The only place you can watch the FULL two parts of Cristiano Ronaldo's most revealing interview with Piers Morgan. The pair talk about everything, from the repercussions of their last interview and Ronaldo leaving Manchester United, what he thinks of the team and their manager today, whether he's better looking than Beckham, his retirement plans, the story of his engagement to Georgina and why he would love to meet President Trump. Then, joining Piers to give their reaction is an all-star sports line-up; beIN sports anchor Richard Keys, The United Stand's Mark Goldbridge, former president of Real Madrid Ramón Calderón, Sports Illustrated's Henry Winter, sports broadcaster Emily Austin, Lionel Messi’s biographer Guillem Balague and HMRC of Football creator Karel Prince - plus an appearance from Italian sports journalist Fabrizio Romano! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcriber: nvidia/parakeet-tdt-0.6b-v2, sat-12l-sm, and large-v3-turbo
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A Promise to Be Good00:03:00
I felt betrayed.
I'm trying to force you out.
Not only the coach, but the other two or three guys there around the club.
If you don't have respect for me, I'm never going to have respect for you.
The last interview that we made was honest, like always.
Pretty much everything you said in that interview was obviously true.
Manchester United, right now, doesn't have a structure.
There's a young Portuguese coach there now, Amarin, but what do you make of him?
What are you going to do?
Miracles is impossible.
They can look at the Saudi league and say it's excuses.
But look at your record of Portugal.
Even in a bad year, I scored 25 goals.
For me, it's more easy to score in Spain than score in Saudi.
If you ask me, Christian, it's a dream to win the World Cup.
No, it's not a dream.
Christiana will be the greatest if they win the World Cup.
I'm not a Greek.
You win three titles for Portugal this time.
You know my.
You lost one of your Portugal colleagues.
I cry a lot.
You didn't attend his funeral.
Two things.
Well, you haven't got married and you're 40, right?
You've managed to resist.
I mean, come on.
I was given the ring and my two girls come in, they say, Daddy, you're going to ask her to be married.
And I say, wow.
It's the right moment to say yes.
Did she hesitate?
Of course not.
You've told Gio you're not going to be too controversial.
I promise that I'm going to be a good man.
On Ewan Beckham, who gets the most attention?
To me.
100%.
I knew it.
I'm not normal.
I'm perfecto.
Do you accept that you're only here because of me in that interview?
Probably.
Where's my car?
Christiana!
How are you?
I'm good, my friend.
Astuki, I interview you every three years.
And in three years, an amazing amount of stuff happens in your life.
Do you ever stop and think your life is like insane?
I never thought about that, but I have to agree with you.
It's true.
The last interview that we made was hard, honest, like always.
This is what I pretend to do with my interviews, which is I don't do it a lot because of that, because less is more, as you say.
But in this time, I promise I'm going to be a good man.
You've told Gio you're not going to be too controversial.
I say because I share with her that I'm going to give interview to you and I say, I promise that I'm going to be a good man.
Do you think you'll keep that promise?
Life Is Insane00:05:29
Yes.
Today, yes.
Okay, we'll see how you get on.
Let's see.
I love your...
We're in Saudi Arabia, your home in Riyadh.
I love your man cave here, but there's one problem.
You know what it is.
Where is the Arsenal shirt that I gave you?
I knew it.
I mean, where is it?
It's inside the...
I mean, come on.
You know, it still kills me.
The revelation that you made last time that you could have been an Arsenal player, that you met Arsen Wenger, you were going to come.
It was all done.
All agreed.
And then, you know who I blame for this?
John O'Shea.
You know why I blame John O'Shea?
Because Sporting Lisbon played Manchester United in a friendly and you terrorized John O'Shea so badly that four of the United team went to Sir Alex Ferguson, their manager, and said, do not leave before you sign this kit.
And he didn't leave and he signed you that day.
True story?
This is a true story, but it's as I told you, Pierce is the past is gone, it's part of the life.
And honestly, when I look at Arsenal, I'm always looking not like a rival, like I was nearly there.
So I'm not gonna say that I have a passion for the club, but when I look at Arsenal, I like the team, I liked when they win because of that story.
But you know, I was the life, you know, I was the football.
It's all about opportunities and moments.
And this is what I see.
And I took that opportunity, but to be honest, and you know that I'm never lie, or sometimes, well, sometimes I'm lie for a good ways, but I was nearly there in Arsenal, to be honest.
But I think my story will change a lot.
Well, it has similar.
It won't change for you, but it changed for me.
I don't think so, because Arsenal still continue a top team and win titles and everything, big players.
So maybe Arsenal will be better, but not what it could have been.
Not too much.
Do you think we'll win the league this season, Arsenal, the top of the league?
Could be.
It's possible.
I think the Premier League, the level of the teams is very, very similar.
I mean, the top ones.
But you know, the Premier League, it's always...
You never know what's going to happen.
It's a very, very difficult league, very tough league.
But Manchester is not going to win the league for sure because they have so many points behind right now.
It's possible, yes, but I don't believe on that.
Arsenal, probably.
Give me some hope here.
Come on.
You need the big dog to give us the.
It's possible.
Let's see.
Let's see it come out of your lips.
Yes, Arsenal can win the league.
Yes, Arsenal can win the league.
Thank you.
I've got my soundbite.
It's possible.
You mentioned Manchester.
You're probably talking about City, not United.
Last time we spoke, it was a very different situation.
You'd fallen out with the people at United.
You know, you wanted to leave.
You did leave.
Pretty much everything you said in that interview has been borne out by events.
So even though it caused huge controversy, I don't think anyone can look back at that interview and say you weren't being completely honest and that the problems you identified were obviously true.
There's not been much improvement.
I mean, if anything, United have gone backwards since that interview.
What is going wrong with United, do you think?
And how can it get fixed?
Well, as you mentioned, goods.
For me, I'm sad because of the club that one of the most important clubs in the world and a club that I still have in my heart because of the obvious reasons.
You have to follow with the intelligent people, smart people, to create a base for the future as Manchester United have so many years ago.
Nikki Bott, Kerry's, Roy Keynes, Beckham's, they become big players, but they had youth.
So Manchester United right now doesn't have a structure.
I hope that change in the future, present, future, because the potential of the club, it's amazing.
It's one of the most important clubs of the century.
So do you still look out for United results?
And does it hurt you to see how badly they're doing?
Of course, of course, because I was to play there so many, many years.
I win the Champions League there, I win the Golden Ball, I win like 12, 13, 14 titles there.
So as I say, and I repeat, Manchester United is still in my heart.
I love that club.
But we have all to be honest and look for ourselves and say, listen, they are not in a good path.
So they need to change.
And it's not only about the coach and players, in my opinion.
There's a young Portuguese coach there now, Amarin.
What do you make of it?
The Club's Amazing Potential00:05:12
You do it to his best.
What are you going to do?
Miracles?
Miracles?
This is impossible.
We say in Portugal, miracles is only in Fatima.
And I don't know if you don't know that expression, they start to smile because they're not.
No, no, no, yeah.
You know the Fatima?
Of course.
And you're not going to do miracles.
Even the players, Manchester United, they have a good players, but then don't have some of them domine what Manchester United is.
You became a billionaire last week.
And I was the one that told you.
I was wrong.
I was the one that told you.
Because I messaged you and say, ooh.
Have you seen this?
It's not true.
It's not true.
I'm a billionaire so many years ago.
I knew you'd say that.
I knew you'd say that.
And you probably were, right?
Yeah, with 39.
How did you know?
Who told you?
Please, I know my money.
Do you know exactly what you're worth?
Really?
Not precise 100%, but of course you have to take care of your stuff.
It's normal.
I'm not like that to look.
But I have people around me who help me to do the right things in all areas.
But financial, I have a guy who I spoke almost every day, not about that, but about my structure, the investments, the opportunities, and I have control, you know, because it's my life, it's my money, you know.
That moment when you realize you're a billionaire, what was that like?
I knew that this is what will happen.
So I was prepared.
It's a matter of time.
So honestly, I was super happy.
It's like when you won a golden ball, because you make your own goals.
You make your own goals.
Everyone make these own goals to build a house, to have a car.
It was my goal to reach that number.
Yes, yes, honest.
I'm not obsessed for the money because I think the money can help you in many ways.
But when you reach some level, the money doesn't matter anymore, in my opinion.
But it's always good to have more because we are human beings.
We are never happy with what we have.
There is something that I learned during the time that financial is important, the money is important, but other things that are more important than that.
But to answer your question, I was super happy because it was one of the main goals that I had on my mind.
Apart from football, trophies, Champions League, Golden Balls, trophies, everything.
Financial and in a business way, it was my goal.
So with 39, I reached that number and I was so proud, to be honest.
And now the world has caught up, and Bloomberg did this report, and you were declared the first ever football billionaire.
The first ever.
And there are a very small number of sporting icons who have passed that mark in other sports.
Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, you could talk about Michael Jordan.
But there are very few, Cristiano.
In football, I'm the only one.
You're the only one in football.
Does that mean a lot to you to be the only one?
Well, don't surprise me a lot because if you say the story of football and they can call me Khaki or whatever, but the numbers don't lie.
It's something that I'm always saying and I will continue to say if you see so many records in football, Christiano is there in the top of the list.
So it's one record more.
So for me, honest, don't surprise me because I knew my potential in football and my potential outside the football.
Don't surprise me, to be honest.
I knew that I'm going to reach that number for many reasons.
But deep inside I was happy is one of my goals and my motivation is still to say, but money is continue to do, continue your motivation for football.
No, but helps, in my opinion.
You said about records that you don't chase record, they chase you.
In a way, the same applies to money, I would think, is that if you keep your performance levels at the level you've helped, then obviously the brand is maintained.
Exactly.
The revenues come in, right?
I mean, it's all performance related.
This was my strategy a few years ago.
I say if you continue to be in the top level and continue to perform, that number will reach to you.
Because as you mentioned, good, everything is together.
Money Matters Less Now00:05:11
You understand?
So it was my plan.
If you ask me, you thought that you will reach so quick, probably no.
But I knew that I will reach that.
And it was good.
Show me your left hand a minute.
Which one?
You want to see this or this?
Well, I'm looking at both and thinking your left hand is probably worth more than I have in my life.
No, no, no.
And I'm not a poor man, Cristiano, but this arm is.
It's not that much.
I mean, this watch alone.
When they see Cristiano, when they see the right, they say, wow, Cristiano has that.
But sometimes it's fake.
But they don't realize because I'm Cristiano, nobody believes that it's fake.
I'm joking.
What is the most...
The present, I'm going to say no.
People give me...
Really?
Georgina offered me this in Christmas, and I have a sponsor with Jacob.
So I didn't buy with my own money.
I have the sponsor.
You understand?
What is the most expensive thing you've ever bought?
Most expensive.
Most expensive thing I ever bought.
A plane.
A plane?
Yes.
I love the way you had to think about that.
But it was.
What kind of plane?
I have my plane since I was 13 years old, but I changed right now one year ago.
So it's a little bit expensive.
What model do you have now?
I have Global Express.
Nice.
I mean, that's a sign, isn't it?
That's a moment when you have your own plane, isn't it?
Since I had 13 years old, so I have 10 years, the plane, but I changed for a better one now.
But as I say, Peace, for me, I tell you before, the money gives you opportunity to have material things, which is good.
But I'm in a moment of my life that for me, it's I don't care anymore about that.
For me, the most important things it's I want to live the next chapter of my life with not expensive costs, let's say in that way, because my dreams is already gone.
I mean, when I was young, 20s and the 13s, I used to love cars and everything to drive.
I don't have that passion anymore.
Planes I just have because I need, because I'm not a normal person, I cannot be in airports.
I buy because of that.
And of course, it's let's say it's help me, the word like a comfort.
Yeah.
It's like a comfort.
But I don't look for that anymore.
I just want to be up, enjoy the life.
As Carl Jung say, after the 14th, you really know and you start to live the life.
And this is what I start to feel: that for me, the money is good, but it's not important anymore.
But you mentioned normality there, and you clearly can't lead what people would consider a normal life.
You can't go with other groups of people because you'll be mobbed, and I've seen it.
But having said that, you're probably the most normal billionaire superstar I know, genuinely.
You're just very regular.
People always ask me about you.
I go around and people come up to me all the time.
And it's like, what's Cristiano like?
What's he really like?
What's he really, really like?
And I say, you know, like Cristiano, he's just a normal guy.
You know, we message a lot and you're just a regular normal, you're like one of my mates, right?
You don't carry with you the airs and graces of somebody who feels entitled to any of this.
I get the feeling that you never forget where you came from.
Probably your mother, I think, and your family, make sure that doesn't happen.
Gio probably does too.
But I think you enjoy the trappings of your success, but I don't think it's changed you as a person at all.
I think you are actually surprisingly normal.
It's difficult when you speak about you.
But as I told you before, and this is what I feel, I don't care, you know me, I don't care what the people thinking about me and if they say that I'm cookie, that I'm arrogant.
