Joao Felix once joked Cristiano Ronaldo resembled ‘a video character’ when he first met him.
Ronaldo’s iconic status has left many people star-struck over the years, even his international teammate.
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The attacker admitted he couldn’t believe his eyes upon meeting national team colleague and captain, with the youngster revealing that the Portugal star didn't look real.
Felix made his debut for Portugal during the UEFA Nations League in 2019 as a substitute during their 3-1 win against Switzerland.
Ronaldo and Felix helped lead Portugal to tournament victory, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner scooping the top scorer prize.
“It was weird!” the then 19-year-old told Benfica's official website.
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“I had never seen [Ronaldo] up close in real life and I said to my colleagues and best friends later when I got home that it was like being in career mode on PlayStation – he looked like a video game character.
“It was strange but it was a dream come true to be with him in the same training camp.
"I don't even remember what he said because at first, he was only thinking about what was at his feet. Anyway, it was very good.”
Both featured for Portugal during the 2024 Euros, but Felix heartrendingly missed a penalty in the shoot-out to France and Portugal lost 5–3, resulting in their elimination.
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Felix unsurprisingly also named Ronaldo as one of the greatest players in the world, along with some other superstar names.
“Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar and Mbappe,” he said when asked who the greatest players are in the world in that interview.
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“I liked Kaka very much [when I was younger] and after watching a lot of videos of him, ones in which Rui Costa also appeared, he also became one of the players that I liked to watch. These two have always been examples to me.
“Doing what Rui Costa did, winning all that he won, is not easy, but I will go for it and try to be as good as him. Or better, if possible!”
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Felix is now 24 and back at Atletico Madrid after his loan at Barcelona ended.
Aston Villa could be a surprising next destination as talkSPORT understands that they are interested in him as a possible replacement for Moussa Diaby.