34th Anniversary of Cristiano Ronaldo: CR7, the greatest athlete in football history

If Cristiano Ronaldo was like the other winners of the Golden Ball, he would have already hung up, like Marco van Basten, Michael Owen or Zinedine Zidane, perhaps after a stint in MLS, like Kaka.

But Cristiano Ronaldo does not look like the other winners of the Ballon d'Or.

Eleven years after being crowned best player in the world, the Portuguese international, who turned 34 on Tuesday, shows no signs of slowing down.

At the end of 2019, he will once again be among the top of the list of the most famous individual prize of football. His debut was so impressive at Juventus, where record after record, he continues to plummet on his way to immortality.

And even if the debate about who is the best – him or Lionel Messi – will last forever, no one can deny that Ronaldo is the most incredible athlete in the world.

"The Portuguese star has the physical capacity of a 20-year-old player", AS said after his transfer from Real Madrid to Juve, citing his seven percent body fat and muscle mbad of 50%, both figures being significantly higher than those of the average footballer.

Statistics coincided perfectly with the quotes from his unveiling in Turin, where he said: "I am here because it is a very big challenge of my career. At my age, players usually go to China. I am different from everyone, from all players aged 32, 33 or 34. "

Ronaldo started separating from his peers early in his career. His dedication to being on top of his physical form is by no means a reaction from him – as most footballers would call him – the last years of his career. He has long been obsessed with his physical form.

"He was the first person I saw employed a nutritionist, a doctor, a physio staff, a chef," said Rio Ferdinand, his former teammate at Manchester United, ITV . "He has invested in himself to become the best in the world."

The expert advice on fitness comes on top of Ronaldo's unparalleled motivation, which Carlos Queiroz, Alex Ferguson's former badistant, illustrated in a colorful way.

"I was once in my office in Carrington and saw something moving in the trees in the distance," he said. the National . "That was maybe a spy. I called security and asked him. He came back to me and said, "It's Cristiano Ronaldo. He trains alone ". He was unique.

"It was very rare to see a young player have so much talent and a personality, a goal and a commitment as strong. I read how Arnold Schwarzenegger learned to dance tango. He was obsessed with perfectionism. Cristiano is the same. "

It's one thing to be a talented footballer, but it's another thing to achieve or exceed your potential.

For Ronaldo, his mental attributes undoubtedly exceed his technical attributes, allowing him to keep pace with Messi, a player certainly more talented than the Portuguese.

But as he has already said, the star of Juventus is not worried about the way Argentina is getting along.

"I'm not competing against Messi, I'm competing against myself," he said. Men's health . "I like to focus on myself. I am more concerned with my own game than with my rivals. "

This concern leads him very far.

"We would sometimes come back from a European match, it could be three in the morning, but Ronaldo would be the player who would not have come home," said Real Madrid's former boss, Carlo Ancelotti. the daily mirror .

"Instead, he would go to the training ground to take an ice bath, to help him recover from the match."

"Another time," said Paul Clement, badistant of Ancelotti. the Guardian "We came back from Istanbul at 6am and the physio rubbed it."

His dedication is extreme, but it allows Ronaldo to avoid injury and continue to play at the highest level.

Giorgio Chiellini has suggested to his teammate to play up to 40 years and explains why Ronaldo is now planning to do so.

"When I renewed my [Real Madrid] contract, I said I would play again when I'm 41 – it was just joking and serious, "he said. Sky sports . "If I feel good, without injury and I'm still motivated, I'll play until I'm 35, 41 or 45. I do not know."

It is impossible to predict where it will be in many years, but it remains at the same level it has been for over ten years – among the best in the world.

With 17 goals in 22 Serie A matches, his form at Juventus was breathtaking. Add to that the Champions League, the competition he dominates and his chances of breaking the record of 93-year-old Ferenc Hirzer's club with 35 goals scored in a single season for the old lady are very high.

"Ronaldo has become a seasoned athlete," said Antonio Gaspar, Ronaldo's physiotherapist. "I liked to watch how he evolved.

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"He is always strong, fast and fast, he always has the technical ability to dazzle, but he plays smarter and has the experience and maturity to better leverage his strengths."

There will always be people who believe that Messi is better than Ronaldo. There will also always be people who believe that he is being cheated by big ones from the past, such as Pele or Diego Maradona.

But as tennis has Roger Federer, football has Cristiano Ronaldo; an evergreen specimen that ages like a good wine.