following Portugal's victory at Euro 2016.
Fast forward five years, and Inter released their once-prized asset for free after three underwhelming loan spells. Despite his consistent failures at club level, Mario has somehow managed to convince his national team boss to provide him with constant opportunities. Subsequently, the 28-year-old midfielder has managed to rack up 29 matches alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Mario was yet again given an international call-up by Fernando Santos in August 2021 after being frozen out of the team for two years. While he has been much better for Portugal than any of his club sides, Mario has always failed to match the level of his distinguished teammates. With a recent transfer to Benfica, the washed-up Portuguese will be hoping to recoup his lost reputation.
Also read: 5 La Liga records that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi failed to break
#3 Danny Simpson (Manchester United)
A product of the esteemed Manchester United academy, Danny Simpson was once a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo's. The Englishman spent four seasons contracted to the Red Devils, having been sent out on loan for the majority of his United career. Even so, Simpson managed to partner Cristiano Ronaldo for a mere six games.
Having played for sub-par Premier League sides for almost the entirety of his senior career, Simpson's moment in the sun finally arrived in the 2015-16 season. He acted as the first-choice right-back for a resurgent Leicester City in that campaign. Against all odds, Simpson and his team fended off Arsenal and Tottenham to lift the elusive Premier League trophy for the first time.
However, his form soon took a nosedive, and the English full-back was released by the Foxes, aged 32. While he continues to be a passable squad player, the current Bristol City right-back has never been an elite Premier League footballer. So to have lifted the top-flight title and played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Simpson will consider himself fortunate.
#2 Eric Djemba-Djemba (Manchester United)
Eric Djemba-Djemba was picked up by Manchester United in 2003 after starring for the Africa Cup of Nations-winning Cameroon side. Brimming with potential, he was named the heir to Roy Keane's throne at Old Trafford upon his arrival.
Similar to others on the list, Djemba-Djemba failed to live up to his billing and was soon offloaded to Aston Villa in 2005. Sir Alex Ferguson even admitted to a having made a transferral mistake in signing the defensive midfielder.
Nevertheless, Djemba-Djemba was able to partner Cristiano Ronaldo in his brief spell with the Red Devils. The duo played a total of 21 games together, without producing any goal contributions. He went on to ply his trade in obscure footballing nations like Qatar, Israel, Indonesia and even India in the latter stages of his career.
#1 Jese Rodriguez (Real Madrid)
Destined to be a world-beater, Jese Rodriguez was La Fabrica's most promising prospect in decades. The skills exhibited by the youngster received widespread acclaim, and Jese was thrust into stardom shortly after. Everything was going according to plan, and the Spaniard was just a few performances away from being integrated into the Real Madrid first-team.
However, the once-prodigy proved to be an absolute disappointment in the senior squad. Real Madrid refused to give up on their supposed star, handing out an inexplicable 94 appearances to Jese. In the said duration, he enjoyed constant support from the coaching staff, all the while having the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema as his teammates. Yet the flashy playmaker could only produce a total of 18 goals and 15 assists for Real Madrid.
He was finally shipped off to PSG in 2016 with Los Blancos making a sizeable profit of €25 million. Predictably, Jese's inability to commit to the game caused him to tank in France as well. A string of disappointing loan moves followed, as hispiraledspiralled out. Having played a massive 75 matches alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Jese is now slumming it in the second tier of Spanish football with Las Palmas.
Also read: Ranking 5 greatest forwards who partnered Cristiano Ronaldo at club level
