Cristiano Ronaldo confronts Manchester United's Erik ten Hag and Glazer owners over perceived disrespect, citing a lack of respect after limited playing time against City and Tottenham. He defends leaving pre-season early to prioritize his daughter Bella's health, rejecting a 350 million Euro Saudi offer to remain focused on winning the Champions League with Portugal. While identifying France, Spain, and Argentina as World Cup contenders, Ronaldo plans to retire around age 41 after Qatar, crediting Jordan Peterson for strategic life advice and aiming to author a book on longevity. [Automatically generated summary]
Transcriber: nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v2, sat-12l-sm, and large-v3-turbo
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Ronaldo Blasts Manchester United00:03:29
This is Piers Morgan on Censor coming up revelations from Ronaldo, football's biggest superstar, gives his blistering verdict on life at Manchester United.
From London, this is Piers Morgan Uncensored.
Welcome to the special edition of Piers Morgan Uncensored in the next hour, Cristiano Ronaldo turns up the heat.
He sensationally reveals he has no respect for his current manager.
He calls out Manchester United's owners, the Glazers.
He talks candidly about his future at Old Trafford and the World Cup in Qatar.
He even reveals his retirement plans and what do you think Siblyan or Messi?
But I begin with a very personal question.
Do you have more pounds in the bank or more Instagram followers?
It's a good question.
Probably similar, I don't know.
Probably similar.
I'm just trying to work out how Wayne Rooney could hate you even more and probably that's the answer.
Well, not only him.
Imagine the rest of the rats, they're going to criticize me too.
But it's good.
It's good to be still number one.
If you see the...
Something that make me happy too.
If you see Forbes magazine every year, I'm in the top of the list.
So it's not by coincidence to...
But knowing you, I don't...
It's not the money so much.
It's just you want to be at the top, right?
I mean, that's what, I think, what drives you.
If someone said to me, what drives Cristiano Ronaldo?
I don't think it's money.
I think it's being the best, beating people.
It's that competitive stream.
The records, the adrenaline.
But, Piers, let's be honest.
The last years, the football change, I see football now as a business, to be honest.
Sometimes Georgiana have expression that I don't understand.
They treat your players like a piece of meat.
I say, yes, you say everything.
It's true.
When they want you, when they count with you, they give you everything.
When they don't, they try to make a hard life to you.
I see football the last years as a business.
I saw many, many things that I'm disappointing.
The passion for the game is still intact, but in the same way, I say I saw other things as well, which surprised me, but in the same way, it's part of the business because if you see the world how it is in the moment, it's all business.
Everyone takes itself.
Everyone, they are more individual.
Well, you become a commodity, don't you?
Where if you can sell a record number of shirts in 24 hours, great, right?
But if suddenly the team isn't performing well and they need someone to blame, it looks to me like at Manchester United, the default position is it's got to be Cristiano's fault.
Exactly.
It's always my fault.
The problem is always me.
I look like I'm the black sheep, which is, I don't like.
If you do it good or if you do bad, they're always going to find some criticize.
Even in the national team, the last three months, as I told you before, the criticize was so bad.
I mean, not only in football way, but professional and family way as well, which surprised me a lot.
Look like I was a bad guy, which is not true.
People have to listen from my mouth the real, the facts as well.
The Burden of Being the Black Sheep00:03:43
This is why I give this interview, because I thought I think it's the right time to speak out of my mind, which is what they say the last four or five months is completely garbage.
I'm not going to say 100%, but 99% is garbage.
People say false things or lie things.
Which things have annoyed you the most?
Family issues.
I want to talk about one in particular on that, which is when you were late back for the preseason training.
A lot of speculation because you'd said several weeks before that you wanted to play Champions League football and that you were maybe looking for another option because it didn't look like United would get to play Champions League.
Let's make my points, for example, the preseason moment.
And after you mentioned new clubs or the interesting.
For example, the preseason, I had a very, very bad witches.
I don't say nobody.
The people who surround me, they saw friends and even my mom.
I had some problems in vacation.
That's my young daughter, they have a little problem.
They have bronchitis, which is bronchitis.
Bronchitis.
Yes, yes.
You're a little baby then.
Yes.
I was in New York and all these and she stayed one week in hospital, which was, you know, you don't enjoy a lot.
