Cristiano Ronaldo just might be the most outstanding athlete in the history of sports. While it seems to be a trend among the best soccer players, few athletes in other sports have come close to maintaining a high level of productivity well into their mid-to-late thirties.
Ronaldo turned 36 earlier in the year, and this past season alone, he’s scored 29 goals for Juventus in 33 appearances. He was the top scorer with five more goals than the next player. Although his average goals per game percentage have decreased each year, he continues to demonstrate that he is a highly prolific and intelligent player.
Ronaldo altered his game in order to get the best results from his aging body. Instead of running and traveling with the ball to score as he used to at Real Madrid, he picks it up closer to the other team’s penalty box. He positions himself strategically within the box to either head the ball or receive it at his feet. If Ronaldo does have the ball from a deep position on the pitch, he distributes it and then gets into a better area to score.
It is no secret that Ronaldo treats his body like a temple. He works out several times a day; he does not consume junk food and drinks mainly water. So it comes as no surprise that he’s continuing to break records.
Earlier in the week, players left their clubs and joined their international teams for the World Cup Qualifiers. Portugal played Ireland on September 1st, and even though Ronaldo’s penalty was saved, he scored two goals leading his team to a 2-1 victory. With those two goals, Ronaldo became the male world record holder for the most international goals with 111. The previous record-holder was Ali Daeli, who had 109 goals.
As the end of 2021 and Ronaldo’s 37th birthday are approaching, I am excited to see how he’ll continue to revolutionize the soccer world, especially now that he’s back at his former club Manchester United.
NYC, NYCTastemakers, HurricaneIda, TropicalStorm, NaturalDiaster, NewJersey,
