Rio Ferdinand: Cristiano Ronaldo is obsessed – he will know anything bad you've said about him

Ferdinand says Ronaldo is obsessed with proving critics wrong and uses negative comments as fuel, with the forward 19 goals away from 1,000 career goals.

Rio Ferdinand has praised Cristiano Ronaldo's obsessive mentality, insisting the 41-year-old uses criticism as motivation to excel. Speaking on the Sports Breakfast Show, Ferdinand, who spent six years alongside Ronaldo at Manchester United, highlighted how the Portugal forward is driven to be the best in every aspect of his game—from fitness to goal-scoring.

Ferdinand noted that Ronaldo is acutely aware of negative comments made about him and weaponises them as fuel. He referenced instances where Ronaldo has snubbed critics including Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, refusing handshakes after they questioned his conduct or suggested he should have been sold.

With Ronaldo in the final year of his Al Nassr contract and just 19 goals short of becoming the first player to score 1,000 career goals, Ferdinand stressed that this obsessive drive—while sometimes used against him—is inseparable from what makes Ronaldo great. He argued that young players aspiring to reach the top must find similar mental triggers to sustain excellence.