Former Manchester City captain Kevin De Bruyne has hailed Brazilian legend Ronaldo after meeting him while on holiday in Cannes.
De Bruyne is enjoying time off after a rollercoaster final season as a Manchester City player.
The 33-year-old, who joined Napoli earlier this month, has been soaking up the sun in Southern France with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
The pairs crossed path with legendary striker Ronaldo, 48, at the La Guerite restaurant in Cannes.
De Bruyne was shared a photo of the football legends posing together and hailed the South American.
The Belgian wrote on Instagram: ‘Nicest legend in the game’, with a heart emoji.
The 2002 FIFA World Cup winner, who starred for Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid during his career, was in France as he attended the Patrick Mouratoglou Charity Gala.
Ronaldo has a strong relationship with Mourategolou, Serena Williams’ former coach, with the Frenchman having helped his tennis game following his retirement.
Despite Manchester City and Liverpool’s rivalry over the past seven years, De Bruyne and Van Dijk have remained good friends away from the sport.
The pair have holidayed together in the past, with Van Dijk previously praising the Belgian star back in 2022.
He said: ‘Someone that I’ve never played with before but would love at Liverpool is Kevin De Bruyne.
‘I think he’s unbelievable. If he would have played at Liverpool we would have gone even further than we already have.
‘I think he’s outstanding, good on the ball, pressing, scoring, he’s got everything as a modern-day midfielder and footballer in general. I think he’s an outstanding player.’
De Bruyne has also previously been complimentary of van Dijk, telling Sky Sports: ‘He’s got everything. I know him well: he’s got right foot, left foot, speed, height, he’s a leader. Thiago [Silva] is also amazing, but I just think Virgil has got that little bit more.’
