Real Madrid icon Ronaldo has lifted the lid on his wild house parties during the Galacticos era, with the likes of David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane in attendance
David Beckham was among the football elite who witnessed a player brandishing €500 notes at one of Ronaldo Nazario's legendary house parties.
The Brazilian legend has lifted the lid on his life away from the pitch during Real Madrid's Galacticos era in the 2000s. This period saw the club bring together an incredible line-up of global superstars, including Beckham, alongside other greats such as Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos, and Zinedine Zidane.
Ronaldo's legendary bashes weren't exclusive to Madrid-based stars. They also welcomed Brazilian stars from arch-rivals Barcelona, like Rivaldo. One party in particular is etched in R9's memory as Djalminha, a less heralded Brazilian who played for Deportivo La Coruna, made quite the entrance with a hefty sum of cash.
"I arrived at the party and there was Figo, Zidane, Beckham, Guti, Raul, Roberto Carlos, Denilson, Rivaldo," he recalled on the Charla Podcast. "Everyone was there. All my friends came too.
"Djalminha showed up with a wad of €500 notes and kept pulling them out of his pocket, showing them off. Everyone went crazy. Imagine that!
"Then we started talking about who played better. 'Oh, it's you', someone said. 'No way, Zidane is amazing'. And Beckham? 'There's no comparison'. And then he says, 'Ronaldo only scores goals'."
Ronaldo was the ultimate party planner during his Real days. When he wasn't throwing parties at home, he'd be jetting off to enjoy the nightlife of another European city.
He said: "I've always been a good manager. I've always aimed to organise good and high-level events. I've always taken care to make everyone happy and provide quality service.
"Man, I had so many parties! I was in all the parties. I was the Chico Buarque [Brazilian singer] of the party scene. I'd train in the morning at 10 o'clock and play on Saturday."
Painting a vivid picture of his glamorous life, he added: "Saturday night, I'd go to Paris and spend Sunday in Paris. At night there'd be a party in Paris. At 7 in the morning, I'd catch a jet to Madrid. I'd arrive at 9 in the morning and train at 10."
But when it came to partying in Madrid, Ronaldo was more cautious. He explained: "I did that a lot because in the city where you play, either you have the party at home, or you risk being seen if you go to a nightclub in your playing city. You go there to play.
"If you party in the city where you play, you're signing your own death warrant. So I diversified. I travelled a lot."
After leaving Manchester United in 2003 following the breakdown of his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson, Beckham – who turns 50 years old on Friday, May 2 – spent four years in Madrid, winning the La Liga title in 2007.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, played for Real between 2002 and 2007. Neither won the Champions League in their time at the club.