In the end, the tears told the story. Often hidden behind the facade of a flashy superstar, described unwittingly as "a commander on the field" by the FIFA president, Cristiano Ronaldo showed us his human side. He's already won everything on offer, yet he craves this so much. Declared the Best player on the planet this year, now officially.
Many find him difficult to like, even though he can routinely leave you spellbound. Ronaldo is never shy of creating a show, and he's never hid his ambitions of turning into the greatest to have graced the game. And then there's the small factor of having to compete against Lionel Messi, not just supremely talented but a lot more likable to the neutrals.
That's the funny thing with public opinions. Of course, it's a mark of greatness to be humble when you're successful. Very few can actually manage that. But it does not mean you look down on a guy who dares to display his desire for success, for greatness. In a world seduced by the easy, we scoff at a person who doesn't stop with dreaming big, but mono-maniacally devotes himself to achieving that goal. Ronaldo's latest triumph was not just of talent, but one of sheer willpower, a burning desire to prove himself to the whole world.
It may sound incredible, and even idiotic; but it is not easy being Cristiano Ronaldo. He doesn't just have to compete with one of the greatest footballers of all time for supremacy, but he has to do it while taking constant criticism, being seen in disdain by the so-called "purists" of the game. I came across a superb line by Rob Smyth in the aftermath of yesterday's ceremony, "Ronaldo's most impressive feat is not to usurp Messi; it is to believe he could do so in first place." How many others have been able to take that challenge? Sneijder faded away after one great season. The likes of Ibrahimovic and Suarez glitter, but not as consistently. And Bayern would make a case for Franck Ribery, but the fact is, he's just one component of a well-oiled machine. Take him out, and Munich still have a plethora of options in Kroos, Robben, Schweinsteiger and Muller, not to mention the newly-acquired Goetze and Thiago.
It is finally time we learn to admire Ronaldo for what he is. It's his insatiable hunger for more success that makes him so brilliant. He pushes the physical limits further and further every passing day in his quest. Look at his sculpted physique, see the power he generates with his kicks, watch his outrageous leaps in the air. They aren't god-given gifts, it's practice, it's literally blood and sweats, to go beyond what the world thinks possible, Even as an upcoming star at Manchester United, he would be last to come off the training ground. And it hasn't changed even today at Real Madrid, at the pinnacle of his career.
The comparisons with Messi are inevitable, especially when Ronaldo so openly declares his ambitions of being better than anyone else. But that should not belittle his extraordinary achievements. Because while Messi at his best seems almost divine, but Ronaldo's success is a triumph of human will. And for that alone, no one can deny him his place in the pantheon of all-time greats.
Many find him difficult to like, even though he can routinely leave you spellbound. Ronaldo is never shy of creating a show, and he's never hid his ambitions of turning into the greatest to have graced the game. And then there's the small factor of having to compete against Lionel Messi, not just supremely talented but a lot more likable to the neutrals.
That's the funny thing with public opinions. Of course, it's a mark of greatness to be humble when you're successful. Very few can actually manage that. But it does not mean you look down on a guy who dares to display his desire for success, for greatness. In a world seduced by the easy, we scoff at a person who doesn't stop with dreaming big, but mono-maniacally devotes himself to achieving that goal. Ronaldo's latest triumph was not just of talent, but one of sheer willpower, a burning desire to prove himself to the whole world.
It may sound incredible, and even idiotic; but it is not easy being Cristiano Ronaldo. He doesn't just have to compete with one of the greatest footballers of all time for supremacy, but he has to do it while taking constant criticism, being seen in disdain by the so-called "purists" of the game. I came across a superb line by Rob Smyth in the aftermath of yesterday's ceremony, "Ronaldo's most impressive feat is not to usurp Messi; it is to believe he could do so in first place." How many others have been able to take that challenge? Sneijder faded away after one great season. The likes of Ibrahimovic and Suarez glitter, but not as consistently. And Bayern would make a case for Franck Ribery, but the fact is, he's just one component of a well-oiled machine. Take him out, and Munich still have a plethora of options in Kroos, Robben, Schweinsteiger and Muller, not to mention the newly-acquired Goetze and Thiago.
It is finally time we learn to admire Ronaldo for what he is. It's his insatiable hunger for more success that makes him so brilliant. He pushes the physical limits further and further every passing day in his quest. Look at his sculpted physique, see the power he generates with his kicks, watch his outrageous leaps in the air. They aren't god-given gifts, it's practice, it's literally blood and sweats, to go beyond what the world thinks possible, Even as an upcoming star at Manchester United, he would be last to come off the training ground. And it hasn't changed even today at Real Madrid, at the pinnacle of his career.
The comparisons with Messi are inevitable, especially when Ronaldo so openly declares his ambitions of being better than anyone else. But that should not belittle his extraordinary achievements. Because while Messi at his best seems almost divine, but Ronaldo's success is a triumph of human will. And for that alone, no one can deny him his place in the pantheon of all-time greats.
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