Cristiano Ronaldo became enraged after David Beckham’s mocking beyond acceptable limits at Manchester United.

Cristiano Ronaldo may have been the prominent figure at Manchester United, yet his celebrity status did not protect him from mockery in the dressing

room. Rio Ferdinand, who played alongside Ronaldo for six successful seasons, asserts that he and his teammates would leverage David Beckham’s fame to provoke the young forward to the extent that he would “flip out”. Ronaldo joined United in 2003 at the age of 18 and was promptly assigned the No. 7 shirt, formerly worn by legends including George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and Beckham.In summary, he had substantial expectations to meet. Although he quickly rose to the occasion, Ferdinand and his associates were unwilling to grant him any leniency, fully aware of the expectations supporters held for United players donning the jersey. During a conversation with Beckham, whose transfer to Real Madrid in 2003 vacated the No. 7 jersey, the former England defender asserted on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast that Ronaldo was not receptive to the jesting, especially when Beckham’s name was referenced.

Ferdinand was well-acquainted with provoking Ronaldo. Last year, he asserted that the imminent five-time Ballon d’Or recipient would “cry” whenever he lost at table tennis during United’s training sessions, and Rio and his associates were adept at provoking him. “Quinton Fortune, a teammate, and I frequently mocked him,” he stated on the Australian radio program Kyle and Jackie O. He was significantly younger than us at the time—potentially bordering on bullying—but it was merely an attempt to foster his resilience.