Cristiano Ronaldo In Action For His Country For 23 Years
Cristiano Ronaldo, the highest-paid football player in the world, has redefined the definition of legendary by representing his homeland, Portugal, for 23-years. In Portugal’s recent international fixture against Denmark, the Al-Nassr forward marked his 23rd year as a senior international.
The 40-year-old made his debut in 2003 at the age of 18. Though his age, practically over the hill for a professional footballer, does not seem to slow him down, even a bit. He is set to go down in history as one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. Despite continuing his career outside Europe, he has brought the rhythm of football to the desert land. Hanging up his boots does not seem to be the end for the player, as he will surely find ways “not just to sustain his fame but to expand it.”
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Though his performance level has declined over the past few years, he remains a testament to “professionalism and relentless pursuit of perfection” as the Portuguese star continues to score goals even in the 23rd year of his career. Moreover, there are talks of him featuring in the next FIFA World Cup next year. If he does, it will be his sixth World Cup, something no footballer has achieved yet. Along with this, he can still aim for 1,000 career goals, 250 caps for Portugal, or even “share the pitch” with his 14-year-old son, who currently plays for Al-Nassr’s youth team.
Apart from being a world-class footballer, he has grown into one of the most influential figures in the world. His YouTube channel recently reached 73.5 million subscribers, and notably, it was the fastest ever to reach 1 million. With all this, he will clearly continue for as long as he can. And when the end comes, as The Athletic put it, “he cannot retire, not really”.
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