James Rodríguez: "Cristiano Ronaldo is a great person"

No other player has probably had such an impact in the past World Cup as James Rodríguez did. Following several consecutive stellar performances, the Colombian star led his national team straight into the tournament's quarter-finals and ended up triggering Real Madrid's interest in him. In Spain, James will meet Cristiano Ronaldo, one of his biggest idols in sport.

   C Ronaldo: "In my head, I always think I'm the best player"

In an interview released just a few hours before we knew Cristiano Ronaldo had won the UEFA's Best Player in Europe award for 2013-14, the Portuguese star talked about Real Madrid's journey to winning their 10th Champions League and how he overcame an injury that threatened wrecking his chances of still giving his contribute in the decisive stages of the season.

Cristiano Ronaldo - UEFA Best Player 2013-14:

Journalist: "In 2006 [8 years ago], you said you were working hard every day in order to become the best player in the World. You've won the FIFA Ballon d'Or twice since then. What's your main goal now?"

CR7: "I want to keep being the best. I didn't change anything in regards to my work ethics. I approach everything in the exact same way and I want to be the best in every game and competition I'm in. In my head, I always think I'm the best player in the World", started by stating the Portuguese forward.

Journalist: "After a truly impressive series of games last season, you ended up getting injured in your knee in a delicate moment of the year. Do you think you forced too much in order to be able to play in the Champions League final in Lisbon and in the World Cup for Portugal?"

CR7: "Obviously, I did force a bit by playing injured in a few important games last season. If I had stopped and rested back then, I would probably be totally fit by now. It wasn't an easy decision, especially after such a great season we were having. I wasn't at my best, but I decided it was worth the risk and fortunately, it turned out well club-wise, since we won the Champions League and I still scored a goal in the final. Winning La Décima was special for everyone here at the club and I'm glad I did all I could to help us reaching that dream. As for the World Cup, it was a bit more complicated because things didn't exactly go our way right from the start and unfortunately, we can't always make a difference", commented Ronaldo, when reviewing a particularly difficult period from last season, for both Portugal and Real Madrid.

CR7: "Everything that happened before and after my injury has turned into a lesson to me. However, I don't regret having taken the risks I took to defend the colors of Real Madrid, which is the club that pays my salary and that has always been there for me, and obviously Portugal, my nation..."

Journalist: "Did you feel during any point of last season that you could be risking you footballer career?"

CR7: "In some extent, yes, I did. But we can't go far in life unless we're willing to do sacrifices and take risks. Perhaps in different circumstances I would have played safer, but with a Champions League title and the World Cup on the line, I decided it was worth the gamble. Fortunately, it all went well for Real Madrid and I also managed to beat the goalscoring record in the competition. During these vacations, I did no other thing but to rest my body and treat it the best possible way", assured the UEFA's Best Player in Europe during the 2013-14 season.

CR7: "Sometimes it's true I do push my body to the limit, but that's what a top level athlete must do. I feel better now and I think I will improve my condition very soon. During this pre-season, I've been through a few highs and lows, which is perfectly normal with so many practices, trips and the jet-lag that comes with it. It's hard to prepare your body for a very demanding season in those conditions. Nevertheless, I believe that I'll be back to my best level in a matter of days..."

Journalist: "Ancelotti said that Real Madrid has a better team this year than last season. Having in mind the players who joined the club, Kroos, James, Navas, and the players who left, Diego López, Morata and Di María, what's your opinion?"

CR7: "The answer to that question will be given at the end of the season. You can buy the best 40 players in the World and still not be able to build the strongest team in the game. I'm not saying that the new signings aren't great. They are all terrific and I'm sure they'll do everything in their reach to help the club winning even more titles. However, we have to wait for the end of the season to judge if the team did better or worse than the previous year. I'm convinced that each one of the new players will do great individually and with that, the team can only benefit from their contributes."

Journalist: "After 5 years in Madrid, would you say you're tired of the comparisons between you and Barcelona's Lionel Messi?"

CR7: "It's already part of my life. It's normal that people insist on comparing us, just like in Formula 1 they compare Ferrari with Mercedes. It's part of the game and I'm more than used to it. This hasn't started only after I arrived to Madrid, since people already talked about the both of us before 2009, when I was still playing for Manchester United."

Journalist: "Over the years, the idea that passed to the public was that you and Messi didn't get along very well. Is that true?"

CR7: "No, not at all. We're companions. We're professional colleagues, even though we don't exactly have any direct relationship outside the pitch, as I do have with my teammates. Messi tries to do the best he can for Barcelona and Argentina, just like I try to do for Real Madrid and Portugal. The only real rivalry between us that we can talk about has to do precisely with that: doing the best we can for the clubs we play for", stated the 29-year old.

Journalist: "Do you think that in the future, both you and Messi will look back and laugh about everything that happened?"

CR7: "I hope so! Football is just a game and it's indeed our passion. This is a beautiful sport and we're fortunate to be able to play it for so many people out there. We should embrace this rivalry with a positive mindset, because it's something that should simply be appreciated by everyone who loves this game", remarked the Real Madrid forward.

Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Real Madrid will be against Real Sociedad, in their second fixture in La Liga, on August 31. You can watch Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid, Villarreal vs Barcelona, Burnley vs Manchester United, Everton vs Chelsea, and Augsburg vs Borussia Dortmund, all matches provided from our soccer live pages.

Real Madrid next game:
Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid kick-off time (31-08-2014):

Jakarta (Indonesia) | GMT+7: 02:00
Spain (Madrid) | GMT+2: 21:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | GMT+1: 20:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | GMT-3: 16:00
New York (United States) | GMT-4: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | GMT-7 12:00
Beijing (China) | GMT+8: 03:00

Sources: ronaldo7.net / marca.com / uefa.com

                              Cristiano Ronaldo's Career after age of 17

By the age of 17, Cristiano Ronaldo really started to attract many attentions throughout the World, and his tremendous performances when playing for Portugal's Youth Team in UEFA's Under 17 Championship, made him one of the most promising stars of the moment. Among many other top clubs, Liverpool and Arsenal had some scouts on that tournament. Managers Gérard Houllier and Arsene Wenger were allegadly interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo. However, it was revealed later that both clubs got a bit hesitant on betting in such a young player and Manchester United ended up to rush things and sign Ronaldo in the 2003 pre-season.

The moment Cristiano Ronaldo definately convinced a top club to sign him, was after a 2003 pre-season friendly match, between Sporting and Manchester United, in the inauguration of the "Estádio José de Alvalade" in Lisbon. The Portuguese side defeated the Red Devils by 3-1 and United players were said to be stunned by Cristiano Ronaldo's technique skills as well as his natural talent and kept talking about it on their way home. Rumors say that Sir Alex Ferguson had a chat with his team players and then decided to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, in a transfer fee around 15 million euros (£12.24 million pounds).

Cristiano Ronaldo's adventure in England, started with a memorable debut for Manchester United, coming in as a substitute against Bolton Wanderers and playing for around half an hour. Those 30 minutes are probably still in the memory of many Manchester United fans, since CR7 stunned everyone in the stadium and impressed the traditional harsh English media, with his dazzling dribbles and runs over the wing. Ronaldo scored his first goal for Manchester United, by taking a curled free kick, in a 3-0 win against Portsmouth, in November 2003. However, and despite several promising starts, Cristiano Ronaldo's first two seasons in Manchester United received mixed reviews. He got praised for his technique and skills, but he often got criticised for lacking consistency and poor decision making on the field, which seems to be a natural thing at the age of 17 and 18.

In the year of 2005, Cristiano Ronaldo's father, José Dinis Aveiro, died of an alcoholism liver disease. Ronaldo was 20 years old and that was one of his most difficult moments of his life. CR7 is said to not drink any alcohol as a consequence of what happened with his father.

In 2006 it was widely reported Cristiano Ronaldo and manager at the time Sir Alex Ferguson, had placed a £400 bet in which required the Portuguese international to score at least 15 goals that season. Ronaldo won the bet by scoring 17 goals...

The following season, Cristiano Ronaldo and even some bookmakers upped the ante on their sports bet, with Ronaldo putting his hair on the line by promising to completely shave his head should he fail to score 20 goals. However, the bet was eventually declined by Ronaldo himself, after Sir Alex Ferguson requesting for the Portuguese to score 35 goals during that season.

                  Cristiano Ronaldo biography 1985-2014

Cristiano Ronaldo is the son of Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro (a cooker) and José Dinis Aveiro (a Municipal gardener). Many say that Ronaldo's humble family origins are the reason why CR7 manages to deal so well with the fame and spotlights he has nowadays. Cristiano Ronaldo has two older sisters, Liliana Cátia and Elma, and one older brother, Hugo.

Cristiano Ronaldo first steps in football/soccer were made in his amateur hometown club called Andorinha, when he was still 8 years old. A couple years later, CR7 moved to CD Nacional, one of the most known teams in Madeira, around his 10th birthday. But he didn't stay there for too long and the year after (1996), Ronaldo was persuaded to join Sporting Lisbon, one of the biggest clubs in Portugal.

It's now clear that 1996 was a turnaround year in Cristiano Ronaldo life. By joining Sporting CP, Ronaldo had to leave his family back in Madeira and start learning how to live on his own. CR7 trained with the youth team in the first years and in 2002, by the age of 16, he made his senior debut against Moreirense, in the Portuguese First Division. In that match, Ronaldo scored a brace and immediatly caught everyone's attention upon him. The European debut took place later on, in the UEFA Champions League qualifier match against Inter Milan.

                                              Cristiano Ronaldo - Inroduction

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro also known as CR7, is one of the best players in the history of soccer and is continuing to be the same.This portugal star was born on 5 February 1985.He began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years and later on moving to C.D. Nacional.In 1997, he made a move to Portuguese giants Sporting CP. In 2003 he caught the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who signed him for £12.2 million (€15 million). In 2004, he won his first trophy, the FA Cup.