Sachin Tendulkar applauds Pele for Cristiano Ronaldo gesture, shows love & respect to both

Following Juventus' exit from the Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo had a point to prove. And he did prove it exceptionally, with a hat-trick against Cagliari in the following game. With the treble, Ronaldo racked up his 770th goal in his decorated career, officially overtaking Brazilian great Pele. The three-time World Cup winner congratulated Ronaldo with a heartfelt post on Instagram. And the kind gesture from Pele has won him many fans all over again, with Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar awestruck. 

Cristiano Ronaldo expresses admiration after overtaking Pele 

Over the past couple of months, there have been claims that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner overtook Pele's official goal tally. However, neither Juventus nor Ronaldo confirmed the claims. It was only after his heroics over the previous weekend, that the Portuguese forward himself confirmed he had broken Pele's record of having scored the most goals in the history of the sport. 

It was earlier believed that Pele had struck 757 goals in his career. But Ronaldo, in his Instagram post, claimed that he also counted in the 80-year-old's nine goals for São Paulo State Team, as well as his single goal for the Brazilian Military Team, as official goals. The former Real Madrid superstar expressed his admiration for Pele, insisting that there is no player in the world, who hasn't grown up listening to Pele's tales. 

Pele congratulates Cristiano Ronaldo on impeccable milestone 

Pele acknowledged Ronaldo's post and put out another post in honour of the Juventus ace. The former Santos superstar described Ronaldo's journey as beautiful, further insisting that he admires the Portuguese forward a lot. "I love watching you play and this is no secret to anyone," said Pele.

"Congratulations on breaking my record of goals in official matches. My only regret is not being able to give you a hug today. But I leave this photo in your honour, with great affection, as the symbol of a friendship that has existed for many years," concluded the Brazilian legend.

Sachin Tendulkar Instagram post on two 'geniuses' of footballing world, Ronaldo and Pele

Pele's kind Instagram post had the fans talking, with Sachin Tendulkar also expressing his thoughts on the same. The Sachin Tendulkar Instagram account was abuzz after he reposted Pele's post. The former Indian cricketer asserted that it was indeed a lovely gesture from Pele to recognise Ronaldo's achievements.

"To recognise talent & celebrate Cristiano's achievements, is a trait that is the hallmark of a true sportsman," said Tendulkar. "Much respect and love for both of these geniuses of the ⚽ world!" concluded the little master. 

Cristiano Ronaldo transfer news: Juventus ace rubbishes exit talks 

Amid the appreciation from Pele and the follow-up post from Sachin Tendulkar, Ronaldo has been linked with an exit from Juventus. The 36-year-old's agent was believed to have held talks with Real Madrid over a possible reunion. But he has gone on to categorically deny the rumours after the Cagliari game, insisting he has a lot more to achieve with the defending Serie A champions. 

Image courtesy: Juventus, Sachin Tendulkar, Pele Instagram