I don't care, honestly.
With 14 years old, five kids, I have the best friends ever.
I have the team that they help me a lot.
Public opinion for me is not important anymore.
I just want to be happy, to do what I like to do, to still maintain my level and football score goals, which is still maintain me happy and still I'm still happy when I go training, compete in the training.
And I think I'm a normal people.
I don't spend money.
For example, I'm not going shopping.
If I go anywhere, I can buy whatever I want.
But I don't need that anymore.
Sometimes I, okay, let's say three days ago I buy a car, but it's for collection.
It's like you buy a frame.
I'm not going to drive that car.
It's like investment.
Investing in Luxury Cars00:02:27
What was the car?
Mercedes.
Sorry, I have Mercedes as well.
I buy Bugatti as well.
Tour billion.
But it's investment.
How many cars have you got now?
I don't know, Pierce.
You don't know how many cars?
I don't count the cars.
Serious, I don't count.
I love how you make that sound so normal.
But it's normal.
You don't know how to do it.
I don't want to be humble.
It's a fact.
10, 20, 30, 40, 50?
Yeah, maybe... 50.
Honestly, if you have to bet, I say, I don't know, 41, 40.
I don't know.
Peace, I don't know.
I swear, I swear for my kids.
What's your favorite?
I love the Bugattis.
Yes, I have a few and they are different beasts.
Do you ever drive these cars?
I never drive.
Really?
I have, for example, I was one week in Madrid and not even go to my garage to see the cars if they are there.
Just the day that I left, the two Pugatus went to the inspection.
And they're coming back and just look at them.
They're good, they are clean, they're good, they go to the garage.
But it's honest.
For me, the cars is not anymore a passion.
Do you ever drive?
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And yes, bring the popcorn.
Yes.
You do.
I drive.
You can drive around.
I'm not driving a lot in Saudi because we're used to trading in afternoon and I go all those with the driving.
And the traffic is terrible.
Yeah, and the traffic is terrible.
But for example, when we're coming back to home, it's not traffic.
Harry Cole Saves the West00:09:42
So yesterday, you know, the Al Nassar, they have the sponsor with BMW and all the players have a new car.
So yesterday, I drive home with my new BMW home.
But I've not drive like in Saudi, like one year.
Well, six months, let's say.
You mentioned goals.
You just scored two more goals for Portugal.
You then got substituted in the 77th minute.
And the opposition Hungry scored a last-minute equalizer.
I can only imagine how you were feeling.
I would have one rule if I was your coach.
If Cristiano has two goals, never stop him getting a hat-trick.
Because I know you and you would do anything in your power to win the game, but to get a hat-trick.
So how did you feel about being yanked off without being able to score your hat-trick?
Honest, even the goals.
Sometimes we think the easy way will be the better way.
But it's not.
Sometimes, I know what you mean, but I have to be in the mind of the coach as well.
Maybe you want to keep the result to one to put another player to save the result that is fresh, that they can help to defend more the team.
I understand.
And a part of that, I have to agree with the coach because we are not all the same.
We are not thinking the same way.
So if I will stay, I will try to score the third goal.
But substitution sometimes is good, even if you have two goals.
It's not a problem for me anymore because I'm scored so many hat-tricks.
So one more, one less for me.
Your goal scoring record since you turned 30 is ridiculous.
It's more than...
More than before you were 30.
I mean, there's no player in history that has that.
You scored 948 career goals now.
So last week.
All with videos.
Exactly.
So there's proof.
I've heard you say that.
You're right.
There's proof of every goal.
Do you remember your first one?
The first goal I scored professional.
Yeah.
Morens, yes.
What was the goal?
You should see the goals.
It's good.
Unbelievable.
Really?
Oh, the second goal?
No, the first goal?
Unbelievable goal.
You started with an absolute worldie.
You didn't see this goal.
The first goal.
I did a video of this goal, yeah.
Unbelievable.
This is what it was the moment that the people say, listen, this guy is going to be a good player.
Really?
Yes.
Okay.
Oh, step over.
Oh, first in.
That's a banger.
And the shirt came off.
See that?
Oh, what a goal.
Even the commentators, they say, this is why these players don't stay longer in our league.
With 17 for me, it's like it was a big boom for me.
Yeah, that feeling, that first goal, and it was a great goal, but that first goal, is that where you first got that rush where you were like, this, okay, I love this.
No, this gives you confidence for yourself.
You say, wow, I play with the men's, so they want to stop me.
But even with 17, I was quicker than them, smarter than them, and score.
This is where you start to feel that you're going to be...
I'm not going to say golden ball, whatever, but a good professional player.
Who's been your favorite player to watch ever?
To mention one player, I think it's not.
Is there one like if the television's on and there's a match and there's a certain player in the last 20-30 years and you've gone, I've got to watch that because of this guy?
I watch the game.
I watch the players.
To watch something because of one player?
No.
I watch, for example, Brazil because they have many players.
They have Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Caca, yes.
I watch, I don't know, Argentina because of the players that they have.
I watch Spain.
I look in that way, not because of one player.
Honest.
But I have to respect that in the state of football.
You have many, many, many, many great players and stars players, which you enjoy more than the other ones, of course.
But to follow a game only because one player, no.
Could you imagine retiring?
Yes.
Have you got in your head an age when that may happen?
Soon.
But I think I will be prepared.
Will be tough, of course.
Will be difficult, yes.
Probably I will cry, yes.
Yeah, normal.
And I'm an easy guy to cry.
I'm not keeping my feelings.
I'm honest.
I'm open person.
Yes.
Will be very, very difficult, yes.
But peace, I prepare my future since 25, 26, 27 years old.
I prepare my future.
So I think I will be capable to support that pressure.
What could bring you anything like the joy of football, of actually playing football?
Because you clearly still love playing.
What outside of football do you think could even come close to replacing that?
Anything or you accepted?
Nothing, I think.
Nothing will be compared.
That the adrenaline that we have for football to score a goal will gone this way.
But as I say, everything at the beginning, everything at the end.
So I think I will be prepared.
I think.
But I have other passions.
I'm going to have more time for me.
I'm going to have more time for my family to raise my kids.
Especially the Bella that they have to use all that.
I start to feel when I travel and stay so many days in auto with the team kind of a rush.
I want to follow Cristiano Jr. because it's in the moment of the age that it's they're a little bit stupid, they do stupid things.
Normal, because I did the same.
I want to, Matthio, that I love football as well.
I want to be more family person, more present.
Also, to have my own hobbies, which is I like, you know, to like, I like to see OFC, the fights.
I like paddle, for example, it's our main sport.
How are you good at paddle?
We learn, me and my friends, my closer friends.
It's something that we've been together unit, so it's good.
I like and I want to learn something more about my company's other stuff about, for example, I'm not never going to be a YouTuber, of course.
But you have got 76 million subscribers.
I want to be there.
And you got there in about three months.
I mean, you say you're not going to be a YouTuber.
You're one of the biggest YouTubers in the world.
I struggled for three years to get to 4 million and thought I was a genius.
You come along, and in about three minutes, I'm going to spend more time on that to learn, to do more stuff.
I think I'm going to do it the funny things and things that I'm not used to doing before because, as you know, for me, the perspective that I have, football is not only about to go to the training ground, training one hour and do treatment.
I leave football 24 hours, let's say in that way, to do it the right things to perform.
Because by my age, the things is getting more difficult to recover fast.
But I'm enjoying this process.
It's nice that you see the life with the different eyes and with the different vision.
You have the different ideas.
For me, it's a good challenge.
Even with my age, I'm enjoying this period of my life because you learn so many things and you start to think about other things, not only in football, and makes you happy.
Which are the brands that you really enjoy working with?
I know that you're big in real estate, for example.
You have, I know about your aftershave, I use it.
It's very successful, I have to say.
I mean, people go, oh, you smell like Christian.
But you've got so many different things you're involved with.
Which are the big ones for you that you're most engaged with, do you think?
YouTube, we start to do a few things with the YouTube.
The image is always there.
As you say, the real status is my really passionate and people that don't know that.
I'm a challenged person in some business that people don't even dream about.
I mentioned of the interview.
I'm a person that always wants to learn, not only in the business way, but also in life for the new chapter of my life that you start to get a little bit more mature in some decisions.
You have, I don't want to reveal a secret, but you have a video game room around the corner with about eight consoles.
And I noticed you've got an e-sports award there.
I mean, you love all this stuff, don't you?
Proposing at the Right Moment00:05:09
Yeah, it's the future.
As you mentioned, the esport, I'm ambassador of that huge event that they do it every year here in Saudi.
I have to appreciate our boss, MBS.
He gave me that opportunity to be the ambassador of the e-games, which is, if you never saw, you should be here to see.
It's the great event.
And I'm here in the country, of course, because of him as well.
So it's a guy that I really respect and I'm here because of him.
So we do the fantastic things for the country, especially a game.
Let's turn to the other more important deal you did recently.
Which one?
I do.
Your engagement.
To Gia.
That's the most important.
I mean, come on.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, sorry.
This is the biggest deal.
If not, she killed me.
Yes.
It's true.
No, you've managed to resist getting married.
To your 40s.
Well, you haven't got married and you're 40, right?
But finally, you propose.
So talk me through this.
What made you decide to finally pop the question?
I'm always saying the things, the good things coming in the right time.
And sometimes you need time to realize that you don't do it some mistakes.
I don't mean in that way.
I'm going to propose her because I think it's the moment.
Not only because it's the mother of my kids, but only it's the person that I love more.
It's the love of my life.
So I think it's the right moment.
As you say, you're 14 years old.
Nothing going to change.
Nothing going to change just because we're going to marry it.
It's just a beautiful chapter of the life.
You know, it's good.
How did you propose?
Was funny.
It was funny.
I knew it that one day I will do that, but I don't know which way.
You know, it's difficult.
I don't know.
You are married.
When you propose your wife, you never know the moment, the scenario, the environment.
And I'm always saying that the good things coming in a natural way.
Football, life, opportunities, marriage.
And it coming in a funny way.
Because she asked me something.
She asked me for a ring to offer her because it was one of her dreams to have like a good stone.
And I work, work hard, work hard.
And I finally find what she loved.
And I speak with my guy and I say, listen, keep it.
We're going to do it to dinner tonight.
And after I'm going to offer to her.
And this is what we did.
But something after I stay with her alone, and one of my friends, they take the phone and filming, which is they never did before.
I know that friends for 10 years they never do this.
Not even ask me to take a picture, imagine.
And they filming me.
And I say, wow, weird.
And after, it was like one o'clock, 1 a.m. My daughters was in the bed, sleeping, Alana and Eva.
And when my friend gave me the ring to offer Gio, I was given the ring, and my two girls come in and they say, Daddy, you're gonna give the ring to mom and you're gonna ask her to be married.
And I say, Wow, it's the right moment to say yes.
I say, yes.
It wasn't a timing.
And Gio didn't believe it.
Yes, yes.
I knew it that I will do it that one day.
But you hadn't planned it for that.
No.
And it was the moment that my daughter's coming and I say, yes, now is the time.
This is what I want.
And I offer.
Because my daughter's saying that.
My friends filming.
And were they there, the daughters?
Yes.
Did you get on bended knee?
I didn't do that because I was like, prepare and it was a beautiful moment.
Did you make a little speech or did you just say?
Yes, I did.
You know, it was recorded.
What kind of thing were you saying?
No, I say simple.
Piers, come on, I'm not like a romantic guy.
I am very romantic.
I'm not a very romantic guy.
I'm not that kind of guys.
They bring flowers every week to the home.
This is a big moment.
One per month, let's say, not every big.
But I'm romantic in my way.
You understand?
But it was beautiful and I knew it that it was the woman of my life.
So I did that and I hope that I do it.
Did she hesitate?
Of course not.
Enjoying Life Without Planning00:10:43
No, but one thing that I love it, she didn't care about the ring.
She asked me if I was if I speak the truth.
Say honest?
Honest?
Yes, yes, honest.
I want you, blah, blah, blah.
I want to marry you, blah, blah, blah.
But she didn't believe.
But it was funny.
Did you cry?
I didn't cry, but I was like, because I see his reaction, I had tears on my eyes, yes.
And was that because of the cost of the ring?
Both.
Oh, don't say that right.
Both.
I've seen human beings get blinded by that ring when she walks around.
Last time we spoke, you'd gone through a very sad period as a family.
You'd lost your baby son, and you talked very movingly about that.
That kind of experience can damage a relationship or it can make it stronger.
Clearly, in your case, it must have made things stronger for you.
Do you feel that?
I feel that we always support each other.
Sometimes it's like in a relationship you have good moments, but moments is part of the journey.
But probably in that period, we consolidate more the relationship because of what you say.
But even, even this is something that I learned by the time, even in the worst moments, you have to make the things smooth, you know, because not only when you are in the there, in a good moment, that's not gonna come the bad moments.