And after what had happened, so why?
Exactly.
And the people make up histories that they say that I don't want to go travel.
Peace.
People have to understand that I'm a human being.
I'm always going to be in my side of my family.
I'm not negotiating nothing behind that.
You understand?
And I even have the letters from the hospital, the feedback of the health of Bella, which is, I'm not showing nobody, nobody asks me, I keep for me.
People forget that I'm a human being, that I passed through difficult moments.
Well, you must have been worried sick.
I mean, you're my baby son, and now your baby daughter's in the hospital.
Exactly.
And you must have been absolutely.
I thought with the directive of and the president of Manchester United and then kind of that didn't believe that something going wrong, which is make me feel bad.
Really?
Yes, yes.
They didn't believe you.
They believe you, but in the same way, they are there.
I never peace ever going to change the health of my family for a football.
Never.
Now or 10 years behind or forward.
And it's something that really hurt me because they doubt of my word that I struggle, especially Belle and Gio.
We had one week in hospital because they have a big problem.
And I didn't go to the pre-season because of that, because I didn't was allowed to left my family if something happened to do it the preseason because I think it wasn't not fair to left my family for a pre-season.
This is why I didn't go.
I mean, that would, if my employer didn't believe a story like that, that would, I would be so angry.
Because everyone, I'm not mentioned only in that Manchester way, but in a world, especially in a football world, they are very, very, very individual.
Everyone, everyone, everyone looks for himself.
They don't care about your moments, your struggle moments, your issues, family problems.
Why They Want You to Leave00:13:31
They want you.
They want you.
Doesn't matter your family problems.
I don't mean Manchester, but in general, as I told you before, the football goes so fast.
You have many competitions, many games, pre-season.
World Cup now, listen, we have last, you have one game.
After three, four days, you have to be in the national team preparation for the World Cup.
It's hard.
Sometimes you have to sell everything and, you know, be with your family, take the best decisions.
And in this summer, I didn't feel comfortable.
Feel incomfortable the way they treat me, especially the press, they doubt about me, the professional that I am.
It's impossible to be 21 in the top of the game if you're not professional.
They doubt about me, which is make me feel very, very, very sad because in my life I'm always one of the best professionals.
This is why I still play in the high level.
You play in a pre-season friendly and you leave the ground early with several other players.
And there's another huge fuss about this.
What was the truth about that?
Had you got permission to go?
Do you wish you hadn't left early now?
Ten Hague wasn't happy, it was reported.
What's the truth?
Please, I will be honest with you.
It's something that I regret to left from the stadium, probably, or maybe no, I don't know.
It's difficult to tell you 100% if I'm.
But let's say I regret.
But in the same way, I felt provoked by the coach.
I'm not allowed for a coach to put me three minutes in a game.
Sorry, I'm not that kind of player.
I know what I can give to the teams.
You're talking about the Tottenham thing.
The Tottenham thing.
Yeah, I'm talking about in pre-season there was a friendly where you left the ground with several players.
Me and eight players.
Right.
But they mention only my name.
Yeah.
Which is his.
Everyone do that.
I don't understand why they mention only about Haivala kind of play game.
Last year, many players do it the same.
In that game, eight players do it the same.
But they only speak about the black chip, which is me.
I completely understand.
Okay, it's done.
I apologize to the coach.
And for me, the chapter was closed.
Coming next, Ronaldo Claims is being forced out of Manchester United.
It seemed to me that right from the start, Ten Hag wanted to show you who the boss was.
That he dropped you, he benched you, he mugged you around, he talked about you in the press.
Were you getting that feeling?
I mean, did you feel that...
The feeling he always mentioned to me that I didn't need the preseason, so I should wait for my opportunity.
I really understand.
I should.
Well, okay, I understand.
But I'm not going to give you points, but you don't do it the same sediment from to every players.
I'm not going to mention players, but they don't do it the same way.
Second, I understand that it coming a new job, Manchester was so bad the last five years that it should make they should clean the house, let's say in that way.
But the way they approach the way the press makes this so big, it's because probably the communication wasn't the best.
But I really understand in the beginning because I didn't do the preseason, I don't start to play.
But going more farther than that, further than that, other things happen that people don't know.
