Even as a kid, Cristiano lived football with enormous passion if he didn't win or things didn't go well, he'd cry' Nani on what it was like to grow up with Cristiano Ronaldo

"Nani's path was not the most straightforward one, as at the age of 16 he trained at both Sporting and Benfica, before opting to choose the former. Yes, it was quite an unusual situation, training with Benfica and Sporting at the same time, Nani recalls to FourFourTwo. Later, both clubs invited me to do pre-season, and at first I said yes to both. It was crazy. In the end, I chose Sporting because I had a friend there and, to be honest, it was also the club I liked the most."

"At the time we didn't think about any of that, we simply played and enjoyed ourselves, he continues. We had the ambition and the dream that one day we might become professional footballers, but we also knew that, until you actually get there, it's little more than an illusion. In the end, everything happened very fast opportunities came and we didn't let them slip away. That spirit of sacrifice we had at such a young age was key."

Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani rose through Sporting CP's youth system and later played together for club and country. Nani trained with both Sporting and Benfica at age 16 before choosing Sporting, partly because a friend was there and because he preferred the club. Both clubs invited him to pre-season and he initially accepted both invitations. As youngsters they played and enjoyed football while nurturing the ambition to become professionals. Opportunities arrived quickly and were seized, aided by a spirit of sacrifice at a young age. Ronaldo already stood out above his peers during those early years.

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