Bellamy recalls how Ronaldo's presence shut down Lisbon airport

Wales head coach Craig Bellamy has shared a striking story about Cristiano Ronaldo dating back to his time as an assistant to Vincent Kompany at Burnley.

During a pre-season trip to Lisbon, Bellamy's team coach arrived at the airport to find it effectively on lockdown, with rows of police and security officials everywhere and people in the terminal unable to move freely. The group initially assumed a security incident had taken place.

After waiting on the coach for around 10 to 15 minutes, a car pulled up and Ronaldo stepped out, grabbed a rucksack from the boot and walked alone through the police-secured area. Bellamy said even police officers were taking photos of him, and no one dared approach him.

'Beyond a superstar'

Bellamy said the moment made him fully grasp the scale of Ronaldo's fame, describing him as "beyond a superstar." The Welshman last played alongside — or rather against — Ronaldo in October 2008, when the Portuguese forward scored twice for Manchester United in a win over West Ham United.

Bellamy is now preparing to face Ronaldo, who has 233 international caps, as Wales open their Nations League A campaign against Portugal in Lisbon on Thursday. The coach also praised Ronaldo's professionalism and ability to remain at an elite level despite being in his 24th year as a senior international.

Ronaldo confirmed over the summer that the 2026 World Cup will be his last tournament, though he has not revealed exactly when his career will end.

Wales will be missing several players for the match, including Harry Wilson and Joe Rodon, making the task tougher. Bellamy has urged his squad to enjoy the occasion while staying focused on securing a positive result to help Wales stay in the top tier of the Nations League.