And I'm not hiding that the empathy with the coach is not good.
I'm honest.
You don't have a good relationship with him?
I'm not mean good relationship.
The empathy is not good, let's say.
You think he respects you?
I think you don't respect the way I should deserve.
But it is what it is.
This is why probably the game against Tottenham I left.
Well, I want to come to these two games.
So against Manchester City, where United got destroyed, he didn't bring you on.
He brought on other strikers, but didn't bring you on.
And I felt insulted on your behalf.
I was like, well, surely against Manchester City, if you're losing this badly and you've got the greatest player of all time sitting there, you at least give him some time, don't you?
But he didn't.
And he said afterwards the reason was he had too much respect for you.
He wanted to respect you.
When you heard him say that, what did you think?
Excuses.
I see as excuses.
I saw many things that I don't want to criticize him.
He can have different opinion than me that they choose the players that he think is better for the team.
I respect that.
But the excuses all the time, you know, the excuses have short legs.
You cannot excuses all the time, which is things that don't make sense.
Okay, you don't put me against Manchester City because of respect of your career and you want to put me three minutes against Tottenham.
Well, that's the thing.
So you then play Tottenham.
Don't make sense.
And then he wants to bring you on with three minutes to go, which is the complete opposite to what he said the situation was with Siddi.
I think it did purpose because, for example, in the national team, the other clubs, if the coach wants to put me five minutes, if someone injured or if they really need me, I will help.
But in that way, I felt provoked, not only because of that game, but before somebody...
He was deliberately provoking you.
Everyone know that.
Disrespecting you think.
Exactly.
This is why I say I don't have respect for him because he doesn't show me respect for me.
This is why we are in that situation.
I have to be honest that the things don't go well because of that, because the empathy don't exist.
And he keeps saying things for the press, but the press say what they think it's good to protect probably him and Manchester United.
But as I know, I understand many things that he signed three years' contract with Manchester United.
Probably I'm not going to be too much long in Manchester United apart when I'm finished my contract.
I really understand, but I like guys that they don't lie, they speak honest, they be frontal.
And I'm not negotiating my morals.
My morals always will be intact.
And what's going in my things the last two months was not respect in many ways, which is it I can regret, for example, against Tottenham to left the stadium before the finish.
Well there's a video clip which appears to show Ten Haag telling you to get ready to come on and you gesticulate back to him, I'm not going to do that.
And as a result, you get suspended for the next couple of games and he goes public and says it's because you refused to come on.
And you did then issue a statement of some regret saying, you know, you're a professional and you've never been suspended before, I don't think, in your entire career.
I mean, when you look back at that, I guess my question would be, you've always been very acutely aware of your role model status around the world.
Do you wish with hindsight you hadn't done that and handled it a different way?
Probably I regret to left the stadium.
But I was, as I told the Pierce before, I didn't felt that he had respect for me to put me on three minutes after the issues that we had before.
I was very very very, very disappointing for the communicator of Manchester United.
To be honest, I never had a problem with any club, with any coach, and they suspend me three days, which is is I felt a lot and it was and and level of sport clubs.
I felt a lot and it was a shame.
Was it humiliating for you?
I think so.
Yes, I have to to say the truth what I felt.
I remember I arrived, I arrived.
Well, I don't want to say I don't want to say details what he pretend to do it, but I'm not gonna say that.
But I remember I arriving home and Cristiano, see me daddy, you not go to the game.
I say no, because the club punished me with three days and he did like how they're gonna punish you if you are the best player in the world and you're not gonna play?
No, I'm not gonna play because I'm not being, I'm behave, and you look at me like my daddy, not be behaved, what?
In one way, I was good because I was like, more relaxed, but in the same way, I feel very disappointed because okay, I regret, I apologize, I'm not perfect, I commit a mistake, but to suspend me three games, three days, for that, I think it's too much.
And they, they make fire for the press, which is really disappointing.
And that seems to have been the pattern of the way Ten Hag has wanted to treat you since he became manager, just constant attempts to disrespect you.
I guess many, many points happen, I think in some certain points.
I think was strategy from the club for me to react like that because they wanted you to leave?
Probably yes, they're trying to force you out.
You think yes, not only the coach, but the other two or three guys.
They are around the club at the senior executive level.
