UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin shared nice words for Cristiano Ronaldo, calling the Portuguese icon “one of the three greatest footballers of all time” during the annual gala organized by the Portuguese Football Federation.
“I think he is undoubtedly the greatest Portuguese footballer in the world. I have never seen someone so determined. He doesn’t want to stop, he wants to keep fighting. His achievements are impressive. I think we would need a two-hour conversation to say everything about him,” Ceferin said, as quoted by O Jogo. “I have great respect for him as a person and as a footballer, and we also know how much charity work he does. He is one of the three greatest footballers of all time.”
The event, known as the Portugal Football Globes 2025, celebrated the best in Portuguese and international football. Among the honorees was Nuno Mendes, who received the award for his outstanding performances over the past year.
🚨🎙️ Aleksander Ceferin (UEFA president):
“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the top three footballers of all time. I’ve never seen anyone more competitive than him.” pic.twitter.com/MjjMeIbHaT
— TCR. (@TeamCRonaldo) October 9, 2025
Ceferin also praised the 23-year-old PSG left-back, noting his quality and importance despite playing in a less celebrated position. “Nuno Mendes is a fantastic player, maybe the best at the moment, but his position is not as valued as the attacking players. There is Joao Neves, Vitinha and my favorite central defender Ruben Dias, but I don’t want to mention names because I might miss someone,” he added.