Former Cristiano Ronaldo Teammate Reveals What CR7 Is Really Like
Álvaro González shared a dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia and has now opened up about a side of the Portuguese superstar few fans get to see.
Cristiano Ronaldo is inevitably associated with his extraordinary competitive drive, but those who have shared a dressing room with the Portuguese superstar have seen a very different side of him. Álvaro González, his former teammate at Al-Nassr, has revealed what it was really like to spend every day alongside one of the greatest players in football history.
During Radio MARCA’s broadcast of Racing-Elche, the former Spanish defender was asked about his experience alongside Ronaldo during his time in Saudi Arabia. His answer was immediate and challenged some of the perceptions that may exist around the Portuguese star.
“Honestly, and after confirming it with other teammates we’ve had in common, he’s absolutely fantastic inside the dressing room,” Álvaro said.
“He’s a completely normal person”
Álvaro explained that there is a huge difference between the Ronaldo his teammates see every day and the one who emerges when it is time to compete.
“Inside the dressing room, he’s a completely normal person, approachable and someone who helps you,” the former center-back explained.
He also recalled how Ronaldo played an important role in helping his teammates after arriving at Al-Nassr. “He helped us enormously when he arrived because of some things that were happening that year, and he helped us with everything,” Álvaro added.
For the Spaniard, getting to experience that side of Ronaldo firsthand became one of the special memories of his time in Saudi Arabia. “When you experience it yourself in person, it’s much more special,” he said.
Everything changes when Ronaldo steps onto the pitch
According to Álvaro, that personality changes dramatically as soon as it is time to compete.
“From the moment he leaves the dressing room and steps onto the pitch, he completely changes,” he said, before describing Ronaldo as “a competitive beast.”
That mentality was also evident in training. Álvaro recalled with a laugh that he never avoided physical battles with Ronaldo and that their intensity could occasionally produce tense moments between them.
Asked whether he dared to get physical with Ronaldo during training, he did not hesitate: “Always.” Any tension, however, disappeared quickly. “Afterwards, we’d go to the jacuzzi, have some laughs and joke around, and it would all be forgotten,” he recalled.
The relentless drive behind an extraordinary career
For Álvaro, that competitive nature also helps explain Ronaldo’s remarkable longevity. The forward was not prepared to lower his standards simply because he had left European football to continue his career in Saudi Arabia.
“He likes us to be competitive in training,” the Spaniard explained when discussing the mentality Ronaldo demanded from those around him.
The Portuguese star wanted to maintain that intensity while continuing to pursue his personal goals. Among them is one that has become increasingly prominent during the latter stages of his career: reaching 1,000 career goals.
Álvaro recalled Ronaldo’s determination to keep pushing forward, offering another glimpse into the relentless ambition behind his extraordinary goalscoring numbers.
Sharing a dressing room with a football legend
Beyond the training sessions and fierce competition, Álvaro considers himself fortunate to have experienced life alongside a player of Ronaldo’s stature.
The former defender even mentioned Lionel Messi alongside the Portuguese star when discussing the legacy both players will leave behind. “People like him and Messi will go down in the history of football,” he said.
His experience at Al-Nassr allowed him to discover two very different sides of Ronaldo: the approachable teammate willing to help inside the dressing room and the relentless competitor who emerges when it is time to play.
3 Key Takeaways About Cristiano Ronaldo Behind the Scenes
- A rarely seen side of CR7: Álvaro González described Ronaldo as a “completely normal” and approachable person who is always willing to help his teammates.
- A complete transformation when competing: Ronaldo may be relaxed away from the action, but once training or a match begins, he becomes a “competitive beast.”
- His ambition remains intact: according to his former teammate, Ronaldo continues demanding the highest standards as he pursues the milestone of 1,000 career goals.