Yes, that I felt betrayed and you think they're trying to get rid of you.
Honestly, I shouldn't say that I don't know, but listen, I I don't care, I'm always.
People should listen.
The truth yes, I feel betrayed and I felt that some people that don't want me here not only this year, but last year too, they didn't want you to go there at all no really yes, the owners of the club, they listen, they don't the glazers, the Glazes, they don't.
They don't care about, about the club.
I mean professional sport.
As you know, this Manchester is a marketing club.
They get his money from the marketing.
The sports it's they they don't really care, in my opinion.
Do you ever talk to them?
The Glazers?
Never never never, not since you've gone back.
No, they give all the power to the president.
The Sport Directive.
A lot of Manchester United fans are very negative about the Glazes.
They think they're taking all the money out.
They're not spending enough on players, on the infrastructure issues you talked about.
Do you think the fans are right?
The fans, they're always right.
I think the fans should know the truth, should know that the players, we want the best for the club.
I want the best of the club.
This is why i'm coming to Manchester United.
This is why I love this club.
But you have some things inside the club which is don't help to Manchester reach the top level as CITY, Liverpool and even now Arsenal, for example, which is complicated.
It's difficult, It's hard, in my opinion, it will be hard for Manchester to be on top of the game the next two, three years if the glazes change.
I'm not mean the glazes, but the structure.
As Picasso says, you have to destroy it, to rebuild.
And if they can start from me, for me, it's not a problem.
I'm always going to say I love Manchester United, I love the fans, they're always on my side.
But if they want to do it, different era, different generation, they have to change many, many things.
When you walked away at Spurs and didn't go on, Gary Neville said your behavior was unacceptable, called for you to be punished.
He said he knows what he's doing, he's experienced, and players of that power have a real negative impact when they do it.
The influence they have on other players is really negative.
And it's after that that you gave them your blank treatment, which was very funny, by the way.
But for Neville to say that about you?
They don't see the big picture.
Why I react like that?
Love the Club, Change the Era00:14:52
What's happened?
All the behind the scenes.
All the behind the scenes.
I was probably not provoked.
They will accept to play three minutes after the whole situation that going through the last two months.
Don't tell me that top players, the guys who want everything, the key players, will play three minutes.
Come on, this isn't acceptable.
After what they keep saying before, that they respect me, they do this, they do that.
For me, it wasn't not respect.
This is why I take this decision.
I regret.
I apologize to my teammates for the situation.
I did a post in Instagram.
I regret to left from the stadium.
I regret my teammates, they know what I felt.
I say to them, apologize.
But in the same way, I'm not regretting to take the decisions to not coming on.
I'm like that.
I will be always like that.
If you don't have respect for me, I'm never going to have respect for you.
And the coach didn't have respect for me.
So this is why the relationship, it's in that way.
And he keeps saying in the press that he count with me, like me, blah, But it's only for the press.
Really?
Yes, 100%.
So where are you now in your head with all this?
Because the World Cup is about to start.
You're going to go there with Portugal.
And we'll talk about that in a moment.
With a very exciting team, actually.
But where are you with United?
They won't be playing again now until after Christmas.
That leaves a few days before the January transfer window.
Do you think you'll still be a United player come January 1st?
It's difficult to tell right now, Piers, because my mood is right now to the World Cup.
It's probably my last World Cup, of course, my fifth World Cup.
I don't know what's going to happen after the World Cup.
But as I told you before, and I will say again, the fans will be always in my heart.
And I hope they being in my side, even if I back or if I'm not back or if I stay or whatever.
Nobody's perfect.
Episodes in the life we all have.
It's part of the human beings.
It's part of me to be a human being and father as well.
I always will commit mistakes.
But I don't know.
It's hard to tell her right now what's going to happen in the World Cup because my focus is always for the World Cup, for the Portugal national team.
Coming next, will Ronaldo still be old Trafford after the World Cup?
I'll ask it.
If you had your time again knowing what was going to happen, would you sign for Manchester United again?
As I told in the beginning, I'm always took my decisions by not emotional moments, but maybe this decision I took by emotional.
I'm not regret because I took with 100% conscience, but it was more emotional than rational.
Don't know if it makes sense.
But it was good.
It was good because I was happy when they left me be happy.
