Khabib Nurmagomedov Pays Tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo: "He Belongs Among the Best of the Best"
Khabib Nurmagomedov has paid tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo after the football star retired from international duty with Portugal.
The former UFC Lightweight Champion has praised his longtime friend but at the same time has also questioned how his clubs and national team treated him.
Khabib Praises Ronaldo and Questions His Farewells
Cristiano Ronaldo announced that he is no longer playing for Portugal on Nov. 5. After the news circulated, Khabib shared a picture of the 41-year-old wearing his No. 7 shirt on his Instagram Stories with a message in Russian.
"There are the best ones, and there are the best of the best. Ronaldo belongs among the best of the best," he wrote, by Red Corner MMA.
However, Khabib's entire message wasn't all just praise. The Dagestani also took up the issue of how Ronaldo's time at his former clubs and national team ended.
The list includes his exits from Real Madrid in 2018, Juventus in 2021, and Manchester United in 2022, and his recent exit from Portugal this year. Khabib suggested that none of those departures came with the farewell the world-famous Ronaldo deserved.
As an example, his Manchester United exit came by mutual agreement following a public fallout with the club in 2022.
"When you give it your all, you become obsolete," Khabib wrote.
He then went on to explain that people find it challenging to understand the mentality of athletes like Ronaldo, and it is difficult to put both his contribution to football and his treatment by former clubs into words.
Check out Khabib's comments below:
Ronaldo Ends His Portugal Career After 23 Years
Ronaldo's international retirement came after a disagreement with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus. The forward left the national team camp in September after he was left out of the starting lineup. He then made his final appearance at a Nations League game against Wales on Sept. 24.
During his time with Portugal, Ronaldo scored 146 goals in 234 appearances. He also captained his country to the European Championship in 2016 and Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025. Even at this year's World Cup, he was the first player to score in six editions of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Khabib's support for CR7 dates back years. The two previously met at the Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad match in Madrid in 2018. During that meetup, Ronaldo gave him a club jersey, while in return Khabib gifted him his traditional papakha hat.
After that, Ronaldo returned the support in 2020 ahead of Khabib's UFC 254 title defence against Justin Gaethje. Khabib won that bout by submitting Gaethje in the second round before retiring undefeated.
For now, Ronaldo has stepped away from Portugal but will continue playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
