Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘a living football god,’ says Rio Ferdinand after hat-trick sees Juventus crush Atletico Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a sensational hat-trick on Tuesday night (Picture: Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo has been described as a ‘living football god’ after his stunning hat-trick sent Juventus into the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The Portuguese superstar scored all three goals for Juve in a 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid, which saw them overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in Spain.

Ronaldo led from the front, scoring two memorable headers and a cool penalty to upset the odds, prompting his former teammate Rio Ferdinand to offer him huge praise.

‘He’s a living football god,’ Ferdinand told BT Sport after the contest in Turin.

Ronaldo scored his eighth Champions League hat-trick (Picture: Getty Images)

‘It’s ridiculous what he’s doing. All the records – in the Champions League, he’s got every record you can imagine. He’s joint most hat tricks with Messi.’

Ferdinand then offered a comparison that Ronaldo may never have heard before in his career.

‘This goal here is like Duncan Ferguson in his prime, attacking the ball, leaving the full-back in a heap and saying “this is me.”‘

For any younger readers, Ferguson was a powerhouse striker in the 1990s and early 2000s for Everton and Newcastle, renowned for his heading abilities.

Gary Lineker claims Ronaldo is ‘the best header of a ball he’s even seen’ (Picture:

Ronaldo’s first two goals of the game were with his head and BT Sport host Gary Lineker went as far as to say: ‘He’s the best header of the ball I’ve ever seen.’

The 34-year-old’s eighth Champions League hat-trick takes him level with Lionel Messi for the most in the tournament’s history.

He is also the top scorer in the tournament’s history with 124 goals in 160 games for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juve.

Speaking on the pitch after the game, CR7 also said: ‘This was why Juventus brought me here, to help do things that they have never done before.

‘It was always going to be a special night and it was – not only for the goals but for the team. This is the mentality you need to win in the Champions League. We enjoyed a magical night. Atletico were a difficult team but we were strong too. We will see what will happen.’