The day after Juventus won the Italian Serie A championship, Cristiano Ronaldo received wide praise from Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé.
“Cristiano is a modern athlete, who shows everyone that success always comes to those who are dedicated and love what they do. Beside him, I want to pay tribute to the incredible players Douglas Costa, Alex Sandro and Danilo Luiz. Congratulations on the Italian championship, Juventus!” wrote the 79-year-old former Santos and Brazil international centre-forward who, for many, is the best player in the history of football.
The week before Juventus had clinched their ninth consecutive title, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first ever player to score 50 goals in Serie A (Italy), La Liga (Spain) and the Premier League (England) with his two goals against Lazio. Ronaldo’s goal-scoring record reads: Premier League (Manchester United) 84 goals in 196 appearances; La Liga (Real Madrid) 311 goals in 292 apps; Serie A (Juventus) 52 goals in 63 apps.
By CHRIS WRIGHT