The Man We Love to Hate

Sandeep Dileepkumar

“He's six-foot two, brave as a lion, strong as an ox and quick as lightning. If he was good looking, you'd say he has everything.” - Paul Jewell

Almost nineteen years ago, a young skinny boy from Portugal graced Old Trafford, one of the most prestigious football grounds in the world and shook the tough English fans to the core. The unknown nineteen year old came on as a substitute when Manchester United played Bolton Wanderers and surely enough, the teenager managed to make a lasting impression on the minds of the home and the opposition crowds alike. So when Paul Jewell made the above famous statement about the young man, he made no mistake except for one tiny detail, his good looks. Everything Jewell prophetically stated about the young man had come true and much to his horror, the good looks had followed magically through time. So now, it is safe enough to assume that Cristiano Ronaldo has everything a man needs, at least at the materialistic level. Emotions vary when you speak of the name “Ronaldo” in the football world. But to the majority of the football fans the name screams only one word: “Ego” and it is no surprise as to why he has this reputation, for Ronaldo among his many infamous behavioral exploits, had once remarked that, he is the best player in the world. Strange enough, it’s not every day you hear this from a footballer. This incident managed to cement his reputation and to this day, it’s widely spoken of by football fans, especially the group who loves to hate him. And who is better to hate than Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo moved to Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2009 and this saw the start to a rather important chapter in the history of football, widely known as the “Messi vs. Ronaldo” era. In a time span of 6 years Cristiano Ronaldo has prolifically scored a stellar amount of 364 goals in just 347 appearances compared to Messi who has spent his entire career spanning over a decade at Barcelona. In this perspective, Ronaldo has been brilliant considering the comparatively small amount of time he has spent at the Spanish capital. Take a moment to introspect and you will realize that Ronaldo’s hugely discussed ego comes from the simple fact that the star had a very tough childhood. The young Ronaldo had only one escape in his life and that was into football and when he was finally kicked out of school due to a serious disciplinary action, he was forced to take a decision that would go on to shape his life for the better or for the worse. Unlike Messi, who had a straight shot at one of Europe’s biggest clubs, Ronaldo had to earn his name the hard way, which makes his story the perfect example for children who aspire to be football players. Prominent club managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti have repeatedly made it a point to make the world of media understand that Ronaldo’s unusual thirst for honesty and a remarkable self-belief should not be misunderstood for “ego” and that he is actually an outspoken man. He is also considered to be one of the most hardworking individuals in the world of sports and the healthiest footballer in his club and some even say in Europe. The rivalry with Messi has given Ronaldo a strange cult status in football. Sports critics and football philosophers firmly believe that Messi is incomparable. Yet Ronaldo has had the audacity to challenge this belief and surely enough, he has been successful at proving that he is equally up there alongside the Argentine superstar to be one of the only two players who have been able to win the Ballon Do’r more than three times.

Known for his “supersonic speed”, elaborate skills and antics and most importantly the factor that gives opposing defenders and goalkeeper’s nightmares…his power, he is one of the few players in the world who has been able to give this game an unorthodox and entertaining touch. A feature that he molded during his formative years at Manchester United is his trademark step-over trick that he uses so often to fool the opposing player. He is also considered to be one of the most decisive players in the world by being a free kick specialist and also perhaps the best header of the ball in football, by which he is able to change the fate of the game at any point of time. The real Madrid star will no doubt go down in history as one of the greatest of the game, but he will be remembered even more by the people as the player who was able to defy the laws of natural talent. Some may blindly state that Ronaldo is unlucky to be playing in Messi’s era but I firmly hold my ground it goes both ways as Messi is equally unlucky to face a juggernaut like Ronaldo. As the saying goes, “If talent and hard work are two very different things, so are Messi and Ronaldo. After all both play the same game, soccer, the most beautiful game able to bring the world together.