So I try to give my advice, my experience to help Manchester United to be where they deserve to be.
I don't pretend to be more smart than the other ones.
Nobody is smarter than me, but I'm not smarter than nobody.
When I arrive in Manchester United, I always be available to help the team to do the good things, to put in the right spots to compete with the best teams.
But it's hard when they cut your legs and they don't like you to shine and they don't listen to your advice.
I think I have a word to advise to the club because the trophies that I won individual and collective, I think I can help a lot.
But when the infrastructure is not good.
What's amazing is you ended last season with hat-tricks.
You're scoring hat-tricks for fun, one against Tottenham.
You know, you were playing great football, but you were starting most games.
And now this season, you've barely started any games.
Something happened.
You know, I'd imagine you're a bit like a racehorse, right?
If you don't start...
I did indeed the pre-season.
Right.
Right.
It's the excuse.
Right.
Which is the same thing.
Is with you the preseason.
Do you think if you've been able to just do what you did last season, you just carried on scoring?
For sure.
You think I just learned to score goals?
Maybe I'm not motivated that I'm supposed to be, probably.
As I told you before, Pierce, I'm a human being.
I feel the things.
I'm not perfect.
But my motivation is not the same that I was a few months ago.
I hope to change.
Do you feel like you need a fresh challenge?
I'm not saying if it's a fresh challenge, but let's see.
I cannot answer right now because my focus is for the World Cup.
But I don't know.
Maybe it's good for Manchester and Barry and probably it's good for me as well to have a new chapter.
Probably, but I don't know.
If I will be back, I will be the same Cristiano.
But I hope people bring on my side and let me shine like I did all the clubs and all years.
What is the truth about other clubs making offers for you?
Some people have said there were no offers at all.
I happen to know that there was a gigantic one from Saudi Arabia.
For example, 350 million Euros for two seasons.
Is that the kind of thing?
Yes, it's true.
That's a staggering sum of money.
Yes.
Which you turned out.
In that moment, yes.
I mean, that to me says you're not just about the money.
This is what it's what I'm going to mention now.
They say many, many garbage things that if you are agent, what you're going to do?
You go the clubs, but George Mendes, for example, have more than 100 players.
And they go Chelsea, they go Arsenal.
I always mention Cristiano Ronaldo, they offer Cristiano.
Piers, let's be honest.
Who's the most expensive player, salary player that Premier League have in history?
It's me, even with 37 years old.
They even offer me to sporting or Annapolis.
I will be honest with you.
I didn't have many, many clubs, but I have many, many offers of the other clubs, which I didn't change because I didn't plan to do it.
But I have.
But what the press keeping say and the garbage press say that nobody want me, which is completely wrong.
And I was happy here, to be honest.
I was motivated to do it a great season here.
But they continue to repeat.
Nobody wants Cristiano.
How they don't want to play who last year scored 32 goals with national team.
I mean, that's the point I don't get because there are people out there and you see them, you hear them, and they say, well, he's not the player he used to be.
As if somehow at 37 you're going to be as good as you were at 21.
Anyway, everyone changed.
But you are the greatest 37-year-old anyone's ever seen, right?
And you're still extremely fit.
So it just seems to me nothing's changed from the player I saw banging in hat-tricks last season, except you have a coach who doesn't want to start you.
A few months, what are they going to change?
There's nothing.
You feel like you can still be a top player?
But for me, it's a stupid question when the people say, ah, they are not the same.
Nobody is the same.
Day by day, we're getting old.
Everyone of us, you understand?
It's normal.
You have to adapt.
And I think nobody in this game have this brain that adapts with this age.
I'm not want to be cocky to say that I'm the same that when I was 20.
Of course not.
But I'm adapt and I'll be smart to know my strength, what I'm good to do.
And I'm still playing the high level and I score goals and I will continue to score goals if my mind is clear and happy and if the people surround me there help me to be successful player, especially the coach, the president, directives.
But when you feel that the energy don't go surround you, it's difficult you to be yourself, which has happened.
This is what's happened with me.
But what they say the last three months is completely garbage and wrong.
They say that I offer me this and that.
And many presidents and directives speak about their reject for me.
It's completely lie.
They lie because it's not what's happened.