Try to find the balance for everything in the good moments and in the bad moments back to the basic points, a baseline.
And this is something that I learned.
It was difficult periods, but it was nice.
Honest, it was nice because I learned so many things.
I saw our other perspective of the life.
My daughter, now which is three years old, she's the queen of the family.
She's the who make the house happy.
You know, everything happened for a reason.
I believe on that.
So we are a blessed family.
So I'm proud for that.
For those who don't know Gia, I've had the pleasure of meeting her a few times.
What is it about her that made her so special to you?
Well, she has so many things, good things that I love that I believe she's unique in that way, which is she take care of me, which is very important.
She takes care of the family, she takes care of the house, which is take a lot of work.
If you want to be the opposite, I will not deal with that.
Men cannot deal with that, honest.
And she's special for me because a part of his qualities, beautiful body and everything that I like.
She's a person that understands me and take care of me and my family.
So this is what I'm looking for.
Was your mom happy when you told her?
Yes, I believe they are happy.
my whole family.
It's something that I think that it's good for all family, not just for my family, kids, wife, but also for my mom, brothers, sisters.
I think they are all happy because they say, they see that I'm a grown man now.
So they are happy and as I say and I'm continuing to repeat, it's a new chapter of the life.
Do you have a wedding day yet?
Not yet.
We plan to do it after the World Cup with the trophy.
But...
Do you know where you want to get married?
We didn't plan that because she is not the person that they like big parties.
She doesn't like it.
She likes private things.
So I will respect his decisions because I'm not...
More importantly, have you decided on where the stag party is going to be?
And can I come?
Why not?
Thank you, Cristiano.
And we'll do it in interview.
Is he organizing it, Joseph?
Jose organized everything.
Our CEO organized everything.
Have you got a stag party?
I mean, we'll be talking a week, a week somewhere.
You are part of the family.
Thank you, Cristiano.
I want to talk about another very sad thing that happened to you recently.
You lost one of your Portugal colleagues, Diego Jota.
And it was an unbelievably shocking thing to happen.
Where were you when you heard that he had died with his brother in this crash?
I was with Gio alone in our period of rest.
I was there in the gym in the morning with Gio.
I didn't believe when they sent me messages.
I cry a lot.
Gio can confirm that.
I don't.
It was very, very difficult moments for every for the country, for families, for friends, for teammates.
Ah, the vast.
Very, very, very sad news.
He's 28 years old.
Yeah.
At the peak of his game, he was playing at Liverpool.
Everything was going so well for him.
And just reminded you how fragile life can be, right?
This is why something that I mentioned before, that you have to enjoy the moments and don't plan much to the future.
This is why my guys, they can confirm I'm not planning now, not just because of that situation, but before also with my kids that happened.
I'm not planning things in the long terms, only short terms, because everything can change in one moment or another moment.
So we have to be happy to be here and live the moments, enjoy the life because the future only goes know.
But it was a short moment.
We still feel the hour there in the national team when you put the shirt because Diogo it was one of us.
What kind of guy was he?
Very good guy, a quiet guy, a good player as you know, but very very, how you say, he's not a guy that speaks too much.
So he was very... how do you say the word level-headed?
Yes.
Yes.
I really like it to meet him, to share with him so great moments.
But it was sad.
Sad.
I had the opportunity to speak with her family and to give support because it's these moments we cannot see.
Beautiful young wife and children and stuff.
I mean, everything is gone because of one moment.
So we have to enjoy the life.
So it's hard.
You didn't attend his funeral and your sister responded to people who were sort of raising questions by saying on social media that you just didn't want to turn the whole thing into an unnecessary circus with too much attention on you.
Is that?
Is that really what you were thinking?
Two things, people criticize me a lot.
As I say, I don't care about that, because when you feel your conscience is good free, you know you don't have to be worried about what the people say.
But one of the things I'm I don't do it's after my father died.
I've never been in a cemetery yeah, again.
And second, as you say, and you mentioned good, and you know me and you know my reputation, wherever I go is a circus.
You know I don't go also because if I go, the attention go from me and I don't want this kind of attention.
And I saw and I'm not criticized, I just say that I didn't like it when you go in some a sensitive moment to do it.
Interviews, speak about him, to speak about football.
Come on guys, what?
What is this?
You know this show how circus is live sometimes.
I'm not part of that.
If you want to be part of this world, good luck.
I'm gonna be another side.
People can continue to criticize me.
Oh, they could be smart, but it's gone already.
I felt, I felt good with my decision.
I don't need to be in the first line.
People see me I, they're gonna speak.
Good because Christiana is coming.
No no, I'm planning the things I'm thinking about his family.
I don't need to be in the cameras to for the people see what I do.
I do behind the scenes, my friends I feel better than that, but they do it.
A big propaganda and big publicity by my name.
But it's okay, no problem, I understand.
And to change the conversation for funny way, if you want to enjoy in a birthday, don't invite me because if I go to your birthday gonna be a big mess.
No no, that's fine with me.
No no, don't invite me.
You're gonna enjoy my big party without Cristiano.
I turn 60 this year and I'm gonna.
Don't invite me, please.
And I want you to come and ruin it.
You can come and be the star of the show the big dog's here.
Absolutely don't.
You're not gonna enjoy.
No, I wouldn't.
You know why?
Because the people you're gonna say to your friends, listen guys, Christian is coming.
You don't know my friends, don't take pictures.
You don't know my friends, they're gonna drink two glasses of wine in the middle of the night.
They're gonna say, no, please take a picture with me.
Yeah, we'll be a big mess.
My friends drink a lot more than two glasses.
Secondly, I will do anything for the Instagram right, and you at my party, Of course, it's going to blow out the internet.
I'll take any circus you want to bring.
It's not a problem.
No, I'm not going to be.
Ruining My Sixtieth Birthday Party00:09:08
You're going to enjoy more.
Trust me, please.
The first interview we did in Chirim, when you were at Juventus, and you revealed a story which was really extraordinary.
That when you were like 13, you were so hungry at the Sporting Lisbon Academy that you and a friend would, you go to a local McDonald's and you would hang around the back, and two ladies in the McDonald's would give you free burgers.
And you were so grateful to them because you were so hungry, literally hungry.
And we tried everything after that to find them.
And then I hear that you were walking through an airport and you randomly researched them.
And you randomly bumped into one of them.
Tell me about that.
Well, it was a funny, funny story.
I landed from Giyad to Lisbon.
When I take off there, we are in a private area.
And one of my friends, they say, Cristiano, look what I see here.
And I look at, you know, when you see some person and you recognize straight away, even 20 years after.
And I was with my kids and with you and everyone.
And I give a big hug to the girl.
And even my kids say, Daddy, what you do?
And also, Gio, look at me.
And I tell them the story.
And it was like a moment that I feel like, wow, the life is a box of surprises.
You never expect this moment.
And it was good.
And I was, I spoke with my friends.
We already know who is the people, 100%.
And pretty soon I will do something special.
I promise.
When I say something, I try to promise.
And I will do it, 100%.
And one of the persons was that girl, which is, we already have there.
What did she say when she saw you?
Did she know that she was?
She was a little bit on shock because she never expect that I will recognize her.
In the same way, when she saw me, she says, Cristiano, maybe she's not gonna not even speak with me.
Did she realize you had been that boy who then?
And she tells me one thing.
She say, Cristiano, you never imagine.
Every time that you come to Portugal, I know, because I work behind the scenes, and I plan to come in here to receive you, just to see you, and they always make me apart.
And this moment, because one of the persons that didn't come, I replaced.
This is why I come.
And I was so happy.
I said, listen, this is the life.
The life is brilliant because of that.
And it's all about moments, chapters, and everything.
And I said to my friends to keep our number, and we're going to do something.
When I'm going to have time, I'm going to do something beautiful and special for that people who helped me in that period.
Amazing story.
And what's even more incredible is that your new CEO at Al Naci is a guy called Jose Somedo.
He's sitting, standing, right over there.
And he was the other guy with you.
Yes.
Queuing up for the McDonald's from those ladies.
He was 13, you were 13.
And he was telling me a story, which says a lot about you.
That he was actually going to be let go from the academy.
And you, age 13, went to see the head of the academy and you pleaded with him to keep your friend.
And you added a fifth bed to a little dormitory of about four beds.
It was very tight.
You added a fifth bed and he allowed your friend to stay.
And he went on to become a professional footballer himself, played in the Premier League, played in other leagues, and came here and is now the new CEO of Al Nasi and apparently doing very well.
I think he told me that actually.
But what an amazing journey you two have been on.
Here you both are age 40.
When you were 14, you had no money, you were hungry, you were queuing for burgers.
And now you're here together living the life.
Look at the life, how brilliant.
Amazing.
I love it.
Sometimes when I'm thinking and speak about this kind of moments, I feel emotional, you know, because life is brilliant and God make you in a place where you deserve.
And, and I'm gonna make a challenge for you.
I think you should probably make an interview to him.
Yes.
Because you're gonna love it.
He's a very, very, very, very interesting guy.
I've already got this.
It's not because he's here with me, but...
And he's not in CEO of Al-Nassar because he's my friend, no.
He has huge potential, and everyone are surprised.
It's easy when you are around a friend, people, to say that.
But speak with other people, other ones.
And they say the work that they do, the potential that they have, and one of the best qualities for me, I always will put in the top.
Loyalty.
Loyalty, honest.
To then take nothing which does not belong to you.
And these people is very rare in the world.
Specially in the football.
And especially when he's around a lot of money.
And you don't buy these people in Kahfur or you don't buy these people in Amazon.
No, no, no, no.
So I challenge you to make interviewing to you because he's a very, very interesting person.
We've already discussed it.
And in fact, we're going to call it the truth about Cristiano, the real story, what he doesn't want the world to know.
Perfect.
He's going to go public.
And that story is assumed.
But he can mention so many stories, the good ones, because...
He's actually a fascinating guy.
He's a fashion guy.
I know how important he's been to you since you were 14.
But he made it clear to me that without you, he wouldn't have stayed at the academy and he may never have played football professionally.
So it's been a bit more.
I just do it my best.
As you know, I'm a loyal guy too.
So the loyal guy should be next to the loyal people.
And this is what I did that I think they're supposed to do.
But I was 12 years old.
That's amazing.
But I don't know to explain.
You know, sometimes in your life you do it or you do it mistakes and you do it good things that you don't even realize that what is correct and when it's false.
But I did what I think was correct and not because in that moment, of course in that moment I like him but not like now.
Now it's like part of my family.
I don't need to say that.
But I tell you as well, Pierce, my people around me, they are fantastic people.
I'm lucky.
I'm lucky, not just Semedo, because Semedo is one of the best, but also I have other people on my team.
This is a special guy, but I'm lucky.
I'm lucky.
But also, the lucky to have Lucky, it brings effort.
You need effort.
And many of the guys are with me, it's the guys that I invite him to come to be next to me.
It's not like the family.
Family, you're born with that family.
Friends or people who worked with you or with you, they are different.
Sometimes you need to choose.
I call it the 4am club.
And what I mean is...
4 a.m. club.
Who could you call?
Okay, I got it.
Who could you call at 4 a.m.
And they would get out of bed and they'd come and help me.
People.
I know your guys, and they're fantastic.
Incredibly loyal to you and very protective, rightly.
Yeah, but I think they feel the same about you.
And that's what's unusual.
They have great respect for you.
Yeah, what do we take from this life?
It's family and friends, you know, relationships, chapters, whatever you have.
If you don't have good people around you, you're not going to be happy.
So this is what I think.
And I repeat, I'm a lucky guy that not because I have good family, but I also have very, very, very good friends.
Not just because they work for me.
I call them my friends because anyway, they are friends.
Even if they want other challenges, I'm never going to close their door, but they always will be my friends.
So for me, it's a bless.
Tell me about your fitness.
I look good.
You're looking very good.
I mean, obviously, you haven't got these abdominals.
We've addressed that before.
But you're working at it, and I think you're making good progress.
They're pretty.
Are they like...
Do you mind if I just?
Yeah, it's like hitting granite.
Not quite the same.
Not quite the same here, but they say you've got a body of like a 28-year-old.
Looking Good Mentally and Physically00:15:22
That's what I've read.
But that's what your team will think, right?
Do you feel that?
I mean, do you feel that you don't look 40 and you don't have the physique of a 40-year-old?
No, I'm not.
Physically, I think I look much more younger, of course, because I start to do it gym since 12, 13, 14, 15.
Do you go every day?
Do you do something every day?
No, not every day, but I try to maintain a consistence in my life.
But do you do something every day?
Do you do something physical?
I sleep good, I do it good routines, I do it a good recover, I work good in a gym two, three times per week.
I wait two times per week for me is enough.
I burn because of football, you know.
It's just consistence.
If you have consistence, it's easy, trust me.
Which athletes in modern history do you look at as great examples that maybe have inspired you in terms of the way they take care of themselves?
