At a function for one of his sponsors in Spain last week, Cristiano Ronaldo was handed a microphone to do a question and answer session.
‘You’ll understand, I am from Portugal so I am going to do this in Portuguese,’ he said, looking at the master of ceremonies. He speaks English well, but he’s Ronaldo and he does what he wants.
That extends to wearing a diamond stud in his left ear. It extends to a £1million Bugatti Veyron and an estimated collection of 19 other cars. It extends to including his girlfriend, Irina Shayk, in Nike’s latest World Cup advert.
Ronaldo is a superstar. He is also the best player in the world at this moment.
Lionel Messi will come again. So will Barcelona. Injuries happen and this season has hurt the quiet little artist from Argentina. Perhaps he has not been so mortally wounded as some would have you believe – 40 goals across 43 games is not too shabby.
But Ronaldo, like one of his runs, continues to accelerate, while Messi has not captured the breath in quite the same manner this time round.
Messi continues to be brilliant, continues to dink the keeper, continues to run through small spaces with those little legs and that sheepish grin. Messi continues to be Messi, only with more limps.
But Ronaldo is making greater progress. On Tuesday night in Munich, Ronaldo stole one of Messi’s many records and tied another. His 15th and 16th Champions League goals of the season took him past the mark of 14 that Messi reached a couple of years ago.
He is now level with Messi on 67 Champions League goals overall. Both men are only four shy of Raul’s record. That will go sooner rather than later.
