In a recent interview, Dani Alves extolled Cristiano Ronaldo as the toughest opponent he has ever faced.
During Ronaldo’s illustrious first stint at Barcelona, where he won six La Liga championships, three Champions League titles, and countless other honours and accolades, Alves and Ronaldo sparred for a number of years.
Establishing himself as one of the greatest full backs in the game’s history, Alves has shared the pitch with plenty of football’s biggest stars and had to defend against some incredible players.
Now plying his trade in Mexico with Pumas UNAM, the 39-year-old sat down with ESPN journalist Hugo Sanchez, and when asked who the toughest opponent he had faced was, he picked Ronaldo.
“This b*****d doesn’t let you breathe for a second. I didn’t do too badly, but it’s difficult.
“He’s a scoring machine,” he added, paying tribute to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner who tore up La Liga for Real Madrid while Alves played with Lionel Messi for Barcelona.
Ronaldo is currently Real’s all-time top scorer having bagged 450 times in all competitions for the club before leaving in 2018, following an incredible near decade-long rivalry with Messi in the Spanish top flight.
His rampant goalscoring for club and country has established him as one of the game’s greatest players, breaking the record for most goals scored at men’s international level in 2021.