Inspiring me.
Inspiring you, yeah.
I inspire him by myself.
Who have you looked at where you think?
I saw good examples in other sports as well.
For example, I don't know basketball, LeBron James.
I think we are the same age.
I met him the other day.
Very nice guy.
I have more hair than him.
You do, and he's learning golf, but he's not very good.
Now's a good time to play him at golf.
But I think it's good because he still plays football.
Basketball and he's in a good shape.
Other ones.
Modric still looking good.
Yeah.
Was he 41 now, Modric?
No, he's in my age.
I think 39, 40s.
I saw Djokovic.
Well, I was going to say, so Novak is here, he's playing in the Six Kings thing.
And he said yesterday, you're one of his role models.
He named you for wanting to continue playing into his 40s because they're all saying, look, now that Sinner and Alcarez are kind of the new top guys, will you retire?
And he's like, actually, I want to keep going.
I want to keep proving to myself I can keep going.
And he named you as the example.
So you're inspiring him.
He feels good, right?
To inspire us.
The greatest tennis player in history.
I think it's good when you have other sports, other people, they speak good about your name.
It means a lot.
And Novak is a great example of greatness in sport.
So it's good.
I'm glad from his words.
Do you feel now?
Obviously, you're probably not as quick as you were.
So, you know, the initial you were a winger, a flying winger, and so on.
You change your position, the way you play football, and so on.
But do you think as an actual goal scorer, because your record for Portugal recently has been insane, you've obviously been scoring enormous number of goals here in Saudi Arabia, and your record since 30 has got better than it was in the previous period of your career.
But do you think you're a better natural finisher now than you've ever been?
I think I'm always been a good top finisher, I think.
Probably more, I'm focused more on that because, as you mentioned, by the age, you start to lost some things and you have to improve other things.
And some things that you always can improve is mentally.
And this is what I'm focused.
To be mentally good, fresh, because the brain don't go faster, you don't get older faster in the brain.
You feel more physically.
I mean, professional players.
And I am adapt, you know?
And this is, but finisher-finisher, of course, with the first three, four, five years, I'm not, wasn't very, very, very good.
I was good, but not top.
But after 25, I think I was very similar.
If you ask my teammates, if you ask my friends, they will say the same.
Probably more.
Now I'm more focused on that because I'm not a winger anymore.
And I played the last.
Well, I watched you score the other day, and it's just your movement.
Because I think in the penalty area, look, I'm not going to tell you how to score goals, but in the penalty area, a lot of it is last-minute movement, I think, by the top strikers.
It's their ability to get away from a defender very quickly in the box.
You should be fresh mentally.
Right.
And I watched the way you took them and they look relatively easy, right?
They don't look like that goal you just showed me.
But the movement and the awareness and then the finish, that's not easy.
If it was, everyone would do it.
Of course.
So that's an instinctive thing, isn't it?
I think so, yes.
Things you learn by the time, you learn by the experience.
And one thing that I think makes the difference is you can improve all the time.
Even with my age, you have some points that you can improve.
And this is the biggest mistake of the players.
They think they know everything and they don't learn more.
If you see a minister of the football, the players, after when they get 30s, they slow down.
And I'm opposite.
I score more goals after 30s.
And you can say whatever they want because most of the times the people speak about football, they don't know nothing.
Wayne Rooney, your old colleague, said last week that he doesn't hate you.
People have said he did.
He loves you.
He called you a genius.
He said you're much closer than people realize, but he still said Messi's better.
No problem.
No problem.
That's a very diplomatic answer, Christian.
No, but seriously, I'm not mad with that.
For me, it's okay.
You can choose whatever you want.
Do you get on well with Wayne?
Do you have a friendship with him or not, really?
When we used to play, we are in a good relationship.
Not friends like me, that kind of friends that the relationship that I have with these guys, they come in one time per week or two to have a dinner with me or lunch.
But we have good relationship in the football.
I don't have friends that they come in my house for a lunch or a dinner.
When I mean friends, I have good relationship, but friends, friends for me, it's a different word for me.
But relationship was good.
Like Ferdinand was a friend.
I still maintain his relationship with him.
I'm a sociable man.
And I respect, it's like in Alasar, I'm good with everybody.
But friend, friend, I think it's a very, very, very deep word, in my opinion.
And I'm nothing against him, trust me, Pierce.
It's okay.
It's on things.
What he loves it the most, players or decision makers of.
For me, it's not a problem, you know.
I respect him.
I respect him more when we play because I think he did so many good things for Manchester United.
We won so many things together.
But it's okay.
And these words that he says, thank you to him.
Daddy, say that I'm a genius, whatever he preferred.
Don't, no problem.
No problem.
For me, it's all good.
If I see him around, I'm shaking his hand.
I give you a hug.
For me, it's not a problem.
I don't have time to be against people anymore.
It's okay.
I respect everybody.
The goals are the ultimate answer to any criticism, aren't they?
I mean, if you're a striker, if you just keep scoring at the rate you score, and like I said, they can look at the Saudi league and say it's excuses.
But actually, look at Portugal.
That's what I say.
Look at your record for Portugal.
Recently, it's been off the charts.
Excuses.
Excuses is the most simple way.
For everything.
Excuses, excuses, excuses.
Year by year, year by year, I scored more.
Even in a bad year, I scored 25 goals.
If I play in Premier League now, in the top team, I will score the same.
Or the last season you play last full season.
Easy.
If you have a good team with 14 years old, I will score the same.
Your last season in the Premier League, full season, you got 18 Premier League goals.
I think one below Harry Kane or the same as Harry Kane and six Champions League goals.
Well, any team would take a score.
I don't need to speak because they can say whatever they want, but the numbers don't lie.
They can say Saudi League.
They never been here.
They never play here.
They don't know what to run with 40 degrees.
They don't know.
And I still continue.
And I repeat.
The Saudi league, the Saudi League, is much better than Portuguese League, of course.
French league is only PSG.
Premier League is good, of course, it's the number one.
And they should count even, they should count like the goals to be the top scorer, the golden ball.
Why they don't count Saudi League?
Why?
You see, look how many players, top players we have in the league.
Check, ask the other players if the league is good.
Don't ask to me because it's easy to ask me because I'm always the same.
Because he plays in Saudi.
No, no.
Listen, I play everywhere.
Everywhere.
For me, it's more easy to score in Spain than score in Saudi.
By the way, do you accept that you're only here because of me in that interview?
Probably.
So, given you're now a billionaire, and you made probably half of it here.
I wasn't.
Where's my cut?
Where's my commission?
You're on the verge of what would be a truly, even by your standards, incredible achievement, a thousand goals.
No one's ever come close to this.
Is there a scenario in your head, given the timing, that you might score your thousandth goal at the World Cup next year?
And is that something that quietly in the back of your mind you would think?
No, I'm not.
I don't think about that.
And maybe I was surprised with my answer.
If you ask me, Christian, it's a dream to win the World Cup.
No, it's not a dream.
Yes.
To win the World Cup, none will change my name minister of football.
I'm not going to lie.
One thing that I'm sure, that I enjoy the moment.
And I learn by the time that the moment is the most important thing that we have.
We are not qualified already.
Enjoy the moment.
The moment is good.
I played three days ago in Hungary in sporting stadium.
Maybe it was my last game in that stadium.
We never know.
And I'm enjoying that.
My mommy was there.
My family was there.
And it was good.
And people say, ah, Cristiano will be the greatest if they win the World Cup.
I'm not agreeing.
I win three titles for Portugal despite the play.
You know my view of this.
I believe you are the greatest footballer to ever play the game.
Thank you.
You also know there's a raging debate, right?
Whether Messi is...
I say Messi is not even the best Argentinian.
Maradona was better than him.
How many World Cups win Argentina before Messi?
How many?
I don't know.
Two times?
Yeah, it won't be two, I think.
Yeah, but it's normal.
These countries that are used to win big competitions, Brazil.
If they win the World Cup, they will surprise the world.
No.
If the Portugal win the World Cup, which is possible, they will shock the world.
Yes.
But in my mind, I don't think in that way.
Of course, you want to win.
Yeah, when you compete, you want to win.
I'm honest.
For me, I'm not going to change the way I see the things and the way I see the football.
Do you believe you've earned the right to be considered the greatest of all time?
Of course.
Oh, one of the best for many of people.
Yes.
The number one.
Peace, but I don't care about that anymore.
Seriously?
I say so many things.
I see so many interviews where I think if I say something now, the people are not going to surprise.
This story speaks for itself.
They have opinions.
Some people like Mo Blonde.
Some people like Maud Dark.
It's okay.
No problem for me.
But to change this story, the history of Portugal to say if Cristiano will the World Cup will be the...
No, this doesn't make sense for me.
I win.
We won.
Three titles for Portugal history.
Before Portugal never won nothing.
I'm glad.
I'm so happy.
You would love it, Cristiano, to win the World Cup.
Yeah, but not a session.
Peace.
So I understand what you're saying.
I swear for my kids.
But I still think that image of you, if I don't agree.
I'm not agree.
Really interesting.
Yes, no, I'm not agree.
Because Portugal never won World Cup.
Yeah, but they can win.
Yes, we're going to fight for that.
But it shouldn't define you as a black man.
No.
We define with 14 years old or 41 to define what?
To define if I'm one of the best of the history.
To win one competition.
Six games, seven games.
You think it's fair?
It's not fair.
When you go to the World Cup in America, David Beckham is the sort of most along with Messi now, but Beckham's the kind of guy that went to America and became this sort of superstar.
You play with Beckham.
You compare to Beckham a lot, not least your looks.
I'm not going to compare the football because to me he's not in the same league as you as a footballer.
However, do you think you're better looking than David Beckham?
Depends.
Are you more handsome?
Depends.
Depends.
Because for me, the looking is not only the face.
The looking, it's all packaged.
Like this.
If you put me, not anymore, but imagine Cristiano.
Yeah.
Not Cristiano.
A normal guy.
With the speedos, red speedos, in a copacabana to drink coconut water.
You think I'm not gonna get a chance with nobody?
No, you're gonna do well.
Okay, so you're gonna do better, you're gonna do better than me.
I can actually confirm you can do better than me.
I've got the Coca-Pagana, nobody, don't nobody notice.
So, yeah, I can confirm it.
I'm joking.
You're not really.
The kind of perspective of the people, but it's okay, you're looking good, I'm looking good, we're both looking good.
So, come on, you and Beckham, you're walking across the Copacabana for say 10 minutes.
Who gets the most attention?
Not famous, not famous, just your body.
Me, 100%.
I knew it!
I knew it!
Come on, peace!
I agree with you!
You agree?
I'm just trying to do it.
I'm just trying to tease it out of you.
Thank you.
I don't need that, but imagine.
Let's imagine something.
Never Rule Out Anything00:16:24
No one's looking at Beckett.
Come on.
Come on.
You know that.
His face is beautiful.
Yeah, and some face.
The rest is.
The rest is normal.
Like, he's normal.
I'm not normal.
I'm perfecto.
Also, he has too many tattoos, doesn't he?
Don't you think?
I don't know.
Do you think he should have that?
Yeah, tattoos.
I think he's covered in tattoos.
Absolutely covered in them.
Well, very looking good.
He's a guy that I like.
He's a guy who speaks good.
I like him.
I like him.
Do you still talk to Sir Alex Ferguson?
I met him at the long time ago.
Champions League final.
When I was there in Manchester, I used to speak more with him and he used to come to my house for a tea.
He drinks tea with the milk.
He's a good man.
He's a person that I'm always going to have in my heart because he's a serf.
You know, this person really helped me in my life, in my career.
I mean, really, I mean, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but was he, because your father died when you were still very young, do you think he became a bit of a father figure?
Father in football, yes.
Like a guy who guides me, yes.
In that way, yes.
It was a guy who always maintained his words.
What we say, he promised.
Very good man, and I respect him a lot.
Best manager you played under?
Peace is.
You've had so many.
What I say by the players, I'm kind of saying in a coaches, which is depend.
I had the opportunity to work with the best managers in the world.
So I'm a lucky person.
To mention one for me is not correct, it's not fair.
But many people mention, ah, my favorite player is this one.
I'm not that guy.
I like to say that all of them help Cristiano to be what I am right now.
This President Trump, friend of mine, was given a CR7 shirt by the Portuguese European Council President Antonio Costa in June at the G7 summit.
And you wrote on it to President Donald J. Trump playing for peace.
What did you mean by that?
If the world is in peace, it's our goal.
He's one of the guys that can change or help to change the world.
And this is my main goal.
He's one of the listeners.
One of the most important guys, of course, is US President.
If we can help each other to make this happen, because I swear, Priscilla, I can't watch TV because of...
It's been awful.
I don't watch.
I swear, I can't.
Sometimes I'm starting to see the news, to be...
I can't.
I can't.
And one of the guys, that's one of the guys that I want to meet.
I wish one day if you have an opportunity.
