"I try to explain to my children that this isn't normal" - Ex-Portugal man says no one has managed to do what Cristiano Ronaldo has in his career

Former Portugal midfielder Tiago Mendes has heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that no player has achieved anything like the Al-Nassr superstar. He is delighted to see the forward celebrating goals as if it were his first, even at the age of 40.

Speaking on SportyTV, Mendes said that Ronaldo is a 'superathlete' and a top goalscorer, and he tries to explain it to his kids when they watch the Portugal captain on television. The former Chelsea midfielder added that the Al-Nassr superstar still starts for the national team not because of his name and fame, but because he continues to deliver on the pitch. He said:

"It's so difficult to talk about Cristiano. He's a superathlete, he's a goalscorer. It's hard to describe in words what Cristiano Ronaldo means, because at 40 years old, he lives every game as if it were his first. His joy at scoring a goal, we're talking about over 900 goals, and he's still the same. He's not happy with scoring one, he wants to score the second, and this is at 40 years old."

"I know how much he takes care of himself, how much he still lives for football, and we know, despite all the stars, to this day no one has ever managed to do what he still does. He is still a starter for the national team, not because he is Cristiano Ronaldo, but because he scores goals and because he really is important. So, for me, whenever I see him playing for the national team,. I saw when I'm at home, it's incredible what we're seeing, and I try to explain to my children that this is not normal."

Tiago Mendes and Cristiano Ronaldo played 54 matches together for Portugal. They combined for just one goal, which came in a 7-0 win over North Korea in 2010.

Cristiano Ronaldo still dreams of winning the World Cup, says teammate

Cristiano Ronaldo still dreams of winning the FIFA World Cup, according to Joao Felix. The Al-Nassr star admitted that Portugal teammates are ready to do everything to help the national team captain win in 2026 and said (via GOAL):

“Yes, I think so and everything indicates that he will. He dreams of winning the World Cup, we will do everything we can to give him that prize. I think it is the only one he is missing.”

Portugal started their FIFA World Cup qualifiers earlier this month with wins over Armenia and Hungary.