‘Thank you, idol!’ - Rodrygo receives dream signed gift from Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo

Rodrygo has never hidden his admiration for Ronaldo, often replicating the famous "Siu" celebration and citing the Al-Nassr captain as his primary inspiration in football. In the midst of a gruelling recovery process, the 23-year-old was left moved by a heartfelt gesture from the man he considers the greatest of all time.

The Brazilian forward took to his official X account to showcase a signed Al-Nassr jersey sent directly by Ronaldo. The Portuguese legend penned a personal note on the fabric, which read: "To Rodrygo, a hug." Overjoyed by the surprise, Rodrygo captioned the post with the message: "Thank you, Idol! Cristiano."

This show of support comes at a particularly difficult stage in Rodrygo's career. In early March, the Merengues attacker received the devastating news that he had torn his anterior cruciate ligament and the outer meniscus in his right leg during a La Liga clash against Getafe. The injury carries a recovery timeline of 10 to 12 months, effectively ending his season prematurely.

Beyond the domestic campaign, the injury serves as a massive blow to Brazil's international hopes. Rodrygo has been officially ruled out of the World Cup, leaving the Selecao without one of their most creative sparks for the tournament in North America. Ronaldo’s intervention was aimed at boosting the spirits of a player facing a lengthy period away from the pitch.

CR7 bid farewell to the Bernabeu when completing a stunning transfer to Serie A giants Juventus. Rodrygo saw his switch to Spain confirmed that summer, but he had to wait 12 months until turning 18 before a move could officially be pushed through. By the time that the talented Brazilian arrived in Madrid, Ronaldo was long gone.

That remains a source of frustration for Rodrygo, who has told Brazilian YouTube channel Lives do Jon of his biggest regret in football: “I wanted to play with Cristiano Ronaldo, but it didn’t happen. It’s a shame as he’s my role model. I have always looked up to him.”

While Rodrygo is forced to watch from the sidelines, at 41, Cristiano Ronaldo is showing no signs of slowing down. The former Real Madrid icon is currently fine-tuning his preparations to compete in his sixth World Cup, a feat that would secure his place in the record books as one of the first three players to do so in football history, alongside Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa.

Portugal are slated to compete in Group K, where they will open their campaign against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 17. Following the opener, Ronaldo and his teammates will navigate fixtures against Uzbekistan on June 23 and Colombia on June 27.