YYou probably can’t imagine it because of his rivalry with Argentina’s Lionel Messi. But Cristiano Ronaldo has adopted the South American country’s customs, surprising one of his former Juventus team-mates.
Paulo Dybala is a player who has worn the Albiceleste colors alongside AS Roma and Leo, and is one of the few who can say he played alongside both legends on the field. And while sharing a locker room, he noticed a habit of his own: drinking buddies. Dybala has a theory about that, but it never ceases to amaze him.
CR7’s habits linking him with Messi
In a YouTube chat with former Argentina rugby player Agustón Creevy, Dybala shared intimate details about his days at Juventus and what it was like to have Cristiano as a teammate, stating that the Portuguese player shared moments with the team both on and off the field.
“He used to hang out with us. If we had a team meeting, he would have a good laugh. Outside, we could talk about anything,” Paulo revealed, adding, “He drank yerba mate. He had a Peruvian thermos and it was a bigger yerba mate, so it was funny. I laughed a lot and made fun of him,” he recalled with a laugh.
The Portuguese star has left his mark with spells at Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United and now Al Nasr in Saudi Arabia. It was easy to imagine that his exposure would change his teammates, and as he encountered new people and cultures, he would introduce different new aspects to his daily life.
Since his wife Georgina Rodriguez was also born in the same country as Lionel and Paulo, Dybala hypothesizes that Cristiano may have learned about this typical Argentine drink thanks to her.
Furthermore, Paulo recalled how strict and professional his Portuguese team-mate was every time he attended a training session and stepped on the pitch: “He was very professional in terms of care and routine. He didn’t budge an inch. You could tell he arrived at his appointment at 8 or 9 in the morning and did the same thing every time until he left. His mind was focused on that, and you could tell he was the same off the field.”
He also emphasized how impressive and influential CR7’s leadership and presence has been to the club, using his own achievements as an example. “Players like him have a presence on and off the field. He grabs the ball and goes for the goal. He doesn’t care about anything else. Even if he loses the ball hundreds of times, he keeps trying. They don’t like to lose at anything.”
However, during the conversation, comparisons with Messi were almost inevitable, but La Jolla was adamant that both deserve praise, saying: “Technically they are different, they have different strengths, but on a psychological level they are both beasts.”
Meanwhile, manager Lionel Scaloni has decided to call Dybala up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and if the result is positive, the 32-year-old could face his former teammate in the Portuguese’s final tournament.
During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Dybala played a total of 17 minutes in two matches, the semi-final against Croatia and the final against France, taking part in a penalty shootout and scoring by kicking the second penalty. Nevertheless, injuries and Scaloni’s tactical decisions have diminished his presence in the Albiceleste.
Argentina will be in Group J along with Austria, Algeria and Jordan. They will make their debut against Algeria on Tuesday 16 June. Meanwhile, in Group K, Portugal will face Colombia, Uzbekistan and the winner of the intercontinental play-off between Jamaica, Congo and New Caledonia. They will play their first game on Wednesday, June 17th, against the winner of the intercontinental play-off.
Will they meet again and have drinks together? Only time will tell.
