'You needed to retire to go to a big club!' - Cristiano Ronaldo rinses ex-Juventus team-mate Wojciech Szczesny after goalkeeper's shock Barcelona move

Ex-Poland international Szczesny decided to hang up his gloves in the summer of 2024 after seeing his contract at Juventus terminated. It was during his time with the Bianconeri that the former Arsenal goalkeeper worked with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo.

Szczesny, who is only 34 years of age, was retired for a matter of weeks before an opportunity to link up with La Liga giants Barcelona presented itself. They found themselves in the market for a new shot-stopper, outside of the European transfer windows, after seeing Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffer a serious knee injury.

Szczesny has agreed a short-term deal with the Catalan heavyweights and is expected to make his bow when domestic action resumes in Spain. During the international break, the experienced keeper was reunited with Ronaldo as Poland faced Portugal in the UEFA Nations League.

During post-game pleasantries, after Ronaldo found the target in a 3-1 win for his country, Szczesny embraced his iconic former colleague. Real Madrid legend CR7 teased him about a move to Barca, saying: “You had to retire to go to a big club.”

Szczesny won the FA Cup on two occasions with Arsenal, before going on to claim three Serie A titles and as many Coppa Italia winners’ medals with Juve. He now has the chance to help Barca chase down La Liga title and Champions League glory in 2024-25 after becoming a surprise addition to Hansi Flick’s squad.