Mr. Champions League, that is the nickname attached to the Portuguese superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, according to his expertise at the annual event. Recently Ronaldo confirmed his status by delivering Juventus to record an epic comeback against Atletico Madrid with his hat trick in the second leg of the last 16 of the European Champions League. Overall, the 34-year-old's career has been full of success, be it titles and individual awards.
Even though he saw his career path from the beginning of his appearance with Sporting CP then to Manchester United, Real Madrid and now Juventus seems to have continued to improve, achieving great success in a way that looks easy, but the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo did not achieve it the easy way. There are many sufferings and sad stories of Cristiano Ronaldo before he became famous as it is today.
Introduce Me Cristiano Ronaldo, and This Is My Story
If I may recall, there is a memory that I will probably never forget in my life. It happened when I was seven years old, and I still live in Madeira, with my parents.
Before knowing real football, what I knew was that football was a sport played by me and some of my house friends on a street in Madeira. When I call it a road, it is really a road, not an empty street as you think. When a car passed, we had to pause the game for a while, then resume playing. At that time, I lived with my mother and father. My dad was a kitman for a local club, CF Andorinha. He is a person who always encouraged me to play in Andorinha's youth team, something I ended up doing to impress my dad. I finally decided to join the training with Andorinha.
On my first day of training, there were many rules that I didn't understand. But slowly I started to like him, and slowly there was a feeling that came over me, namely the feeling to keep winning in every game. My dad always watched me from the sidelines, with the thick beard and work pants he was wearing. However, my mother and sister rarely saw me playing on the field.
Every night, when we ate together in the dining room, my father would try to invite and convince my mother and sister to watch me play. Convincing speech like "Cristiano scores a goal!" is a phrase that my father used to use to convince and invite my mother and sister to watch me play. But they didn't seem very interested.
"Oh, great," or "Wow, amazing," are just the answers my mother gave me when my dad was foamy about my goalscoring prowess. Then what am I doing? I keep scoring goals as usual, nothing has changed.
Everything looked the same, until one day, there was a scene that I will never forget in my life. Before the match, while I was warming up on the sidelines, I saw my mother and sister sitting in the stadium stands. And you know, they look pretty comfortable sitting there! For people who rarely watch football matches, what my mother and sister show is an extraordinary thing.
Instantly a feeling burst into my mind. A unique feeling, which pressed a button in me indirectly. For me who was still a child at that time, money was not the main goal for me to play football, even though when I was little my family life was not very good.
When my mother and sister came to the stadium at that time, there was a kind of feeling that came from me. The feeling that I feel protected and loved. That day, in that stadium, the feeling was so strong that it became an unforgettable memory from my memory. A memory that I will carry with me until whenever.
After that, life was spinning so fast for me. At just 11 years old, I have crossed all the way to Sporting Lisbon to pursue my dream of becoming a professional footballer. The days in Lisbon were difficult, and if it weren't for football, maybe I wouldn't be who I am today.
Every night I often cry in the dormitory, because I miss my family so much. In Lisbon, everything feels foreign to me, be it in terms of language, accent, food and also culture. Even though I'm still in Portugal, it's like I live in another country. But I can stay here because of football. Football kept me going, especially after I realized I had talent.
Indeed, I realized that I had talent, but I realized that at that time my body was so small. I was 11 years old, and people could just throw me with their bodies. Therefore, every night, unnoticed by the people in the dormitory, I often practiced alone. In order for me to be better, apart from talent, I also have to work harder than other people. This is what I still hold dear today.
At the age of 15, I started developing. My body became stronger and bigger, and this made me start to be respected and admired by other people in the dorm. I started dreaming, and my dreams were quite a lot: defending the Portuguese national team, playing in Manchester and winning every game I participated in. There is a kind of hunger that always arises. When I lost, I was hungry. When I won, I was hungry too, but I had already eaten one piece of crab first.
My dreams became bigger. I want to play in Manchester, because since I was little I always watched the Premier League on TV. I am amazed at the speed they have. When I was successful and successful in Manchester, I felt I had made a lot of people proud. But more importantly, I make my family proud of what I have accomplished.
Then my dreams got bigger. I want to defend Madrid, score goals, break records and become a legend there. Over the past eight years I have achieved a lot with Madrid, including a wonderful evening in Cardiff where we managed to break a curse that no other team felt able to resolve.
But in the incident in Cardiff, an interesting moment happened. A moment that reminds me of my childhood in Madeira a few years ago.
Winning a trophy, at first, was an emotional thing for me. When I won my first Champions League trophy with Manchester United, I felt immeasurable joy (when Ronaldo missed a penalty in the shootout). It was the same when I won my first Ballon D`Or trophy. Everyone seems so emotional.
But when I defend Madrid, especially in the past two years, there is a slightly different feeling when it comes to winning a trophy. Not only does it involve emotion, winning trophies seems like an obligation here. Well, it's a risk at work, as well as a risk for me to defend Real Madrid. But there is one moment in Cardiff that brings back memories of my childhood.
At that time, I celebrated our 11th Champions League trophy, as well as breaking the curse of the Champions League trophy that has lasted for more than 10 years. While I was celebrating this win with my colleagues, my son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., my son, came out on the pitch and celebrated this victory with me.
Suddenly this brought a unique feeling. It's the same feeling that arose when I was seven years old, when my mother and brother watched me play football in Madeira. Cristiano Jr. running with Marcelito, son of Marcelo. After that, we lifted the trophy together, and took pictures together with the trophy.
When we return to the Bernabeu to celebrate this win, Cristiano Jr. running in the middle of the Bernabeu with Marcelito with joy. A glimpse of memories reappeared, memories of my childhood running around the streets of Madeira without any fear, me who at that time was running full of joy. At that moment there was a little hope, that Cristiano Jr. can live his childhood happily, without having to think about anything.
But I also can't deny that someday, he might go away from me, study football in another country or city like I did before. That time is sure to come, and if that happens, as my parents did, I must sincerely let my son go. Because I know there is a dream that my child is chasing, and I have to support it.
However, the feeling of being protected and loved, is a feeling that I must present. Like my mother and brother, I also have to bring this feeling to Cristiano Jr.
After the 400 games I spent with Madrid, there is a feeling that never changes. I think I was born to be a human being full of ambition. After winning the title in Cardiff, however, I think a feeling has changed. The ambition changed form again, becoming an El sueno del nino. The simple dream of a child.
Yep, I guess you guys understand what dreams of children I mean.
I still want to win trophies in my life. I still want to be the best, and break many records. But I also don't want to forget that little boy's dream, which is to play football as long and as I can.
Finally, when I am 95 years old, I will tell my grandchildren that I used to walk in the stadiums like a champion, and also I have walked in a stadium with my son like a champion while holding hands. I hope I can do it again later.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a football Monster . Greatest of all time (GOAT)