I can make that happen.
Make that happen or tell him that one of the guys that I want to sit to have a nice talk was one of the guys.
Donald Trump.
Donald Trump.
Here, US, whatever he wants.
I know he was here in Saudi with our boss, MBS.
I wish one day to meet him, to sit with him, because he's one of the persons that I really like him because I think it can make things happen.
And I like people like that.
I mean, I say whatever you think of Trump, and people have very strong ideas about you as well.
But I think that he believes in peace, not war.
It makes him unusual for a Republican-American president.
I've spoken to him many times.
He really wants peace.
And I admire what he's achieved in stopping the bombing in Gaza.
I admire what he's trying to do in Ukraine with Putin trying to stop the bombing.
I think these are admirable things for him to be doing.
And following what you said to him, I think he's trying to deliver on what you asked.
I wish that the world goes for a peace wave soon.
This is what I'm looking for.
And I will tell them something.
Very...
Nobody knows this, but maybe one day if you have the opportunity, I'm going to sit with him and I'm going to tell him.
Probably no, 100% he don't know.
That we had something in COMU, something that we share.
Really?
Yes.
Not in your interview.
I will tell him.
You can't take a camera.
Very nice.
You're going to like it.
You're going to like it.
Really?
Yes.
How fascinating.
Fascinated.
Christian is a worldwide man.
Oh, I know that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Now more than before, but you know what you've done.
With 18s, 19s, 20s, I was there in the US many times.
But this is like taking a camel to the edge of an oasis.
But it was funny.
And then saying you can't have a drink.
You will like it.
This is torture.
I love this.
If you have opportunity one day, tell him.
Well, his son, Baron, is a big fan of yours.
He told me that.
Yeah?
Yeah, he loves you.
Good.
His son is kind of coming as well.
Oh, yeah?
Okay, will we get Baron?
Donald, obviously I'll have to be there.
If you want to be, say, I'll come as your assistant.
Perfect.
That would be an amazing.
I think we can make that happen.
I think he'd love to meet you.
Perfect.
Is that possible?
Probably.
You're the two most famous people on the planet.
You're the most followed person on Instagram.
He is the most famous probably human being.
We'll do it a debate for the world.
Who is the most famous?
Me or President Donald Trump.
What do you think?
In the world.
What do you think?
Me.
Really?
You've got more followers on Instagram.
You've got more followers than anybody.
I think worldwide, even in that small Iceland, they know me more than him.
Really?
Yes.
That's a fascinating debate.
You think you'd win that?
Yes.
You probably would.
You probably would.
I think in worlds, in worlds, nobody's more famous than me.
Do you think anyone there, because of social media...
Tell me one.
Well, I'm going to explain.
Tell me one.
Your opinion.
In my opinion, in my life.
This generation, now, this is 2025.
Right now, you and Donald Trump, both together.
I think it's a very interesting debate.
I would say in my lifetime, I would add Princess Diana, probably the Queen.
But they're no longer with us, right?
But in my lifetime, and maybe Nelson Mandela, right, would be the most famous, iconic people.
But I think right now it's... Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson at his peak.
And his peak.
But I think right now it's you and Donald Trump.
It's a good debate.
It's a great debate.
You're predicted.
Let's make that happen.
I think that'd be great.
You see, now this is the map of the world.
Have you ever been anywhere where no one's recognised you?
In 20 years ago, yes.
Not anywhere.
But not now.
No.
Is there anywhere you could go?
Could you go to like an igloo in Iceland and even they know you're right?
Yes.
Yes.
Do you like that?
No.
It is what it is.
I'd quite like that.
No, piss.
No?
It's boring.
Trust me.
It's too much?
It's boring.
Yeah, it's too much.
You could be too famous.
I wish to don't be so famous.
Really?
It's boring, trust me.
But if I said to you, all right, Cristiano, you can have all the successes of footballer you've had, but you're going to have no fame.
Oh, I will sign.
You would?
Of course.
Of course.
100%.
Fascinating.
100%.
I never want to be famous, never.
I want to have success.
I knew it since the beginning when I was young that I will be, let's say, a star.
But to be so famous, I never, never, never want it.
It's boring, trust me.
But it is what it is.
I will borrow in that way.
You're the most famous and the richest and most successful footballer in history.
Not bad.
Cristiano, take your piss.
Brilliant to catch up with it.
I wish.
I wish.
Listen.
To don't do it interview with you in three years.
I want less.
Okay.
Less.
But before you will do it interview with my CEO.
No, no, definitely.
No, I think you would be a great interview.
I totally agree.
Your story together is unbelievable.
And I will do that.
And I think my next interview with you could be...
And we can do it something.
Imagine.
Me, you, sir, Mr. Trump.
Yes.
In one table.
Yes.
Will be fun.
I think this is a great idea.
Different.
Yes.
Like around at the White House.
Will be even better.
Why not?
You've got to be.
Imagine.
I haven't even got to buy an air ticket.
No problem.
I'll come with you.
Something different, beautiful, good conversation.
I think he would love it.
I mean, to promote the World Cup and his country.
What could be better?
Oh, look, I'm going to make this happen.
Something.
Okay, perfect.
But make sure if I do make it happen, you don't cut me out, all right?
You're not part of the family.
We have a deal?
You know that.
Cristiano, great to say.
Thank you so much.
Say my best to all the family.
Thank you.
Thank you, Pitts.
And congrats on the forthcoming marriage.
Thank you.
It's a big moment for a man.
Thank you.
And if you need a best man, you know where to find me.
Okay.
I'm good with speeches.
Thank you, Gala.
Take care.
Perfect.
Exactly three years ago, I sat down with Cristiano Ronaldo for what I would humbly describe as one of the most seismic interviews in sporting history.
The whole world saw it and the whole world knows what happened next.
Ronaldo's become football's first billionaire, the apex of a sporting revolution in the Middle East.
For all of his many critics, he continues to command global attention and he continues to bang in goals.
This interview was very different to our last one, but no less compelling.
By his own admission, it's the most revealing personal interview he's ever given.
And as usual, he's given us all plenty to talk about.
I've assembled a star panel of sporting luminaries to give me their verdict.
And we'll hear from some special guests along the way.
Well, joining me now is the Bain Sports anchor Richard Keyes, the Sports Illustrated correspondent, Henry Winter, and the journalist and biographer to both Leonard Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Guillaume Balagier.
Well, welcome to all of you.
Let's start with World Cup ambition, chaps, because it was quite interesting for me, certainly in the moment, to hear what Cristiano said about the upcoming World Cup, which of course is in the United States and Mexico and Canada.
Let's take a look.
But to change the story, the history of Portugal to say if Cristiano will the World Cup will be the...
No, this doesn't make sense for me.
A win.
We won.
Three titles for Portugal history.
Before Portugal never won nothing.
I'm glad.
I'm so happy.
You would love it, Cristiano, to win the World Cup.
Yeah, but not a session.
So I understand what you're saying.
I swear for my kids.
But I still think the image of you, if I don't agree.
I'm not agreeing.
Really interesting.
Yes, I'm not agree.
Because Portugal never won World Cup.
Yeah, but they can win.
Yes, we're going to fight for that.
But he shouldn't define you as a Portuguese.
No, we define you at 14 years old or 41 to define what?
To define if I'm one of the best of the history.
To win one competition.
Six games, seven games.
Do you think it's fair?
It's not fair.
So Henry Winson, let me start with you.
I thought it was a very interesting response by Cristiano because it almost looked like he was trying to get ahead of what may happen in what will almost certainly be, you never rule out anything with him, but probably will be his last ever World Cup.
And that if Portugal were to come up short, he doesn't want his failure to ever win the World Cup with Portugal to be something that diminishes his legacy.
Is he right to sort of put that marker in the sand, you think?
Yeah, I think I can understand that.
There's a lot of sand around him.
So yeah, inevitably.
I found fascinating coming through your interview, Piers, was how much everything is performance related, whether it's on the field, whether it's off the field.
And he very much views his achievements through the prisms of what he has achieved in terms of trophies.
And I think most of us would agree that he is in the top five footballers of all time.
But I just think the World Cup, I mean, you will put Pelle at number one, you will put Maradona in there, you will put Messi in there, and then we can have an argument over four and five.
But because of that World Cup, it is so huge.
And I think that, you know, I can understand his attitude and what he is doing with Portugal, who are not the biggest country in the world, absolutely overachieving with them, what is it, 160 goals in 225 appearances, two in his last international, I think, against Hungary.
It is phenomenal what he's doing.
But to actually achieve that, which Messi did last time, I'm sure he's driven by that for the World Cup at what, 40, 41, which is goalkeeper country.
So for him to do it as an outfield player pushes him higher up the rankings.
Yeah, well, we're going to come to the Messi and who's the go-to football debate in a moment.
But Richard Keyes, this thing about the World Cup, it's going to be massive next year.
You know, it could be the breakthrough moment that America has often promised, but never delivered with what they call soccer.
And Ronaldo and Messi, they will both be there as enormous figureheads because Messi's already in the country and Ronaldo will go there with Portugal.
How important is it, do you think, to Ronaldo's legacy, given that Messi has won a World Cup?
Does it matter whether Cristiano wins one or not?
Can I just say, first of all, Piers, that I thought he was self-effacing, occasionally funny, very honest, a little ego-driven, but then that's all right because we all are.
And he certainly threw some big names around.
And I'm talking about the interviewer, not Cristiano.
I thoroughly enjoyed the interview.
Really, I don't agree with Henry.
I don't think he's got to win the, he won't win the World Cup.
Let's get that straight.
Portugal are not going to win the World Cup.
And I don't think he has to win the World Cup to be considered one of the greats.
He is without question now.
I do agree with Henry that he is one of the top five.
But in my five, you see, I've got a guy called George Best who played in a very different era, never went to a World Cup, would never ever have dreamt about going with the country that he represented.
Cristiano has done everything he needs to be considered, as I say, one of the very best footballers of all time.
You have him out there on his own.
I'm not sure.
So forget that.
As regards, you see, with Messi, I think Qatar was perfect for both Argentina, who, again, Cristiano's right.
You would expect to see a country of that size, but they have done twice before Messi did here.
But it was a tournament set up for Messi.
And when I say that, I mean no travel.
He checked into a hotel at the start of the tournament, slept in the same bedroom and bed until the end of the tournament.
And I've discussed this with Arsen Wenger, who agrees.
If he were playing, and he is, but they won't have the same impact, but the travel between perhaps Canada, Mexico, America.
The travel is a massive factor in these tournaments.
Henry knows he's done it, Guillem too.
This was perfect.
So Messi wins a World Cup.
I don't wish to belittle the achievement.
I'm not doing that.
But he wins a World Cup that was perfectly set up for him.
Messi Is The Best He's Seen00:14:59
Cristiano is not going to have that run in his favor.
He's going to have to just go in and mix it with the rest of them.
He's been magnificent.
Kenny Dalglish always said, the debate came up, Messi Ronaldo.
He always say, I'll take the one you don't want.
For me, it's always been Cristiano because he challenged himself everywhere in the hardest league in the world and conquered it.
In Spain, at a time when Reynolds weren't at their very best and conquered it, in Italy and conquered it.
Messi didn't do any of that.
Cristiano, for me personally, as I say, one of the top five, but of the two, I would take him anytime.
Very interesting.
Well, Guillem, let's come to you on that specifically on that debate.
Let's take a look, listen to, remind ourselves what Cristiano said about the Messi debate.
There's a raging debate, right?
Whether Messi is...
I say Messi is not even the best Argentinian.
Maradona was better than him.
How many World Cups win Argentina before Messi?
How many?
I don't know.
Two times?
Yeah, it might be two of them.
Yeah, but it's normal.
These countries that are used to win big competitions, Brazil, if they win the World Cup, then we will surprise the world.
No.
If the Portugal win the World Cup, which is possible, they will shock the world.
Yes.
But in my mind, I don't think in that way.
He's made it clear to me that he said in the last interview I did with him that the best footballer he's ever seen, he said, was Messi.
But he believes he eclipses him.
And actually, I think for many of the reasons that Richard just articulated.
And when I had dinner with him, the first time I interviewed him, about seven, eight years ago now, Guillem, we sat outside, a bit of a restaurant you're in, and we were talking about this.
And he said, look, there have been a lot of footballers who've reached the level of him and Messi, but only for a few years.
And he cited people like Ronaldinho, R9, Ronaldo, and so on, George Best, Paul Gascoyne.
And I think it was a very compelling argument.
He said, look, he said, the reason I think that Messi and me are out there, we've done this for 20 years.
You could add Pele to the mix because he won three World Cups and has clearly had the longevity.
But I do think longevity is an important factor when you determine who is the goat of any sport, actually, whether it's Djokovic in tennis, whether it's Michael Jordan in basketball.
The goats don't tend to be the ones, Tiger Woods in golf.
They don't tend to be the ones who only do it for three or four years at the very peak.
