IF you aspire to become a world-class footballer, do what Cristiano Ronaldo did.
He is arguably the greatest player a young footballer can emulate.
Forget about trying to be Lionel Messi.
The Argentinian is probably from another planet, dressed in a Homo sapiens suit.
His style, vision and dribbling are almost impossible to replicate.
And then there was the late Diego Maradona, whom many regard as the greatest player ever to grace the game.
Ronaldo came close to Messi, but the Portuguese, hard as it is to admit, was always one rung below the Argentinian.
It was a sad Thursday when Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football after 23 years wearing Portugal’s No. 7 shirt.
In fact, he should have called time on his international career several years ago.
Frankly, the 41-year-old overstayed his welcome.
In recent years, he has become a laughing stock on social media as his pace and ability to take on defenders have declined.
Yet his timing remains exceptional, and he is still among the Saudi Pro League’s leading goalscorers with Al-Nassr.
CR7 loves football.
His discipline and dedication are qualities few can emulate.
However, age catches up with every footballer, and sadly, Ronaldo is no longer the player he once was.
He has scored some unbelievable goals, earning his place among the greatest forwards ever to grace the game.
One of his best was the bicycle kick against Juventus in the 2018 Champions League quarter-final for Real Madrid.
And who could forget his remarkable goal for Juventus against Sampdoria in Serie A in 2019? Ronaldo jumped 71cm off the ground, reaching a peak height of 2.56 metres, well above the crossbar, to score with a stunning header.
However, he should have retired from international football after the 2022 World Cup.
One could argue that he continued in the hope of winning the World Cup, a dream that remained unfulfilled at this year’s tournament.
It will probably be Ronaldo’s greatest regret.
He has won almost everything football has to offer, except the biggest prize.
Selfish, some may call him, but he loved his country and wore the Portuguese badge with pride in every match.
That was his motivation and driving force, as he rarely declined a call-up. Unlike some players who pick and choose when to turn out for their country.
One wonders how much longer he can continue as he chases the milestone of becoming the first player to score 1,000 career goals.
He has scored 985 and needs just 15 more to reach that remarkable target.
It is sad to see so many people making fun of Ronaldo on social media, mocking his declining pace and dribbling ability in matches for Al-Nassr.
But age catches up with every footballer, and Ronaldo deserves credit for continuing to compete against players much younger than him.
His declining physical ability does not diminish what aspiring footballers can learn from his discipline, dedication and approach to fitness.
In today’s game, almost every youngster wants to emulate Messi and feels proud to be compared to the Argentinian.
But forget about trying to replicate Messi. The closest you can get is touching his feet, especially for aspiring footballers in Malaysia.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, is the perfect role model.
If young players can train as hard as he does and adopt his approach to fitness, diet and discipline, they will give themselves a better chance of succeeding.
Many players have spoken about his extraordinary work ethic.
Even after training, he heads to the gym, swims and jogs to keep himself in peak condition.
Fans will miss his famous “Siuuu” celebration in international football, but one hopes he will return as Portugal’s coach and lead the country to glory.
This is a man who simply loves football.
And as a multimillionaire, he has little need to return to the game for financial reasons.
One can only guess that he will eventually find his way back as a coach.
For Malaysian footballers, scoring goals like Ronaldo does not warrant a
“Siuuu” celebration.
It is about sustainability and consistency, which come only through hard work.
Many people have made fun of Ronaldo, including former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who once labelled him a military-style robot.
Ronaldo played in the same era as Messi. Of course, he needed to be tougher and meaner to compete with the Argentinian.
Ronaldo will go down as the greatest footballer a young player can realistically hope to emulate, not Messi, nor Maradona.
While Messi may be the better footballer, Ronaldo is the example of what dedication, discipline and hard work can achieve.
Adeus, Ronaldo.