Let’s play a little, ‘you know who’ - shall we?
You are the first person to reach 300 million followers on instagram or on any social media platform. You have 5 ballon d’ors - the biggest award given to a footballer amongst all the best footballers on the planet. You have scored countless goals all across the globe, proving your mettle in big soccer leagues like The Premier League based in England, The Spanish La Liga and The Italian Serie A while also winning 4 champions leagues.
You have won countless trophies, winning and achieving everything there is available and possible to achieve - both team achievements and personal. You can cause a stir of $4 billion loss to stocks of a major giant like Coca-Cola just by removing their 2 little bottles before an interview. You are 36, recently matched the all-time record of most international goals of 109 and have scored more goals in your thirties than you have in your entire twenties.
And YET.
YET
You are still the first one to leave for practice and the last to leave.
You are the hungriest of the lot whilst you have seen more success than all of your teammates combined.
You are still the most focused, the most disciplined, the most classy, you are as they say the G.O.A.T - The Greatest of all time.
Do you even need any guesses who ‘You’ is ?
I am sure your little cousin in the third standard wouldn't need them.
Cristiano Ronaldo
We are talking about Cristiano Ronaldo a.k.a The G.O.A.T. We all look upto Cristiano Ronaldo. The world looks upto Cristiano Ronaldo. Maybe that’s why he is the first person to reach 300 million followers on any social media platform. Born in Madeira - a little town in Portugal, Ronaldo’s journey is a perfect example of how hard work and sheer dedication and hunger for success can take a man to the biggest heights possible, imaginable, achievable, believable (and at 36 he seems even more hungrier than ever)
His father was an equipment manager in the local Club Andorinha. Named after US President Ronald Regan, Ronaldo came from very humble roots. He used to play for Clube Desportivo Nacional of Madeira initially. Eventually at the young age of 13, Ronaldo was forced to take a brief break as his heart needed surgery. He then made his comeback to the game after a brief period. He then shifted and started playing for the big protugese giants Sporting Lisbon. He was then bought by the biggest giants Manchester United after his impressive display against them during a friendly match. It is said he played so well in that game vs Manchester United that the United players were so much in awe of him that they literally forced their manager to purchase him right after the game.
Once signed for United in 2003, he started making his impact and making a name for himself. A name that would someday be one of the biggest names to have ever played the game and surely one of the best of the best players to have graced the football pitch. After a very successful time at United he was bought by European giants Real Madrid for almost a whopping $100 million. He won 3 champions leagues, La liga titles and countless other trophies with the Spanish giants. He went on to become the highest goal scorer for the club.
Here’s the funny side. Ronaldo was transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid for almost $100 million in 2009. When he was transferred from Real Madrid to Juventus in 2019 that too as a thirty three year old, Juventus had to pay more than $100 million to get the G.O.A.T which implies that his value never dwindled with time or age and on the contrary it improved.
Ronaldo has defied not just the laws of depreciations, the man has defied science, biology and of course expectations. With age not on his side, many had written of the 33 year old telling his glorious days were over, but Ronaldo with his sheer hunger, dedication and hardwork is still rocking, still scoring, still winning and breaking records all day every day.
The guy is fit as a fiddle, solid as a rock and as resilient as water flowing from a river.
He is loved by fans all across the world, the guy is an epitome of hard work and perseverance. He has tasted success all of us combined haven’t yet he is hungrier than all of us combined.
Is there still any doubt as to who is or who should be considered the best soccer player in the world?
pic source: twitter.com
