In an interview on his personal YouTube channel with more than 50 million followers, Cristiano Ronaldo confided about his courage and philosophy of constantly striving.
After attracting more than 50 million followers on his personal YouTube channel, Cristiano Ronaldo started posting his first thoughts. The Portuguese superstar shared his philosophy of life in a conversation with his senior, former teammate at Manchester United – Rio Ferdinand.
“My whole life has been a challenge,” Cristiano Ronaldo began his answer. Every detail in the superstar’s story is about facing challenges in life.
Just say bad things about Ronaldo and it’s on the front page.
“It’s much easier to criticize than to acknowledge ,” Ronaldo said about the criticism and attacks aimed at him.
“If you say bad things about Cristiano, it will be on the front page. That’s normal. I’m the most followed person in the world, not just because of my handsome face. Why is Cristiano the most followed person in the world? Football, titles, family, lifestyle, everything. In a way, people love me. Criticism will always be there. It’s part of life,” Cristiano Ronaldo said.
The Portuguese superstar failed to score at EURO 2024. He also missed a penalty and then burst into tears in the match against Slovenia. He faced a wave of criticism, ridicule and ridicule. However, Ronaldo insisted that he never felt pressured by it, and reiterated that he actually scored 2 goals (in the penalty shootout).
Cristiano Ronaldo is not concerned about criticism aimed at himself. (Photo: Reuters)
“People say this guy is done, he’s 39, he’s old, because I don’t score. I scored 10 goals in the qualifiers, before EURO 2024 I also scored 2 goals against Ireland. However, even if I score at EURO it won’t change anything. I’m Cristiano. People will be hiding somewhere saying bad things about me. It doesn’t matter.
The criticism is always there. People say I don’t score, but I scored two. Even when I miss, I take it again. I don’t hide and I’m always there. Some players don’t take penalties because they don’t have confidence. I respect that, but Cristiano never does that. I’m not afraid of anything.
Everyone thinks about the worst and ignores the good. Do I want to score? Yes. But what if it doesn’t happen? Cry? The fans love me. That’s what motivates me to keep playing. People love me not because I hide,” Ronaldo said.
According to this superstar, the only pressure he feels every time he steps on the field is created by himself. This is also the reason why Ronaldo shed tears, extremely disappointed after missing a penalty kick in the match against Slovenia at EURO 2024. He affirmed that he cried not because he was afraid that others would criticize and blame the missed shot that caused his team to be eliminated.
“I understand that life goes on, you can’t live in the past. I learned that and I said to myself, ‘Cristiano, carry on’. No matter what happens, I have to carry on. That’s how I see life, especially football,” Ronaldo said.
Ronaldo’s way of dealing with external pressures is to ignore them. Claiming to be the most watched player in the world, Ronaldo takes the love and hate directed at him for granted.
“Every day, I think less and less about what people say about me. I have learned to enjoy life, to enjoy every beautiful moment. I never know what tomorrow will bring. For now, my physical condition is fine. The day I can’t dribble, shoot or jump high, I will pack up and leave. It’s that simple,” Ronaldo answered another question, related to the time of retirement.
Ronaldo’s extraordinary source of motivation
Cristiano Ronaldo is known for his determination and perseverance – the most important qualities that help him still play at the top level when he is nearly 40 years old. The first source of motivation for this superstar to maintain that spirit throughout his career is the awareness of the difficult days of his childhood.
The Portuguese superstar recalls the difficult days when he left his family at a young age to pursue a football career: “For me, it was a big step in my life. I suffered at that time.
I left home at 11 or 12, without my family, parents or siblings. Imagine your son (Rio Ferdinand) going to London or abroad at that age. It was very difficult, but luckily my parents always supported me.
They said, ‘Cristiano, if you want to pursue your dream, it will be hard for all of us, but we don’t feel that way, we will give you this opportunity’. I left, it was very difficult but I was encouraged by my parents.”
Ronaldo left home at the age of 12.
Being independent from an early age helped Ronaldo develop the mindset of an excellent player. He dared to step out of his comfort zone and always sought new challenges. According to Ronaldo, he believes that he is not only noticed for his talent on the field, but also for his personality and lifestyle.
“I am happy to have overcome that difficult situation, and now I can be independent and firmly step into new chapters in my life. I can cope with any pressure,” Ronaldo said.
Later, when he became a top star, Ronaldo put pressure on himself. He was still confident in his ability to control himself.
“I put pressure on myself. Cristiano is the best player in the world. I always think that way and put pressure on myself. It’s good when things go right. When things don’t go well, I feel the pressure I create, but I like it. I know how to deal with it,” Ronaldo answered the question about pressure.
The philosophy of training character through “collision” with difficulties continues to be passed on by Ronaldo to his son.
“The other day, my family went on a trip. I played paddle with my son and won. He was so mad. He didn’t talk to me for two days. But I was so happy, so proud of him for acting like that. Even the younger one, Mateo, when he gets angry, the veins in his neck stand out and it’s scary.
I like it. I’m happy because they have character. My kids, they’re a lot like me. I don’t teach them that. They take me as a role model. You know, sometimes when I lose, I can cry or get angry, depending on the situation. They’re like me. I want them to compete, to win. Nothing is free in this world,” Ronaldo said.
In 2019, Ronaldo took his son Cristiano Jr. back to Portugal, along with his old roommate Paixao. When Cristiano Jr. set foot in the room where his father used to live many years ago, the boy was shocked. Or when Cristiano Jr. asked his father to buy him a phone, he only received a shake of the head.
“Education is the best thing I can give them ,” Ronaldo said.
