Ruben Dias, a defender for Manchester City and Portugal, claimed that he could not help but be fascinated by Cristiano Ronaldo when they first met at Portugal training.
The 25-year-old, who claimed that nothing could have prepared him for the experience of playing in his first World Cup, is currently starring alongside Ronaldo as the Selecao attempt to erase the disappointment of the 2018 edition.
Dias has only one international appearance when he was named in the 2018 traveling squad, but he did not play due to an injury and Portugal lost to Uruguay in the round of 16.
As part of a squad regeneration, Dias was appointed a regular starter for Portugal immediately after that tournament, and he will go to Qatar this winter as one of the greatest central defenders in the world.
Prior to his debut against Ghana on Thursday, Dias acknowledged that the experience of spectating on the international scene in 2018 is incomparable to playing on the largest platform.
CNN quoted him as saying, “It will undoubtedly be an extraordinary occasion.”
“I had the opportunity to participate in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. And I certainly had a different perspective because it’s one thing to see it from the outside, knowing how massive it is, but it’s a whole other experience to really live there.
“As a player, this is perhaps the greatest [award] you can win. “It’s difficult to put into words the emotion you must have after completing the task.”
Dias also recalled his first training session with Cristiano Ronaldo, admitting that Ronaldo’s work ethic impressed him.
“When I first met Ronaldo and practiced with him, he had recently won the Champions League,” Dias said.
“I still recall that day, and we were engaged in routine practice. Then it becomes clear why he was where he was. You know, the manner in which he performed each and every task, the attention to detail, and his passion.”
He continued, “Football is everything to me. This is life It is contentment. It involves coping with a wide variety of emotions, ranging from the best to the worst in the world.
“It’s preparing me for the future, for one day starting a family. It is me becoming a better guy. Like many other professions, football is a great representation of life for me since it encompasses everything.”
