Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo, has confessed to enjoying Soccer AM’s famed Showboat feature.
Despite being axed after the 2023/24 season, the much-loved segment on Sky Sports holds a special place in Ronaldo’s heart. His admiration isn’t unexpected, given his frequent appearances showcasing impressive tricks and skills during his tenures at Old Trafford and with Real Madrid. In a candid chat this month with ex-teammate Rio Ferdinand, the 39-year-old striker for Al-Nassr divulged his penchant for the show that highlighted the week’s most skillfull footballing moments.
While discussing various topics with the former England defender, Ronaldo – who scored the winner for Portugal against Scotland in their Nations League clash in Lisbon earlier this month – reminisced about his initial seasons at Manchester United and how he evolved from an exciting winger to a high-caliber goal-scoring forward.
In the instalment of ‘Rio Meets,’ Ronaldo reflected on the evolution of his mindset, emphasising the significance of goals over flamboyant dribbles. “The mindset has changed because I realised that the goals for our positions is more important than f***ing stepovers, which is good to showboat,” he said, probing Ferdinand on his thoughts about the Soccer AM segment.
“Ferdinand, do you remember the Showboat segment of Soccer AM?” asked the Portugal star. The 45-year-old then disclosed: “You used to sit there and watch Sky [and] when the Showboat segment come on, he used to go ‘ayyyyy'” leading both into fits of laughter.
Ronaldo must have been among the many fans disappointed to see the iconic show cancelled earlier this year after a 29-year run. Initially airing from 9am to 12pm, in its later years the show was broadcast from 10:30am.
That time slot is now filled by Saturday Social, which features YouTubers and content creators in an attempt to attract a younger audience. Regulars on the show include Adam Smith, Joe Thomlinson and Chunkz, as well as Chelsea supporter Rory Jennings and United View host Flex.