So he accepted to me that there have been players who've played at their level, but not for 20 years.
And I thought that was an interesting criterion.
Where do you sit?
You've done books on both Messi and Ronaldo.
So when push comes to Chave Guillem, who's the greatest?
I also did a book on Maradona, and I think the most controversial thing that was heard in the interview was you saying that Maradona should be ahead of Messi.
Okay, no, wait a minute.
Wait, wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
I'm going to play you.
You've teed up me perfectly for a clip from Fabrizio Romano, the king of transfers.
Listen to what Fabrizio gave me a video, which said this.
Hello, Pierre.
Fabricio Romano here.
I wanted to say congrats on your interview.
It was fantastic.
So always a pleasure to hear from you and Cristiano.
For me, the goat is a different conversation.
And look, while I'm recording this video, I'm in Napoli, my city.
I was born here.
And in Napoli, I don't know if you have ever been here at a football game or around football things, but in Napoli, there is only one thing that goes beyond life, beyond football, beyond sports.
And this Diego Armando Maradona considered like God.
But the Cristiano-Messi conversation remains fantastic to follow.
Congratulations on your interview.
Here we go.
I will see you soon.
Ciao.
Pretty clear there, Guillermo, that he agrees with me that Messi is not even the best Argentinian.
It was the great Diego, who, of course, won two series in four years in Napoli, who've never won it before or since.
Fabricio said, and I agree with this, that Maradona is God.
Absolutely.
Agreed.
We're talking about a different discussion, which was the best player.
And you were talking about longevity.
Maradona lasted at the peak two years.
When he was on decline, still won, but it was two years that he was at his best for different reasons that we know.
In the case of Cristiano and Messi, I'll propose something to the three of you, see if you agree.
Messi, no, I'll start with Cristiano.
Cristiano, the best striker in history.
Messi, the best player in history.
Does that work?
Because there is something that Messi has done, especially as he progressed towards his physical decline, which is to actually get away from the goal and see the picture of the whole pitch and still be very, very influential.
Ronaldo scores goals.
So does Messi.
But he does something else.
So you know what I think about this debate?
I would say both of them absolutely extraordinary.
I will agree top five.
But Messi has got something that we've never seen ever before in the history of the game.
You know, Henry, we talked separately in the interview about him approaching a thousand goals in football, which he's inevitably going to get to.
And I suspect he'll be trying to time it for the World Cup.
Because obviously he's got a healthy ego.
That's what makes him what he is.
I suspect Messi does quietly.
You know, he probably wakes up every morning and thinks, yeah, I'm Leonor Messi and bangs his chest.
Why wouldn't you?
But in terms of this, it's a perennial debate.
For you personally, let me give you a scenario.
It's a wet Wednesday in Stoke, the fabled wet Wednesday in Stoke.
It's pouring with rain.
It's freezing cold, as it often is in Stoke, particularly at this time of year.
And you've got to choose one of them to score to save your life.
Which one is it?
I love the fact that any conversation about Cristiano Ronaldo inevitably just goes into a debate about who is better, Messi or Ronaldo.
I mean, I've been involved in the Ballon d'Or for the last 20 years.
And the two of them, and one thing we have to say, I think all four of us will agree on how privileged we are to be in the era of two of the greatest five footballers of all times.
I mean, Guillerm makes a really important point there, just coming back to the rainy night in Stoke.
Poor old Stoke.
I mean, to be fair, it does shine occasionally there.
And you look at what another really good player, Lou Macari, is doing there in terms of lighting up the city with his community.
But I just think that if you had a choice between the two to stroke your soul to really quicken the adrenaline, it would be the sight of Messi weaving through a defense rather than Cristiano Ronaldo to be able to.
So that wasn't my question.
As you say.
Okay, so your question is, who is going to win?
I mean, that's, I think.
No, no, who's going to score to save your life?
The tenor of your question is actually who's got the sort of the moral courage and the boldness and the ability, all those key components that makes the great players, and both of them are, to do it on a wet night in Stoke.
And I don't think you can say that Messi, who I've seen get kicked absolutely to pieces, Maradona as well, 90, remember that?
I covered that Brazil game in 90 in Turin, and he got absolutely kicked to pieces.
But so Messi has got that courage to do it, whatever the rain.
Fortunately, he's the last one on the pitch to feel the rain.
But I wouldn't have a problem with either of them taking a penalty, taking a free kick.
It's probably equal.
I would say in the air, Ronaldo would win it.
So if it's a Ryan Shawcross flicked on Heather from a Rory DeLap throw, then I would go for Ronaldo.
But let's not belittle Messi because what a player.
And I would have him just ahead of Ronaldo in my top five.
Yeah, and just to remind what I said earlier, when I had dinner with Cristiano, he said Messi was the best he's seen, but he said he's second after him.
I think you've got to believe that.
I think to be one of the greats of football, you've got to think you're the best, I think.
Wait for a moment, Pan.
I'm going to bring you back in to respond to my next guest, who is Mark Goldbridge.
He's the host of the United States, one of my favorite YouTube channels possibly in the world, Mark Goldbridge.
Watching your insane ranting is extremely entertaining, particularly when Arsenals stick it to your lot.
But specifically about Manchester United, I thought that obviously the last interview I did with Cristiano was pretty seismic in terms of leading to his departure from United.
He made his feelings very clear about the club.
And this time he was more measured.
He was more temperate.
I don't think he wanted to rattle as many cages.
Let's take a look at what he said.
I'm sad because of the club that one of the most important clubs in the world and a club that I still have in my heart because of the obvious reasons.
You have to follow with the intelligent people, smart people, to create a base for the future as Manchester United have so many years ago.
Nikki Butt, Kerry's, Roykins, Beckham's, they become big players, but they had youth.
So Manchester United, right now, doesn't have a structure.
We have all to be honest and look for ourselves and say, listen, they are not in a good path.
So they need to change.
And it's not only about the coach and players, in my opinion.
As a young Portuguese coach for now, Amarin, what do you make of it?
He do it to his best.
What are you going to do?
Miracles?
Miracles?
This is impossible.
So Mark, what did you make of what Cristiano said there about United?
I actually found it really enlightening because I think the last interview he did with yourself, as much as he did say very similar things, I'm a massive fan of Ronaldo, but I did think walking out of Man United, there was an element of it was a bit self-serving because he needed to cast himself in a good light.
I think right now with Manchester United, we've actually had some good results.
Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't need to grind an axe against Manchester United.
So we need more people to do this.
You know, I think there's more ex-players that should do this.
I think there's a lot of United fans that will listen to that at a time when we're doing well and go, you know what?
Why is Ronaldo saying that there needs to be better structure or were miles off?
Because it's probably true.
And he is somebody that obviously was there with Sir Alex and saw how good the club was.
But he's also someone that's been there quite recently and has seen the structure years later and knows what it takes to win.
And I remember some of the interviews when he was at the club saying that there's players at this football club that don't want to put the work in that aren't Manchester United players.
Yeah, it's interesting.
I mean, to be fair to Cristiano about the recent success that United have had on the pitch with a run of games, this was done just before that.
But I don't think it would have changed his overview.
His overview is not that United win two or three games on the bats.
He'd expect that.
His overview is that United need to be competing for the top trophies.
And he said in the interview that he thinks the Premier League has gone this season against United.
He's probably right about that.
I don't think anyone expects United to win the Premier League.
I think even you would admit in your most grudging, darkest moment, that it's more likely to be won by my team.
But we shall see.
We've been the bridesmaid a lot, not the bride for a while.
So let's see what happens.
But I think he's right.
And I think what he was shocked by, he said to me in the last interview, he was really shocked to go back to old Trafford all those years later.
And despite the fact, I remind people, he scored 24 goals in the Premier League and Champions League in that last full season he played at United.
But he was shocked by how everything just seemed to be going backwards there.
Club that was always on the front foot with Sir Alex, always looking forward, always changing, evolving, just seemed to be very static and going nowhere.
And the infrastructure seemed light years behind where some of the other top clubs were.
And I think that's what he that's what he believes is one of the fundamental problems.
He also gave a clue there that, you know, the ownership, he's not convinced that they've been probably playing a direct enough role, I think, in the way that United's evolution should be going.
Yeah, and I think, look, we're in a position at the moment.
And just for clarity, I predicted Arsenal would win the league before the start of the season, before it was fashionable.
So, you know, and I'd rather you won it than Liverpool and Man City, which I'm sure Cristiano Ronaldo would as well.
But no, I think, I think it looks the timing of the interview is fantastic, I think, because I think you can be too positive when results are going well and you can be too negative when they're not.
And for many Manchester United fans, the glazers still are the issue at that football club.
And whilst they are there, I and many United fans do not believe that we can compete with the Arsenals and Liverpools.
I think we need to get back into the top five, but I think that probably is the ceiling of what Ruben Amrim can do.
So when Cristiano Ronaldo says he can't work miracles, I think that's what he means.
He's not saying that Manchester United can't get back into the Champions League, but can they be the club that he knew that we remember, you know, back in the 90s and the noughties?
Not with this ownership.
I mean, they're going to struggle to build a stadium and they're going to spend a lot of money on that.
And you know how that impacts a club like Arsenal did for many years.
So I think Cristiano Ronaldo, I think it lands at the right point that yes, United are improving on the pitch, but there is a barrier to getting Manchester United back to where they should be, which is competing at the very top of European football in the Premier League.
And I think with this ownership, there's very Man United, very many Man United fans that would agree with Cristiano.
And I also think it shows his love for the club and how it does still live in the hearts.
Because if he didn't care, why pass a comment on it?
He doesn't need to.
He's left Manchester United.
He's a massively fantastic footballer.
He's one of the greatest ever.
He doesn't need to say something that will be deemed negative of Manchester United without meaning it.
Yeah, no, I agree.
You've been very measured and calm, Mark, in this interview.
So it'd be remiss of me not to replay one of your less measured and calm moments.
Let's take a look.
When Piers Morgan says, you can look at the players he's been unable to handle at United, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jaden Sancho, Marcus Rashford.
It's always the top players.
Oh, my God.
This guy is not just a Prat.
He's not a Turbo Prat.
He's a terminal Pratt.
He's absolutely no hope for this guy.
He is so condescendingly arrogant.
How can you say he can handle the guys he brings in from Ajax who've never been on the world stage?
Oh, would that be Lessandro Martinez, who's played for Argentina?
What world stage are you talking about, Piers?
You're an absolute Pratt Morgan.
How can you say nonsense like that?
Real Madrid Presidency Days00:13:25
Just going to give you one chance here, Mr. Goldbridge, to admit that actually, with the benefit of hindsight, I was completely right.
Well, I would have come prepared with some of your tweets about Michael Arteta as well, but I did expect something like this.
And I have to say, this is the beauty of football.
We all get very, very passionate about it.
Look, I will always put Manchester United first, even ahead of the great Cristiano Ronaldo.
But in hindsight, you look at some of the, I mean, there was a lad playing for Braille Madrid at left back yesterday, Carreras.
He was at the club.
Ten Hog let him go.
The Ronaldo debacle, he left.
And also, David De Gea being swapped for Inanna.
So in hindsight, I'm on a very, very, and I know you like your cricket.
I'm on a very sticky wicket here.
But it's a shame that Ronaldo left.
But it didn't work out with Ten Hog, did it?
And let's just leave it there.
Well, Mark, it's great to speak to you.
I'm a big fan of your work.
I think it's the future YouTubers, why I do my stuff on YouTube.
You've done some really interesting things, which we'll talk about another time, like getting the rights to the Bundesliga and putting it on your channel at the weekend and stuff.
I think this is really smart.
I think you're very engaging, very entertaining.
Even when you're calling me a monumental Prat, I find it quite funny, as do my sons.
So more power to your elbow, and let's get you back on again soon.
No, pleasure to speak to you Piers.
I know it's the first time, and thanks for having me on.
All the best.
Thank you.
What's going on, Richard Keyes?
Richard, Man United.
You know, Cristiano does care, you know, and he was more measured about what he said this time.
But there's a burning, as there is with Roy Keene, with Gary Neville, with all the Paul Scholes, with all these guys, all the ones from the great Fergie generation.
They're all frustrated that ever since 2013, they've not really been competing properly for the big titles.
And they've had great managers come and go.
You know, Mourinho has been up there and Van Haal and all these guys.
Nothing seems to make any difference.
What do you think the core problem is at United?
Just to answer the question that we left hanging, Piers, for me at Stoke on a wet Wednesday against the Tony Poolis team, particularly Cristiano, all day long.
Yeah, I agree.
I agree.
Absolutely.
As for Manchester United, well, Cristiano going back should not have happened.
It was a vanity signing.
I'm not saying going back is a bad thing and it can't be done.
David Moyes did at West Ham and it turned out very well.
He's gone back to Everton.
There are other examples of people going to football clubs they've previously represented and it has worked well.
But Christiana went into a, I mean, it was a nightmare for him.
