“Discipline beats talent” - Ex-Juventus star explains why Cristiano Ronaldo is an ‘icon of the world’ 

Former Juventus star Juan Cuadrado has labelled ex-teammate Cristiano Ronaldo as an 'icon of the world' on the back of his performances on the pitch. The versatile Colombian star crossed paths with Ronaldo in Turin during his stint with the Bianconeri.

Cuadrado, now of newly-promoted Serie A side Pisa, spoke about what sets his ex-teammate apart in the football world and puts him above the rest. In a chat with Poker FC via DAZN, the Colombia international revealed that he considers discipline to be a more important feature than talent, and Cristiano Ronaldo has both in abundance.

"The discipline with which Cristiano always lives his life, because he's still very active. I think talent is often very good, but I believe discipline overcomes it. And he has both talent and discipline, which is why he's obviously become an iconic player in the world. He takes care of every detail, and just as I saw him do all that, I also try to learn from it", he said (via @DAZN_ES on X).

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juan Cuadrado were teammates in Italy between 2018 and 2021, playing 94 times together. The former Chelsea man had the number seven shirt for the Bianconeri prior to Ronaldo's arrival, and he let go of the number to the Portuguese great following his signing from Real Madrid. The pair combined for ten goals during their time together, winning multiple honours with the club.

Now on the books of Pisa, 37-year-old Cuadrado could face his old friend in the FIFA World Cup next summer after Colombia and Portugal were drawn together. Ronaldo plays his football in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, and will be 41 years old when the Mundial kicks off next summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr granted reprieve following FIFA ruling

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have been left in joyous mood after FIFA lifted their brief registration embargo on Monday December 22nd. The Saudi Pro League outfit had been banned from registering new players on December 19th, but are now set to compete in the January transfer window.

Last week, FIFA released a list of clubs facing sanctions ranging from transfer bans to registration embargoes, and Al-Nassr was on it. The club had had some irregularities in paying the transfer fee for Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte to Manchester City, leading to their sanction.

The latest directive from FIFA is that the Knights of Najd have fulfilled all required obligations, leading them to lift the sanction on the club. Jorge Jesus' side will be able to compete in the January transfer market to try and surround Cristiano Ronaldo with top-level players in his hunt for silverware.

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen