What does the Popes João Paulo 2, Benedict 16, Single Francis and Leão 14 have in common (besides religion)? Everyone saw goals from Cristiano Ronaldo – or at least they had the opportunity.
This humble scribe has scored before the luck we have with the current longevity of some superathletes. But CR7’s achievements force a return to the theme… again.
Cris is part of a caste of heroes that, besides the unusual talent, are enemies of the end. Athletes who managed to extend their career to close or beyond the age of 40 giving work to the 20th young man. It was not so. Pelé retired from Santos with 33 – after he returned to the cosmos for a new stop at 37. Zico, Socrates, Platini, Zidane, Maradona, Figo, Gullit, Baggio. No one dared to challenge the 40.
Before, only goalkeepers – with less physical demands – could circumvent the time, such as Dino Zoff (champion in the 82 World Cup), Rogério Ceni or Fabio, still in action by Fluminense at 44.
Only in recent years have we had a chance to keep up with the brightness as mature as it is shiny of stars of different sports, such as Tom Brady and Payton Manning, in football, the endless LeBron James in the NBA – which remained enough time to play alongside his son (and much better than the pigeon) – and Lewis Hamilton (with car) and Fernando Alonso (no car) in F1.
In individual sports, with no one to divide the weight or carry the piano, everything gets harder. Even so, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic retired some generations of good tennis players. Federer, with 41, and Nadal, with 38, were stopped by the injuries. Djokovic, now 38, is still good for integrating a top 5, but already finds it difficult to hold back the little girls Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the finalists of Roland Garros.
None of this seems to shake Cris Ronaldo the beautiful. It is a shame to see you far from the world’s top soccer leagues. His performances with the Portugal shirt – still that without the same blindness of other years – they believe that he would still give a good broth and could be a starter in 90 of the 100 teams of the five main alloys. The problem is that he would only return to Europe to play in the other ten.
With the goal scored in Portugal 2 x 2 Spain, in the final of the League of Nations (and subsequent victory on penalties), Cris Ronaldo now adds 939. I have no doubt that he goes after the thousandth.
Cris reminds me of the phrase given by the ThunderCats villain, Mumm-Ra, who claimed to be “eternal life” before being a fortão and detonating. Although the Portuguese guy is far from the mummified appearance of animation. Perhaps he is more comparable to Dorian Gray, whose portrait agreed as he was still young and beautiful. In the case of Cris, also rich and raising trophies.
Quiz of the week: Would Carlo Ancelotti sign with the Brazilian team if Italy was without coach too (as it is now)?
Big 2
During the final of Roland Garros, I heard some comparisons in the domain of Jannik Sinner (nº1 and vice) and Carlos Alcaraz (nº2 and champion) with Big 3. We have a big 2, only. Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti or any other Top 10 boy do not seem to have the strength to accompany the first two. For Big 3, some other will have to emerge.
Gift Link: Did you like this text? Subscriber can release seven free hits from any link per day. Just click on F Blue below.
