Nobody knows how this World Cup will finish for Portugal and for Cristiano Ronaldo. But for anyone who watched the amazing, fascinating game against Spain, it was a reminder why this player is considered by many as the best player to have ever played. For me, it was a reminder why he is my favourite player and always such a pleasure to watch.
Some are born great: Messi, Pele, Maradona, Zidane, Cruyff, Ronaldinho - just to name a few. But what fascinates me the most about Ronaldo is not his amazing dribbling, his ‘dances’ with the ball or his football intelligence. What makes me respect and admire him is that everything he is, has been a direct product of hard work and sheer determination. Many say that Ronaldo is a product of ‘gyms and science’ and they are probably right. Many have tried to study how his body works and the results have been amazing. It is evident that through practice and endless training he managed to overcome any disadvantages he has compared to other players and turn himself into the ultimate football specimen. His powerful, wobbling shoot, the surprising (for his height) speed, the outstanding elevation when trying to get a header - all make him the perfect scoring machine. The following documentary about him, shows how his hard work and of course natural talent make him function on an almost superhuman level.
His records are breathtaking. Today, with his 3 goals, he became the first ever in history to score in 8 consecutive major international tournaments, the first ever player to score a hat-trick against the powerful Spain and at 33 years old he became the oldest football player to have ever scored a hat-trick in World-Cup history. He is also one of only 4 players ever to have scored in four consecutive World Cups. Together with Messi, he has the most Ballon d’Or awards, he is the Top-Scorer in the history of the Champions League and all UEFA competitions, in the history of Real Madrid (438 goals) and the only player to reach 30 goals in six consecutive La Liga seasons. Nothing more can be said about this amazing man other than, the expression of our hope that he will continue to fill our football afternoons with thrill and excitement.
Pic&Fact Sources:
https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/match/300331524/#match-liveblog
https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/43973862