Dan Gaspar, the former assistant coach of the Portuguese national team, has highlighted what sets Cristiano Ronaldo, the team captain, apart, describing him as an "exceptional professional".
Gaspar served as assistant to Carlos Queiroz and as goalkeeping coach for Portugal in 2009, and he worked with Ronaldo—now plying his trade at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia—at the 2010 World Cup.
In an upcoming interview with Koora, Gaspar stated, "Cristiano Ronaldo's greatness lies not only in his talent, but in his discipline and his obsession with improvement."
The coach, who also holds Portuguese nationality, added, "People see the goals and the trophies, but they don't see the daily professionalism, the recovery routines, the competitive spirit, and the attention to the smallest details."
Gaspar, currently goalkeeping coach for the Ghana national team, added: "What sets great players apart is not just their motivation on the big days, but maintaining world-class standards every single day."
He concluded, "Cristiano brings his body, mind and heart to work every day. That combination is rare and unique; he is an exceptional person and professional—the perfect warrior."
On Tuesday, Ronaldo was included in Portugal's preliminary squad for the 2026 World Cup, where he aims to become the first player to feature in six tournaments.
The forward is also poised to secure his first official title with Al-Nassr on Thursday, should his side defeat Damac in the Saudi Pro League's final round.