Cristiano Ronaldo revolutionized the way wingers play

Former France international Louis Saha has paid glowing tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo, hailing the Portuguese icon not just as a world-class talent, but as a revolutionary figure in modern football.

According to Saha, who shared the dressing room with Ronaldo at Manchester United between 2004 and 2008, the Madeira-born star fundamentally changed how wingers are perceived in the game shifting the paradigm from creators to elite finishers.

At the core of Saha’s remarks is the assertion that Ronaldo “revolutionized the way wingers play” a statement backed not only by statistics but by the tactical and cultural shifts that followed Ronaldo’s career path. When the Portuguese forward first arrived at Old Trafford in 2003, signed from Sporting CP at just 18 years of age, he was known primarily for his dazzling footwork, pace, and flair. He was seen as a traditional winger, tasked with taking on defenders, stretching the pitch, and delivering crosses into the box for strikers like Ruud van Nistelrooy or Saha himself.

“He was supposed to cross the ball,” Saha told the Portuguese news agency Lusa in an interview, “not necessarily to be the one finishing the moves. But then he started scoring more and more, and by my last season at the club, he had already surpassed 30 goals in a single campaign. That was unheard of for a winger at the time.”

Indeed, Ronaldo finished the 2007–08 season with an astonishing 42 goals in all competitions a record-breaking total that not only earned him his first Ballon d’Or but also served as a template for the evolution of the wide attacker in modern football. Players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Kylian Mbappé, and even younger talents like Vinícius Júnior now operate as goal-scoring forwards, often cutting inside and taking on the finishing duties once reserved for traditional strikers. But, as Saha points out, Ronaldo was the trailblazer.

“People see Salah and Mané scoring loads of goals now,” he said, “but Cristiano was doing that long before. He set the standard.”

Now aged 46, Saha is coaching children and teenagers at a youth camp in Albufeira, Portugal, alongside other former Manchester United teammates John O’Shea and Dimitar Berbatov. The camp is hosted at Pine Cliffs Resort and aims to inspire the next generation of footballers. Reflecting on Ronaldo’s early years, Saha was quick to point out that what set the Portuguese apart wasn’t just his talent it was his unmatched work ethic.

“I could tell straight away that Cristiano was special,” Saha recalled. “Not just because of his ability on the ball, but because he trained harder than anyone else. He would stay behind after training, do more reps, more drills, and he worked on himself outside the club too. He took care of his body, his recovery, his nutrition even when others weren’t paying attention to those things yet.”

Saha remembers being shocked at how quickly Ronaldo would recover after matches often reporting back to training at nearly full fitness just two days after a physically demanding fixture. While other players might still be nursing aches or fatigue, Ronaldo was already sprinting, jumping, and preparing for the next challenge. The Frenchman attributes this to Ronaldo’s early investment in recovery strategies, long before cryotherapy, personal chefs, and tailored recovery programs became standard in elite football.

“I tried to follow his post-training routines a few times,” Saha admitted with a smile. “He’d do high-intensity drills after already doing a full session. I was dead after an hour or two, but he kept going. He did that every single day. It was relentless. He was a machine truly.”

Throughout his own career, Saha shared the pitch with several Portuguese internationals, including Luís Boa Morte at Fulham, Nani at Manchester United, and Nuno Valente at Everton. But it was Ronaldo who stood out both in terms of ability and ambition. Saha believes he was always destined to reach the pinnacle of world football. Together, the two combined for multiple goals during their time at United Ronaldo assisted Saha twice, and Saha returned the favor with three assists to Ronaldo.

“I always thought he’d win the Ballon d’Or,” Saha said. “That was clear. But what I couldn’t predict what no one could was that he’d still be playing at this level at 40 years old. That’s science fiction. To have 944 goals and over 30 trophies? It’s simply unimaginable.”

Saha highlighted Ronaldo’s pivotal role in Portugal’s historic victories, including Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League triumphs in 2019 and 2025 both of which broke the nation’s long-standing drought in international silverware. Before Ronaldo’s era, Portugal had produced many world-class talents Eusébio, Figo, Rui Costa but had never managed to win a major tournament. That changed with Ronaldo’s leadership, drive, and ability to perform in the biggest moments.

“Portugal had always been close,” Saha said. “But Cristiano gave them that final push. He brought a winning mentality that infected the whole team. He was more than just a star player he was a leader.”

Although Saha believes Ronaldo’s formative years at Manchester United, under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, were essential to his development as a professional, he views the Real Madrid chapter of Ronaldo’s career as the period during which he completed his transformation into one of the greatest goalscorers in the history of the sport. Between 2009 and 2018, Ronaldo scored an unprecedented 450 goals in 438 official appearances for Los Blancos, leading the club to four Champions League titles and numerous domestic honors.

“What he did at Madrid under constant pressure, in the biggest club in the world was nothing short of extraordinary,” Saha said. “He had great teammates like Benzema and Bale, but he was the one delivering time and time again. To change your playing style so drastically, to go from creator to finisher, and to do it better than anyone else that takes intelligence, dedication, and courage.”

Saha concluded by underlining the almost mythical nature of Ronaldo’s career. From a skinny teenager in Lisbon to a global sporting icon still competing at the highest level in his forties, Cristiano Ronaldo’s journey has defied all expectations. According to Saha, it’s not just about goals or trophies it’s about inspiring others to believe that greatness is achievable through sacrifice, hard work, and relentless self-belief.

“He made the impossible seem possible,” Saha said. “And that, more than anything, is his legacy.”