I had many clubs, not many, a few clubs that they want me to sign and I didn't go because I feel comfortable here.
This is the truth.
How easy is it to turn down 350 million pounds to kick a football for two years in Saudi Arabia?
It's hard, it's hard, it's hard, but in the same way I thought that I was very happy here, that I still capable to score goals and make people up.
Is it also that you want to keep playing at the highest level?
That you want to play Champions League football, you want to keep breaking records?
Again, it comes back to my gut feeling about you, that if it was just about money, you'd be in Saudi Arabia, right, earning this king's ransom.
But that's not what motivates you.
You want to keep at the football.
Exactly, because I thought I still believe that I can score many, many goals and help the team.
Because I still believe that I'm still good and capable to help national team, even Manchester United.
But if you don't feel surrounded you that the energies is in your side, it's difficult.
Of course, they criticize going to exist all the time.
Aye, 37 is still not the same.
But I want to see if some guy of my age maintains the level that I show.
You're not going to teach me that.
Nobody's going to teach me that.
I know.
Are you as fit as you've ever been, do you think?
Yes.
Yes.
In this moment, I feel very, very good.
I believe that I'm going to do amazing World Cup and prepare physically and mentally.
But Pierce is here, it is what it is.
Life is good.
I'm good.
My mentally is good.
I'm happy to do this interview with you.
I know they're going to generate very polemic.
Of course.
But Christianity.
But they would anyway, right?
I mean, they've all had their say, and now you're entitled to have your say.
And you know better than anybody because you are Cristiano Ronaldo.
They criticize me when I don't speak.
Of course, when I'm going to speak, they're going to criticize me even more, but it's something that I can deal with that.
I know I'm going to disappoint a few people.
Maybe I'm going to make happy a few people, but it is what it is.
The life is completely difficult.
We have obstacles in our lives.
And I will keep running to fight against the people who don't believe me.
And the life is a challenge.
And I want to people, the people that they are wrong when they say that.
If you do leave United, and I accept that this is not a done decision either way, but if you do, and it seems to me like it's more likely than not as we sit here, what would your message be to Manchester United fans who've had to read all this stuff all year and probably have a very mixed idea about where the truth lies?
What would you say to them if you do end up leaving?
It's hard for me to say that I will not be back to Manchester United, but regardless, as you say, let's see what's going to happen.
But as I told you before, the fans for me always will be in my side, will be always in my heart.
I see during the days when I go to the street the love, the passion that people have for me, the respect.
I hope that they never forget the things that I will continue to do it, not only in the past, but in the present too.
Manchester will be always in my side.
The fans will be always in my side.
It doesn't matter what's going to happen.
And I appreciate the love that they send for me all the time.
Even when I'm done play, even when they criticize me, they always will be in my heart.
So thank you to the old supports.
Hope to see you soon.
And they always will be in my heart.
And what about Sir Alex, the man who persuaded you to come back again?
Really like a father figure to you, really, in many ways, like another father to you.
What's his take on everything that's been happening?
What's his opinion of all this?
I don't speak with him like one month ago, but it's always on my side.
He always understands me.
He knows that, he knows better than nobody that the club is not on the path that they deserve to be.
He knows.
Everyone knows.
The people who don't see that is because they don't want to see.
They are blamed.
The fans, they are always the answer and the passion for the game.
Manchester belongs to the fans, but they should know the truth.
The infrastructure, they are not good.
They should change.
If not, Manchester is not going to be where they used to be when Sarah Alex Ferguson David Gill was.
And I hope to be part, if they count with me, to help the club to be successful.
If not, the life will continue.
I will continue to my journey.
I will continue to make fans happy and score goals and do it tricks and everything.
And it's good.
It's part of my journey.
Up next Ronaldo and Leon Messi and the World Cup in Qatar.
Life Continues Beyond Man Utd00:11:21
I want to just talk to you briefly about the World Cup.
Your fifth World Cup.
You say it's your last, but I mean you'd only be 41.
At the next one, could we have a sixth World Cup potentially?
Will be tough.
Will be tough.
So this may be the last one?
Probably, yes.
You've got an exciting team full of experienced and young players, Portugal.
Are you optimistic about your team?
I'm very optimistic.
We have a fantastic coach.
We have a good generation of football players.
