The two did get to play together at the Old Trafford club for one season, with both eventually departing.
While Mata was given a fonder farewell, Ronaldo’s exit was acrimonious due to his poor relationship with head coach Erik ten hag.
On the Portuguese star, Mata told Four Four Two: "When United signed Cristiano, I thought we could win the Premier League again,
"He had such high standards that he could drag the rest with him. I always thought that when it came to the 80th minute of a game, the ball had to go to him to win.
"He always appeared in decisive moments.
“However, circumstances around him prevented him from getting more quality minutes in his second season.
“I connected with Cristiano, during many conversations. He's a much closer person than people imagine."