Experienced defender Rio Ferdinand remembered the moment when ex-Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson reprimanded Cristiano Ronaldo, causing him to cry. Ronaldo, who thrived under Ferguson at United and emerged as one of the finest in the field, once faced criticism from the manager.
Ferdinand strolled through his memories and remembered the time Manchester United took a pre-season journey to Portugal for exhibition games. Ronaldo, a young emerging talent at that time, engaged in some flashy moves during the game against Benfica when United was struggling, which annoyed Ferguson, who didn’t hesitate to reprimand him in the locker room.
The ex-Man United defender disclosed that Ferguson berated Ronaldo.
“We had visited Portugal and participated in a few matches, and he hadn’t performed well, Cristiano, due to his youth; he was overexerting himself.” I recall we faced Benfica, and the coach harshly criticized Cristiano. ‘Who do you believe you are?’ “You’re entering this space trying to show everyone who you believe you are, thinking you’re a superstar,” Ferguson remarked to BBC Sport.
Ferdinand mentioned that Ronaldo couldn’t contain his tears following the event in the locker room.
And I recall Cristiano crying in the locker room. And I thought, ‘This manager doesn’t care, dude. “He doesn’t mind your identity,” he concluded.
Recently, Ronaldo spearheaded the celebrations after Portugal and five other nations were officially designated as hosts of the 2030 men’s World Cup on Wednesday. The participant stated that the distinctive tournament would be the “most special” so far.
The 2030 tournament will mark the inaugural World Cup hosted by six different countries, with Spain, Portugal, and Morocco as the primary hosts, while South American nations Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will each host one match. The format will assist FIFA in commemorating the centennial of Uruguay hosting the inaugural World Cup in 1930.
“A dream realized,” the 39-year-old Ronaldo shared in an Instagram post which included a picture of him celebrating in Portugal’s jersey, along with the phrase: “The Most Special World Cup ever.”