The club, you know, if Mark's happy with three wins and a draw, okay.
But that's a long way from where Manchester United should be.
And I think Cristiano perhaps should have looked around a little bit more closely at what had been left post-Fergie and maybe just swerved it.
I've said previously, and not many agree with me, but I think that the manner in which it fell apart didn't necessarily disappoint Fergie a great deal.
I cannot for a moment think that he would have wanted someone to go in and do better than he had done, which in itself would be a very difficult thing to do.
But the team that won it last for him, his last title winning team was Bang Ordner.
Bang Ordnary.
They were all a centre forward and Scolzy coming out of retirement in the January were the two factors that got them over the market.
We all say one player can't win a title.
Two did.
And it was left to David Moyes, who was made a number of promises by United.
And maybe if they'd had the courage to stay with him, it could have worked out better.
But he was told when going in, you've got two years.
And if we don't qualify for the Champions League in either of those two years, that's fine.
But Bill is a team.
And then Edward Wood lost his bottle and pulled the plug.
And they've been chasing their tail ever since.
I don't agree that it's the Glazers entirely that you point the finger at now.
I think that the Jim Reaper has been there long enough to be the man that has to take responsibility for what's happening.
That stadium that he has visions of, unless he funds it, that's not getting built.
Nor should it.
Why should the government help out?
We've got one taxpayer stadium in East London at West Ham.
We don't want two.
United, way off, Piers.
Never mind the title this year, this year and next year.
And just to get on the bandwagon, I was one of very few like Mark that did think he'd win it this year.
Well, I'm going to come to Henry and Gim about this because we're actually about to be joined by a pretty special guest, actually, Ramon Cauldron, who's the ex-Real Madrid president, who signed Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 for what was then a world record 80 million pounds.
And you've got to say, I mean, Henry, we're just waiting for Ramon to come on.
You've got to say, it looks pretty cheap now, doesn't it?
80 million for what Ronaldo then did at Real Madrid.
Yeah, I mean, you've got 80 million pound players sitting on the bench at the moment in the Premier League.
I mean, it was one of the great signings.
And I mean, Manchester United, you know, we're sorry to see him go.
I mean, Michael Carrick talks very sort of respectfully about turning up at training at Carrington to find a young Ronaldo already there with weights around his ankles, weaving in and out of codes, building up that strength.
And also then that gave him that sort of likeness almost psychologically on match days when the weights came off and he could go and terrorize another fullback.
So, I mean, his performances there were sensational.
Yeah, I'm going to be joined.
Just wait for me, panel, to respond to this.
Ramon Cauldron is joining me now.
Ramon Cauldron, great to have you on our sensor.
Thank you very much.
My pleasure.
My pleasure to be in that program.
How significant was it, do you think, in the history of this great club, Real Madrid, to sign Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 for what looks now to have been the bargain of the century, 80 million pounds?
For us, it was something very, very important, very relevant, one of the best players we've had.
It's true that at the time, it seemed a high amount of money.
It was 94 million euros.
But it's true, what you've said.
Nowadays, it's very cheap.
What he did nine years here, Champion League, Ballon Dors, he helped to increase our history.
So for us, very important.
And his legacy, in my opinion, has been not only the joy and the happiness to our fans and the fans where he's been, but to show to the young football players and young people in general that to have talent and skill is not enough.
You need to add what he did is discipline, perseverance, determination, sacrifice, everything he's been doing all his life and he did here to know that he did the best he can.
And for us, it was something very important and the fans love him.
Ramon, you've previously said you would have loved to have signed Leon Messi.
We've been having a debate before you came on the show about the Messi v. Ronaldo debate.
So let me ask you the question I asked the other panel members.
If you had to choose one of them to score a goal to save your life, which one would it be?
It's not easy.
Both are among the best players of the football history with different features.
I think if you see, you think about Messi, you think about creativity, you think about inspiration, naturalness, improvisation.
And if you talk about Ronaldo, his speed, pace, ability to score goals with both legs, good header, helping the defense, the team in defense.
So different players.
And I would like to have both if I would be able to.
But you're dodging my question, Ramon.
If you had to choose one to save your life by scoring a goal, who would you trust your life with more?
I have to say, Cristiano.
I have to say, Cristiano.
It's not only because it was part of our history and I was able to sign him.
I'm very proud of that.
I didn't do anything special.
I'm not the one to be credited for that.
I was the president of Real Madrid at that moment.
He wanted to change.
And it's true.
He told me in 2008 when he was going to come that he was very grateful to Man United, to Ferguson, to the fans, to the club directors.
They managed to give him all he had at that moment, but he wanted to change.
And it's true that coming to Real Madrid for them was a different experience.
He had the opportunity to increase his image, his reputation, to get personal and collective awards.
So I think Cristiano for me now is the best.
But I wouldn't say that Messi is not as well one of the best players of history.
But for you, Cristiano is number one.
Well, I'd say it is.
It's difficult to say who is number one.
I think one, they made better each other.
It was lucky for fans and for them to be playing in the same league in rival teams.
That was perfect for both of them.
And they made each other better.
And as I said, we were lucky to have them at the same time.
Yeah, I think, you know, Cristiano said that to me, actually, a few times.
He felt the competition between them brought out the best in both of them and raised them to higher levels.
And I think that is indisputable.
I think there's a great respect between the two of them, actually.
But I'm with you, Ramon.
I think if it was a wet Wednesday on a cold winter's night and I had to pick one of them to score a goal to save my life, I'm going, Cristiano.
Thank you very much indeed for joining me.
I appreciate it.
My pleasure.
Bye-bye.
Cheers.
Thank you very much.
It's got a Guillem.
It's a great debate, Guayma.
We're never going to get, obviously, a definitive answer.
But very interesting, I think, to see the importance that he attached to that signing.
And also how Ronaldo, I think it's another thing about him, and I think Messi has it too, but the constant desire to improve themselves and evolve as players.
One thing I wanted to ask you before we got, we've been joined by Emily Austin, who I'll come to in a moment, but just Guillem, another thing that Ronaldo said was about the caliber of the Saudi league.
When he first went there, a lot of criticism, mockery, it's not a real league, it's a farmers league and so on and so on.
Obviously, as more and more top players have gone over there and some quite younger, very good players have gone over there now as well.
Clearly the standards improving.
Let's see what he said about it and get your response.
Year by year, year by year, I scored more.
Even in a bad year, I scored 25 goals.
If I play in Premier League now, in a top team, I will score the same.
For the last season you play, last full season.
Easy.
If you have a good team with 14 years old, I will score the same.
I don't need to speak because they can say whatever they want, but the numbers don't lie.
They can say Saudi League.
They never been here.
They never play here.
They don't know what to run with 40 degrees.
They don't know.
And they should count even, they should count like the goals to be the top scorer, the golden ball.
Why they don't count Saudi League?
Why?
Listen, I play everywhere.
Everywhere.
For me, it's more easy to score in Spain than score in Saudi.
So Guillem, you're the perfect person to answer.
He thinks the Saudi League is now better than the Spanish League.
Well, if he thinks he's the number one in the world ever and he plays in that league, obviously that is something that goes for that league.
I'm not sure it's easier to score in Spain than it is to score in Saudi.
There is obviously the fact that there is a lot of talented players heading that way.
And he makes a very, very good point.
I hadn't even thought of it.
Why don't some of those players I consider for the Ballon d'Or?
We're too Eurocentric in the way we look at that trophy.
But in any case, I still long distance between the Saudi League.
I would even say the French League, which he considers inferior.
And he's putting it close to the Spanish League.
Aesthetics of the Beautiful Game00:06:17
Because it's not just what you see, it's what's behind the scenes.
And you're absolutely right.
There is a lot of improvement being done, a lot of investment on directors of football.
Some of the best people in offices around the world are in Saudi.
And of course, you know, coaches, players, the infrastructure has to improve.
The competitiveness has to improve.
The spectacle has to improve as well.
More fans, more commercial deals being done through it.
There's a lot of room for improvement.
But the job they made in the last five years is absolutely incredible.
But we're not, I don't think, at the level that Cristiano is saying.
Well, okay, let's go to Emily.
Emily, welcome back to Uncensored.
An unusual topic for you and I to be discussing here.
But it concerns the aesthetic qualities of Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham, arguably the two most famous football players in the history of the game, because they live, of course, in the internet era, the social media era, which gives them an advantage over perhaps people from the past.
But this is what Ronaldo said about their respective aesthetic qualities.
Do you think you're better looking than David Beckham?
Depends.
Are you more handsome?
Depends.
Depends, because for me, the looking is not only the face.
The looking, it's all packaged.
Like this.
If you put me, not anymore, but imagine Cristiano.
Yeah, not Cristiano.
A normal guy with Speedos, Red Speedos, in a copacabana to drink coconut water.
Do you think I'm not going to get a chance with nobody?
But come on, you and Beckham, you're walking across the Copacabana for say 10 minutes.
Who gets the most attention?
Not famous?
Not famous, just your body.
Me.
100%.
I knew it.
I knew it.
Come on, Piers.
I agree with you.
So, Emily, imagine you're on the Copacabana Beach in Brazil.
You've got Ronaldo and Beckham walking along in their tight speedos, as he put it.
Which one are you giving more attention to?
Before I answer this question, I want to just preface by saying that Ronaldo is so right.
If a man is physically a 10, but his attitude or his aura is not, immediately, I promise you, our eyeballs will deceive us and he will go down in the ranks.
With that being said, everyone's going to hate on me for this.
David Beckham is hotter than Ronaldo.
Like, physically, if I were to just judge on looks and not personality, David Beckham just gives me more of a mature look, which to me I find more attractive.
But David Beckham also gives me very arrogant vibes.
And like, Ronaldo knows he's hot, but he's still kind of humble.
Beckham is like, I know I'm hot and I think I'm hot.
So with that being said, I'll give Ronaldo overall, like he said, the whole package, he's more of a 10 with his aura and his physicality.
I mean, his abs look like a washing board.
That's not normal.
I've never seen anyone more fit than Ronaldo, but in the face, I'm going with Beckham.
And by the way, you need to describe him as Sir David now, following his knighthood yesterday.
Whatever.
I'm an American.
I don't have to.
Richard Keyes, you're obviously a fine-looking specimen of a man.
Do you agree with Ronaldo?
Is he basically, in terms of full package, the hottest footballer that's ever walked the earth?
My judgment is probably based on David's such a charming individual.
I mean, he's a lovely, lovely guy.
Cristiano, I think it's come across during the period of time we've all been together.
I'm an enormous fan.
I would have to go.
I think he's right, Cristiano.
I mean, I look at the other guys on here.
I mean, Henry Winter, Henry Cristiano, David Beckham.
Tight.
Guillem Balaguer.
You know, I think we're all of the same opinion.
You know, Henry, Henry, Henry's got, well, I caught it.
I actually have a pinned tweet on my now X account, which is from the first interview we did, where Cristiano talks about me having good abdominals.
And it's only a 10-second clip.
It's had nearly 200 million views, which means there are 200 million people out there who genuinely think that Ronaldo, who has without any doubt, the best set of abs probably in the history of the planet, actually was, they genuinely think he was admiring my abdominals.
Henry, you've got a face of a man that thinks, I never thought I'd ever be on a football panel talking about male aesthetics or abdominals.
But do you have a view about Beckham v. Ronaldo on Copacabana Beach?
Only they've got a ball at their feet and they are juggling it.
And I've seen Beckham on Copacabana Beach.
Actually, it was Iponema Beach to get technical and he was juggling the ball and it was magnificent.
But I have to say, and it puts English football into perspective, there were 10 Brazilian kids around him who were doing even more extraordinary things with the football.
So yeah, if you want to leave me out of a hello style beauty parade between the two of them, I mean, I just admire them as footballers.
Guillem, do you have a view?
Are you with Team Beckham on the aesthetics or Team Ronaldo?
For me, Cristiano has got the beauty of a statue, a little bit cold, and David Beckham is a layered portrait of Francis Bacon.
There's beauty around, there is aura.
There's something special about David Beckham.
When he enters the room, he just attracts the attention of everyone.
Cristiano stamps the floor when he walks in, so you know he's coming.
There's a difference.
You know, Guillem, I should have known that the poet of football like you would have come up with such a brilliant description of their two aesthetic qualities.
Comparing Ronaldo to Trump00:15:14
So congratulations on bringing Francis Bacon into the debate.
I wasn't expecting that little sidewinder.
Talking of beautiful people, beautiful men, Emily, let's turn to Donald Trump, because Cristiano talks about Donald Trump in a pretty positive way, actually.
He sent him a shirt saying he wants to play for peace.
He wants to go see him at the White House.
He wants me to help engineer that debate.
Let's take a look at the clip of what he said about Trump.
One of the guys that I want to sit to have a nice talk.
It was one of the guys.
Donald Trump.
Donald Trump.
Here, the US, whatever he wants.