I'm looking forward to that we're going to do with an amazing World Cup.
Would that be for you the pinnacle of your career to win a World Cup with Portugal?
Piers, I don't...
I never...
Well, I dreamed one time about that.
Holding the World Cup.
Yes.
It's going to be tough, extremely difficult, but everything is possible.
But of course we're going to compete.
It's hard to beat.
Who are the biggest rivals do you think?
We are not the favorites.
We are never favorites.
No, of course, but who do you were the favorites when you won the who do you think are the ones to really watch?
Who are the best squads out there?
Probably France.
France, I will put Spain, Argentina, Germany.
Brazil?
Brazil, of course.
They look good to me.
They look good.
What about you haven't mentioned them?
Ah, England as well.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course, England.
Do you think England have a chance?
I have a chance beside Portugal, in my opinion.
But let's see.
We'll be different.
We'll be in a winter.
Is it weird playing at winter?
Do you care?
Do you care?
I don't really care, to be honest.
A part of the issue is that the country, whatever, they try to speak now that it wasn't not a good option to do it there, but they should do that before.
We should focus only in football, the competition, the people to enjoy.
Do you think all the politics and the morality debates and stuff, should that all be left aside now?
100%.
Focus on the I feel that.
Of course, they should do that.
That debate should be had before your warning.
Exactly, exactly.
They should concentrate it in all competition, all the national teams, the people to be welcome in Qatar.
And I see a good tournament, to be honest.
I think Qatar they are prepared.
They are prepared for that.
And we'll be where to play in the beginning of the season, yes, but in the same way, a challenge.
I think it's, to be honest, it's good.
I feel good.
I feel with good energy.
So what about this idea?
You get to the final.
Portugal the Argentina.
You score two.
Messi scores two.
The last minute, 94th minute, you score a third for your hat-trick and you win the World Cup.
Is that?
Be honest.
It's too good.
Is that the dream?
It's too good.
I didn't expect that too good dream.
But if it happened.
Ah, come on.
That's the dream.
You can score another player.
I don't care.
I don't care.
If the Portugal be in a final and score, even the goalkeeper, I will be the most happy man in the world.
But if this happened, come on.
I will say I will finish football if this happens.
That's it, you retire, right?
Yeah, I retired.
100%.
100%.
I mean, it may well be Messi's last World Cup.
He's never won it either.
I mean, you are, you know, you're linked forever, the pair of you.
To me, the greatest there's ever been.
You're number one for me.
Thank you.
He's number two.
You're number one to you.
He's number two.
But it's an amazing relationship you have, even though you're not, I know, great friends or anything, but you're always respectful when you see each other all the time.
What do you think of him, Messina?
As you both head to maybe your last work.
As a football player?
Yeah, and as a person.
Amazing.
Player is magic top.
As a person, we share the state 16 years.
Imagine, 16 years we share.
So I have a great relationship with him.
I'm not a friend of him in terms of what I mean friend is the guy who is with you in your house, who speaks on the phone.
No, but he's like a teammate.
He's a guy that I really respect the way he always speaks about me.
Even his wife or my wife, my girlfriend, they always respect.
They are from Argentina.
McGoffin is from Argentina.
So good.
What I'm going to say about Messi, great things.
He's a good guy.
You do everything for football.
The best player you've ever seen, excluding yourself?
Probably, yes.
Zidane, probably.
Yes.
That I play, fight with him, yes.
Have you ever had dinner together?
Never.
Would you like to?
Why not?
One day to sit down and...
Yes, listen, I love.
Can I come?
I love, of course.
I love to meet people.
I love people.
You know, I love to share things, ideas, learn things, ideas, new histories, new brains.
Why not?
I will do it for sure.
I will do it.
That would be at the bat, as Maradona and Pele did.
Yes.
No problem.
Come on, I'm a good person.
I know I have a good heart.
I don't like criticize people.
It's not the way I took my life.
Everything is positive.
And if there's like a weird sequence of events and Bappé goes to Real Madrid and PSG ring you up and go, we've had a great idea.
We want to put Messi and Ronaldo on.
Everything is possible in football.
And that would be incredible.
Why not?
I don't know.
I don't know.
As I told you before.
They'd sell some shirts.
For sure, for sure.
For sure.
