Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Cristiano Ronaldo won the first of his 233 Portugal caps in 2003
ByIan MitchelmoreBBC Sport Wales- Published25 minutes ago
With five Ballon d'Or wins, eight league titles, five Champions Leagues, a European Championship and a pair of Nations League triumphs among his glut of honours, Cristiano Ronaldo's status as one of football's all-time greats is not in doubt.
But a chance encounter with the Portugal legend helped Wales boss Craig Bellamy appreciate that the 41-year-old is significantly more than just a footballing icon.
Bellamy was on a pre-season trip to Lisbon during his time as an assistant to manager Vincent Kompany at Burnley when the Portuguese capital's airport was effectively put into lockdown.
It led to the Welshman describing Ronaldo as "beyond a superstar" after he realised the vast presence of police and security officials were to help escort the global icon.
"So we got to the airport and the police were everywhere. It was on lockdown," Bellamy said.
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Portugal v Wales
Nations League Group A4
Thursday, 24 September, 19:45 BST
Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon
Watch on iPlayerListen on SoundsLive on BBC iPlayer, BBC One Wales, BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and 5 Live, BBC Sport website and app, plus live text commentary.
"We're Burnley and we had a little bit of VIP. We were on a coach, we were chartered but still had to go into the airport a certain way.
"It was like rows of police with police cars everywhere. We thought, 'something has happened, there must be a warning here'.
"Everything was locked off. People in the terminal, you name it. We couldn't get off the coach and we had to wait for what we thought was a security breach or something.
"We are stuck on the coach for 10, 15 minutes and suddenly this car turns up, it parks and a guy walks out, goes in the boot, grabs a rucksack and someone else gets out and puts the rucksack on and who is it? Ronaldo."
What information do we collect from this quiz?Bellamy added: "He is walking on his own with police everywhere and Lisbon airport locked off. Even the police were taking pictures. No-one could bother him.
"It was the coolest walk I have ever watched for a minute.
"We were all on the coach and our jaws dropped. Everyone who had been moaning quickly shut up. It was like presidents stuff."
Bellamy last shared a pitch with Ronaldo in October 2008 as the Portuguese scored twice for Manchester United in a 2-0 Premier League win over West Ham United at Old Trafford.
He is now set to manage his country against the 233-cap international as Wales kick-start their Nations League A campaign in Portugal on Thursday night.
As he bids to conjure up a plan to nullify Ronaldo and the rest of the star-studded Portugal squad at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, Bellamy was eager to fully reflect on the experience of the forward he witnessed at Lisbon airport.
"How can you lock off a whole airport?" added Bellamy.
"I would not be able to get my computer through customs in Cardiff airport. What have I just seen?
"The reason I'm telling the story is because that's how big this guy is.
"It was like, 'wow'. I'm so glad I saw that moment because he is beyond a superstar."
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During the summer, Ronaldo confirmed the 2026 World Cup would be his last.
However, the Al-Nassr frontman has so far not revealed when he will finally bring his glittering career to an end.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Ronaldo's future, Bellamy says he can fully understand why the forward - now in his 24th year as a senior Portugal international - is still operating at an elite level.
"I'm not surprised he is still playing with the professionalism he has shown," added Bellamy.
"It's also how clever he is, he knows how to protect himself, he knows not to waste his energy at certain times and he's still got the habit of goal-scoring, and you never lose that.
"We're talking about not just one of the greatest players of our generation, we're talking all generations with what he has been able to do. He's beyond a superstar."
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Figure caption,Swansea's Portuguese boss Vitor Matos describes Cristiano Ronaldo as a 'machine'.
For all of the spotlight on Ronaldo and his team-mates, Bellamy knows his full focus - along with that of his players and staff - must be on how Wales can leave the City of Light with a positive result.
The head coach's already tough task has been made harder by the fact he will be without players including Harry Wilson, Joe Rodon, Karl Darlow, Nathan Broadhead, Dylan Lawlor, Rubin Colwill and Isaak Davies in Lisbon.
But Bellamy has urged his players to show the right kind of fight as they bid to upset the odds and remain in the top tier of the Nations League over the coming months.
"We have to be excited, but not too excited," he added.
"We have worked hard to get into League A, so what can we do to stay in it? If we do then it will help us massively and that's the motivation.
"You want to be in these moments. I'm telling you, when your playing days finish, you won't remember Bury away and all that. These moments you will remember and will live with you.
"But you also want to remember how you performed. You don't want this to get too much.
"I want my players to go out and give everything. They should love every second of it. That's the drive for this."
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