I know he was here in Saudi with our boss, MBS.
I wish one day to meet him, to sit with him, because he's one of the persons that I really like him because I think it can make things happen.
And I like people like that.
I think he'd love to meet you.
Perfect.
Is that perfect?
You're the two most famous people on the planet.
You're the most followed person on Instagram.
He is the most famous public human being.
We will do it to the debate for the world.
Who is the most famous?
Me or Donald Trump?
President Donald Trump.
What do you think?
Me.
Really?
You know, that is a really interesting, but we'll come to about the Trump meeting.
But it's actually a really interesting question because I've always said the most famous person in history has to be from the last 25 years because it has to be somebody from the internet generation because that's how people have become genuinely globally famous.
You know, there were very famous people a thousand years ago that most of the planet didn't know anything about.
They've become famous through history and so on.
On that point, Emily, it's actually quite interesting when you think about it.
Who is more famous, do you think?
Cristiano Ronald.
He has by far the most followers on Instagram in the world, even more than the Kardashians, way more than Messi.
I think he's like 20% ahead of anybody else on Instagram.
That's a pretty good indicator of fame.
He's got 650-odd million followers.
Does that make him the most famous person on the planet?
Or do you think Trump edges it?
Well, first and foremost, I need to clarify what I said five minutes ago.
After hearing Ronaldo talk about Trump, he's officially the hottest guy in the world.
Okay, moving on from that.
The fact is, Ronaldo has more social clout.
Now, I'm not denying he's famous on the streets.
This man can never live a normal life ever.
He is that famous.
However, I don't know if there is anyone on this earth that has access to basic media whatsoever that does not know who Donald Trump is.
So I would say that Trump has more street clout.
Everyone's always talking about this man.
Arguably, if you don't care about soccer, excuse me, football, right?
If you don't care for it so much, I'm sure you still know who Ronaldo is, but let's say you don't follow sports at all.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone doesn't know who he is.
But someone who doesn't care about politics, you will still know who Donald Trump is.
So I would say Trump is probably more famous in the general picture.
But when it comes to social media, how many people keep up with Ronaldo on like a day-to-day basis, especially now with his YouTube channel?
I'd say he's more socially famous, especially amongst Gen Z. Like he's always going to be the legendary Ronaldo, but Trump is different.
Like Trump is the human being.
I would say he comes once in a lifetime, but I think he comes once in eternity.
There is nobody like Donald Trump on this planet.
And even Ronaldo writes.
My daughter, who's 13, summed him up best.
She said, Daddy, I keep hearing you talk about Donald Trump as being a unique character.
She said, do you think there's such a thing as being too unique?
Richard Keyes, you've maintained a stony face.
Yeah, well, Richard, you've maintained a stony face since the Trump word was mentioned.
You're not a massive fan of the president of the United States.
So what did you make of what Cristiano said about him?
I agree with Cristiano.
I think Trump is more infamous.
He will be forgotten far more quickly.
I think we will be talking about Cristiano as football people and sports fans for a long, long time to come.
Yeah.
Just one thing on the interview, Pierce, that I did want to mention.
And by the way, terrific, to be serious.
It really was.
If we had firesides in this part of the world, it's the sort of thing I'd expect to see two guys just sat in front of a fire, relax in each other's company, clearly enjoying each other's company.
It's a really, really good watch.
But there was just a moment, and I think the most illuminating part of it for me was when he said, do you know, I don't want to be famous.
And I get that.
I really do understand that because there's an enormous price to pay.
He talks about his cars, 41 cars, 42 cars.
He never drives his cars.
He can't drive his cars.
He can't shop and get bread.
And it reminds me of a way in what happened to Diana, who used the pressure.
There, you understood it to elevate herself into a position of influence.
And then when she got there, really didn't want the attention anymore.
Well, it doesn't work like that.
And I fear for Cristiano that at 40, the rest of it, it could be an enormous void.
What do you do?
I know he talks about real estate and CEO and gaming and all these things, but real life is very, very different.
I think David's found a space for himself.
I think he enjoys being in the Cotswolds and farming and he's got Miami as well.
For Cristiano, that's my fear.
It's great now.
And of course, he needed the platform from which he's operated on to become the most famous man in the world.
But there's an enormous pressure comes with that.
And I do have some fears about the last two minutes of that interview when he talks about, I don't want to be famous, but it's too late.
You can't go back now.
Can't go back.
Yeah.
I mean, Henry, because I don't agree.
Yes, Emily, yes.
Yeah.
I feel like it's very easy to go off the grid.
And yes, I'm including Ronaldo in that discussion.
Hypothetically speaking, if he deletes his social media, if he deletes his YouTube, if he rejects interviews with Pierce, which he'll never do, Pierce, don't worry.
But if he really wanted to go off the grid, honestly, there's no better place to do that than Saudi Arabia.
Like, Pierce knows right all, I'm in Saudi all the time.
And it's a very relaxed, law-respecting, privacy-abiding place.
If he really did get overwhelmed, I don't think he'd be in a Diana-type situation.
I feel like he could disappear.
And how many celebrities do we know that we just haven't heard of them?
Because with the rise of social media, these celebrities that used to be predominantly TV and tabloids just haven't kept up.
They're gone.
Yeah, you know, Emily, it's interesting.
I actually had lunch with Princess Diana once at the palace, Kensington Palace, with Prince William.
He was about 13.
And it was a fascinating couple of hours, as you can imagine.
It was just the three of us.
But she said, you know, talking about her incredible fame at the time.
And she was just in her 30s.
And she said, you know, there is literally nowhere I can go in the world where people don't know who I am.
She said, I could even go to an igloo in Iceland and there'd be an Eskimo who would say, Princess Diana.
And she didn't say it with any sense of boasting.
She said it with a sense of real, like, slight fear that this was going to be the rest of her life where there would be no escape from being Princess Diana.
And in the end, she died in tragic circumstances, obviously, which kind of doubled down, I guess, on those fears.
But I think even if she's still alive now, there'd be nowhere she could go.
You know, people like her, Michael Jackson, Donald Trump, Cristiano Ronaldo, there's a kind of rarefied number of people in my lifetime who are just so famous, there is literally nowhere they could go.
I'm going to wrap up with the panel very quickly to Henry and Guillerm.
You know, when you looked at the interview in totality, I got a feeling of Christiana still has this burning desire to score goals, to break records, but he's also aware now of the ticking clock to retirement.
You know, what do you think post-football looks like for Ronaldo?
Henry, let me start with you.
Oh, yeah, ambassadorial role with the Portuguese FA.
I thought it was very poignant, his comment to you about he finds it really difficult to watch television and his humanity came out.
He was, he kept on using the word peace.
I mean, we've associated him with set piece, but I think this is maybe is the next stage.
And he actually becomes and just uses his huge global reach, as everyone's been saying, to go into the White House, to talk to Donald Trump, to use his sort of platforms to, you know, without getting too woodstocky about it, to actually spread the word and people will listen to him.
And the next generation will say, actually, yes, let's try and get on with our neighbors, different communities, different faiths, which he's reflecting in his lifestyle at the moment and geographically.
So, yeah, I was that gave me more hope for his future.
He's not going to be a coach.
I mean, they can appoint him manager of the Portuguese FA and put a good coach under him, but we're not going to see him at St. George's Park or Largs doing his coaching badges.
But I just think he is above that, like Beckham.
And one of the reasons why Beckham got knighted, services to football, but also services to community and charity as well.
And I hope we will see Cristiano go down that road as well.
Yeah, I think we will.
Guillermo, what do you think?
I think he's going to crash.
Some of the words that he was saying to you in the interview about he's not going to find anything like football again suggest that even though he says the words and he's been saying it since for the last five or six years, I'm going to retire soon, it's going to happen soon.
I think I'm not sure he's ready.
He's been in a running machine since he was 12.
He was actually having to run to get the money so his family survived.
And then it was about being the best.
And after that, it was about winning with the national side.
There's always targets.
Now, in a way, being a billionaire was a target as well, as we heard in the interview, too.
But I'm not sure he's prepared to actually stop a day where he doesn't go to training, a day where there is no game at the weekend.
I don't think he's prepared and he will need help because he's now that you've seen it.
I've seen that world as well.
He's the leader of that world.
Everybody works for him.
His family, they all have businesses related to him.
If he stops, who's going to be talking to him?
Or who would he have the faith and the belief of talking to to actually say, I'm not well, this is not, I'm not happy.
We'll see.
I think he'll crash.
Yeah, I think he's going to find it very hard.
He said he would cry a lot when the moment comes.
And I think he's going to find it very emotional and probably very difficult.
I totally agree.
It's been his entire world since he was a young kid.
But what a career he's had.
And whatever he says, I think if he could win the World Cup, that would be the absolute icing on the cake.
Guys, thank you.
What a brilliant panel.
Thank you all very much.
I really enjoyed your contributions.
Thank you all very much.
Just want to end, I want to bring in the self-appointed HMRC of football, Carell Prince, who's been going viral for forensically fact-checking anecdotes shared by former professional footballers.
Now he's got the receipts for Cristiano, or says he does.
All right, Carel, welcome to Uncensored.
Why is Ronaldo on your HRMC tax list?
Well, thanks for having me on for starters.
But the reason he's on the list is based on something he said in the second part of your interview, which was that winning the World Cup is not a dream.
Now, Piers, as you well, some of you have had conversations with him over the years.
I've loved the interviews, by the way, they've been great.
But even the last time he had a big sit-down around the World Cup time, around his exit of Manchester United, you asked him directly, would that be the pinnacle of your career?
Would it be a dream?
And he confirmed it.
And I found multiple other instances where he has also stated that.
So that's why he's on the list.
As much as I didn't think I'd ever have him on the list, that's what got him on there.
Well, we have got that clip you're talking about.
Let's take a look.
I'm looking forward that we're going to do it the amazing World Cup.
Would that be for you the pinnacle of your career to win a World Cup with Portugal?
Piers, I don't, well, I dream one time about that.
Holding the World Cup.
Yes.
So, Corell, that was the clip.
And you're right.
I mean, his tone about winning the World Cup has changed.
Maybe it's because he realizes this may be probably his last ever World Cup.
And he doesn't want people, as they did after Portugal were knocked out in the Qatar World Cup.
I don't think he wants people to judge his entire legacy on whether he wins the World Cup or not.
But I feel like that's two different conversations to be had: whether you dream of winning a certain trophy or how that trophy defines your legacy.
I think prior to 2022, you could argue that that could have been his Trump card.
If he wins 2022, Messi doesn't have one.
He's undisputed number one.
But of course, Messi went and won in 2022.
So then now it's looking like a legacy-defining thing.
But I don't think it is.
I said it in my video later on that regardless of what happens next year, the career that he's had, what he's done for his nation, people forget that all the trophies that Portugal have won, both nations leagues and the Euros, their only honors have come while he's in the national team.
So he doesn't need to worry about that.
I just don't like the fact that he said it's not a dream because I know him as one of the most relentless, ambitious, determined footballers of all time.
So to turn around and sound like you're giving up and then kind of devaluing the World Cup by saying, what, it's only six, seven games.
He's played at enough tournaments to know it means much more than that.
And I feel it is still his dream.
I think he'd love to win the World Cup, but I think he's trying to temper expectations in case people say, well, he never won the World Cup, therefore Messi must be the greatest.
Because actually, I do believe Messi's not even the greatest Argentinian.
I think Maradona was, who also won the World Cup.
Finally, Corel, of all the footballers you've held to account with your HMRC receipts, who's the biggest porcupine teller of the lot of them?
I would say that it's potentially no, it's got to be, I think, Carlton Palmer, to be honest.
I'm not sure with the global audience that you know, they might not know who he is, but once you see that video, I feel like there was just too many instances in one sitting.
And I could have made multiple parts about the lies that he's told.
But I do have one question for you before I go.
Of course.
You're one of the most hard-hitting questions type of person.
I know in your interviews with Ronaldo, his two friends sat by the fire like the panel said before.
Winning for Your Country00:01:12
But when he did say that, how comes he didn't push back on it?
Considering he said he didn't actually.
No, no, if you watch him back, you'll see I did.
I was like, come on, Cristiano, you'd love to win the World Cup.
But I found his explanation quite interesting.
You know, I was surprised.
I do think he wants to win the World Cup.
But then I realized what he was really doing.
What he was really doing was setting down a marker that if they don't win the World Cup, A, it shouldn't be that surprising because Portugal is a relatively small country and has never won it before, whereas Argentina has won it multiple times.
But also, he doesn't want people to say, well, Cristiano Ronaldo's career, yeah, he was great, but he never won the World Cup.
Therefore, he can't be considered the greatest.
Because to me, and I agree with him, I think he has done enough to justify being called the GOAT of football.
And I think the fact he's done it in so many countries, won so many titles in multiple leagues, I think that's what gives him the edge.
I don't think it's about what you win with your country that defines you as an individual footballer when it comes to the GOAT category.