They will sell a lot of shirts.
Are Russell going to win the Premier League?
I hope so.
You do?
Manchester first, if not.
If not, Arsenal is some team that I like to see to play.
Did you rate the team at the moment?
Yes, I do.
I like the team.
I like the coach.
I think they do it a good team.
And if Manchester United don't win the Premier League, I will be happy if Arsenal do.
What would you like your legacy to be, Christian?
I mean, well, let me ask you first.
Do you have any plans to retire?
I mean, how long do you think you can keep playing football?
I want to play two years more.
Two years more.
Two, three years more maximum.
I want to play with 40.
I think we'll be...
A 40.
40.
A good age.
But I don't know.
I don't know the future.
Sometimes you plan one thing for your life.
And as I told many times, the life is dynamic and you never know what's going to happen.
Tom Brady in America, the great NFL quarterback, retired.
Then he has a conversation with you on the old Trafford pitch.
And whatever you said to him.
I'm psychological.
The next day, he comes out of retirement.
Psycholog, you see?
I'm a good psycholog.
What did you say to me?
No, I thought he took the decision a few weeks before.
But it was good.
What did you talk about, you two ghosts?
You speak about in a general is a very, very smart guy.
He knows a lot about football.
We have a nice conversation.
You scored a hat-trick that day, did you?
Yes, I did.
It gave me good energy.
When I have good energy.
When you have another goat in the stadium, does it fire you up?
Exactly.
It's a goat thing, right?
Yes, yes, it's energies.
It's all about energy.
When you have good energy around you, I can be interesting things.
What about Jordan Peterson, who I know came to see you?
Amazing man.
Yeah, because I've interviewed him a few times and he was fascinated to meet you and to talk to you, both about private things, about what had happened to your family this year, but also about professionally you and your situation.
I'm a huge fan of him.
I read his book, 12 Rules.
And I felt that he's a really, really interesting guy.
And I love to meet smart people and fantastic man.
And I learned a lot some advices that he gave me.
Not only we had a nice strategic conversation, not only for the moment of my life, I mean not only for football because my life is not resume only for football.
I'm a businessman, I have, you know, many important things on my life.
And when you are surrounded with these people, with you as well, people that make your life more interesting, they reach something in your daily life.
I appreciate because it's that kind of people that thinking outside the box, which is I appreciate.
And we had a nice conversation, strategic conversation, not only for the moment, but for the future as well.
He gave me some points that I never expect.
But the beginning was to meet him, a good person, an intelligent person, and was fantastic.
And we keep in touch, I speak with him.
It's good.
You're going to do Cristiano Ronaldo's 12 Rules to Life?
Why not?
For the future.
Maybe 20.
You've got more rules.
Exactly.
For the future, probably.
I want to educate not only my family, but my fans.
As you know, I have a lot, millions of fans.
Probably for the future, I want to do some book, but not the type of book.
I've got a good idea for you on that.
I told you.
That's a good one.
But to help people out to maintain longevity.
And also, I think in your case, how to survive life, right?
There's a lot of people out there who are struggling to just deal with life.
And the one thing you do better than anybody I've seen in sport is resilience, mental strength.
That's what it's really.
I think it's the most important thing.
And I can see me in the future.
Of course, I want to improve my English.
It's very good.
It's much better even than last time I interviewed.
Yeah, but I have to improve.
I have to do more interviews.
I have to improve, I know.
And I want to improve.
And I see myself to do it when I'm retired to speak for millions of people.
Advices how to be a professional player, how to maintain your longevity.
I'm not psychological, but I pass through many, many things and I can above all how to win.
How to win, which is the most important.
I think I have experience to expire people for that.
I think I'm a role model and I can help many, many people in that way if they want my help.
They want to listen to it, right?
Advice for Future Champions00:00:34
For sure.
Especially the young people.
I want to be with the young people, to speak with them, not only for them, but for the fathers as well, to put him in the right spot.
Cristiano, what a pleasure.
Thank you very much indeed.
Thank you very much, Biz.
What a pleasure for me to do.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Ended with a wink.
Of course it did.
An extraordinary interview with an extraordinary footballer and an extraordinary man.
Did he change your mind?
That's for you to decide.
One thing's for sure, he set the record straight and he was most definitely uncensored.