‘You are my idol’ – Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo surprises son of former Real Madrid team-mate Marcelo with unique Christmas gift

The Portuguese superstar, who is now on the books of Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr, spent nine years working alongside Marcel at Santiago Bernabeu between 2009 and 2018. The pair enjoyed considerable success together, claiming two La Liga titles, four Champions League crowns and three FIFA Club World Cup triumphs – while Ronaldo became Los Blancos’ all-time leading goalscorer.

Ronaldo and Marcelo had a good relationship on and off the field in Madrid, with the duo often seen joking around on the training pitch, but CR7 opted to take on a new challenge when leaving Spain for Serie A giants Juventus.

He has clearly stayed in touch with Marcelo, who is back in his native Brazil at Copa Libertadores winners Fluminense, as a unique present has made its way from the Middle East to South America. Marcelo’s son was the starry-eyed recipient of that parcel, with the youngster posting on social media after unwrapping a signed Al-Nassr shirt from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner: “Thank you so much Cris. I love you. You are my idol @cristiano”

There had been talk of Marcelo following Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia when he brought a brief spell at Greek side Olympiacos to a close in February 2023, but he said of returning to his homeland: “We talked about this some time ago. I had some proposals to leave, not just there [Al-Nassr], but I needed to return here [Brazil], to my roots. Something told me that I had to go back.”