Cristiano Ronaldo is a machine – and everyone knows it.
But few have seen behind the scenes to learn first-hand how the Portugal captain operates. Now, in a column for the BBC, former defender Jose Fonte has shared an insight into how CR7 approaches life off the pitch.
And it’s pretty much what you’d expect: press-up competitions in the shower, recovery sessions at 2am, and endless hours in the gym.
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Born just over a year apart, Fonte and Ronaldo shared a dressing room with the Portugal youth setup, Sporting Lisbon, and the senior Portugal team.
Their careers both began in the early 00s and spanned continents, but while Fonte settled into English football with Crystal Palace, Southampton and West Ham United before retiring in 2023, Ronaldo staked his claim to be one of the world’s greatest – even now at 39.
“I can remember us all doing ice baths and saunas at 2am because of him,” Fonte recalled. “As well as helping our physical recovery, the important thing is that we were doing them together, the whole squad.
“As well as his ability, he always had this fantastic mentality. I would see him many times in the gym after training, trying to get stronger and quicker when everyone else had gone home.
“He has always wanted to win, too. He was so competitive then [that] he would say to us he would do more push-ups than anyone else in the shower after training, and of course he would go and do it as well.
“That drive is part of him, and it's why he is still here now at Euro 2024 with Portugal at the age of 39. He is an animal who wants to keep on winning and winning. Not only is he the best, he wants to prove it as well.”
Cristiano Ronaldo: THE greatest player
That drive has led Ronaldo to almost unprecedented fame and success: three Premier League titles, five Champions Leagues, two La Ligas and two Serie As – not to mention the 2016 European Championship crown.
For Fonte, that has made him more than just the greatest footballer in Portuguese history.
“I am often asked what Cristiano means to Portugal,” he continued. “Because of what he has achieved he is not just our greatest player, he is THE greatest player. Of course he is not only a sports figure either. He is more than that. He is the flag of Portugal, the most followed person in the world and the guy who cannot go anywhere without being recognised.
“It was always great being with him in the national squad because wherever we went, everyone went to him. Everyone would be screaming 'Ronaldo' but we could just walk normally and go anywhere we wanted to, because no one really cared about us!
“There are two sides to fame and I am sure it is not easy for Cristiano to deal with this, and not being able to go out anywhere, but he never let it affect him – or us.”
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