In his peak years, Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the fastest players in the world.

During his time at Manchester United, where Ronaldo would play on the wings, he would frequently use his blazing speed to beat defenders.

Over time Ronaldo moved into a more central position and his pace was less on display. But it was certainly still there.

And in 2011, the Portuguese star tested it out in a competition against professional sprinter Angel David Rodriguez.

The pair raced over a 25m distance for a documentary called 'Cristiano Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit'.

Ronaldo was 26 at the time. He was entering his prime physical years when he raced 100m sprinter Rodriguez, whose best time over that distance was 10.14 seconds.

Check out their race below.

So Rodriguez beat Ronaldo over a 25m distance.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, who now plays for Juventus, clocked an impressive 3.61 seconds over the 25m but that wasn't enough, with Rodriguez beating him by 0.3 seconds (3.31).

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The breakdown of Ronaldo's technique is fascinating.

It's pointed out that he's thinking about the sprinting throughout, which explains why his head goes back.

Real Madrid Training - UEFA Champions League Final

Rodriguez recently recalled his encounter with Ronaldo, saying he believes the Portugal international could run 100m in 11.60 seconds.

“He is fast and very good at lateral movements. He clearly trains a lot," Rodriguez said, per AS.

"I took three tenths from him, which is quite a lot. If it was 100 metres, he may be able to get 11.60."

Who knows, perhaps Ronaldo could have had a career in athletics had he focused all of his efforts into sprinting at a young age.

We're glad he chose football, though.