Cristiano Ronaldo has issued a terse response to former Real Madrid teammate Rafael van der Vaart’s recent comments about his dedication to fitness and training. Van der Vaart, in a talkSPORT interview, had jokingly claimed he never saw Ronaldo undressed, highlighting his intense training regime. Ronaldo’s response was succinct, and dismissive.

Van der Vaart’s comments painted a picture of Ronaldo‘s unwavering commitment to his physical conditioning: “He never left his house! I always say as a joke—Ronaldo is the only player that I never saw his penis. He was the first one on the training pitch and the last one who went. First of all, his body, wow! A machine. He was a little bit ahead of his time.”

Van der Vaart also noted Ronaldo’s intense focus on scoring: “Ronaldo was unbelievably selfish; if we won 6-0 and he didn’t score, he wasn’t happy. When we lost but he scored twice, it’d be alright.”

A Portuguese Instagram account shared Van der Vaart’s quotes, prompting a direct response from Ronaldo: “Who is this guy?” The curt reply underscores Ronaldo’s dismissiveness towards Van der Vaart’s comments.

Ronaldo’s Real Madrid legacy and potential retirement

Despite Van der Vaart’s criticism, Ronaldo’s dedication undoubtedly contributed significantly to Real Madrid’s success. He remains the club’s all-time leading goalscorer (450 goals), winning two La Liga titles and four Champions League titles. He left Real Madrid in 2018, joining Juventus before returning to Manchester United and ultimately moving to Al Nassr.

Recently, Ronaldo hinted at a potential retirement in the next one to two years, stating: “I just want to enjoy. Plan for retirement… if it has to happen, in one or two years… I don’t know. I’m turning 40 soon… I really want to enjoy, as long as I feel motivated I keep going. The day I don’t feel motivated, I will retire.”