Legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo turned 38 on Sunday and wishes for the Al-Nassr star flooded social media platforms. Here's a look at the top 15 quotes on life, success and football from the Portuguese talisman.
Legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo, often lauded as one of the greatest footballers of modern times, celebrated his 38th birthday on Sunday, and CR7 flooded social media with wishes. The Portuguese talisman, who opened his goal-scoring tally on Saudi Arabian soil on Friday, has been an inspirational figure for many. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored 820 goals for country and club in his illustrious career and has routinely broken records while playing at the highest level.
Here's a look at the top 15 quotes on life, success, football, fans, family and more from CR7 that will inspire generations to come:
Ronaldo, considered as one of the greatest goal scorers of all time, once said, "I see myself as the best footballer in the world. If you don't believe you are the best, then you will never achieve all that you are capable of."
Ronaldo, who recently signed with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr after his uncermonious departure from Manchester United, once stated, "We don't want to tell our dreams. We want to show them."
"Don't let small obstacles be in the way of being victorious. Remember you are stronger than the challenges you face," said the former Real Madrid legend.
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Ronaldo, who won 5 Champions League trophies in his career one noted, "Dreams are not what you see in your sleep, dreams are things which do not let you sleep."
Ronaldo, who lives with his partner Georgina Rodriguez and their five kids in Riyadh, once spoke about what fatherhood and family means to him. "It's such a unique and personal journey, but something that has completely changed me. It has shown me things about love I never knew existed. It has softened me and given me new perspective on what is really important in life," the former Juventus icon noted.
The Portuguese talisman, who started playing professional football at an early age of 18, has inspired millions worldwide. He once said, "I see football as an art and all players are artists. If you are a top artist, the last thing you would do is paint a picture somebody else has already painted."
What scoring goals means to Ronaldo? The former Manchester United icon once stated, "It gives me the happiest feeling in the world. I just love scoring. It doesn't matter if it's a simple goal from close range, a long shot or a dribble around several players, I just love to score all goals."
On teamwork, Ronaldo once noted, "Scoring goals is a great feeling, but the most important thing to me is that the team is successful – it doesn't matter who scores the goals as long as we're winning."
On what fans mean to him, Ronaldo once said, "Playing without fans is like going to the circus and not seeing any clowns."
“I feel an endless need to LEARN, to IMPROVE, to EVOLVE, not only to please the coach and the fans but also to feel SATISFIED with myself," said Ronaldo once.
This season, Ronaldo's form has dipped considerably, while his arch-rival Lionel Messi has been in splendid touch for PSG, and also bagged Argentina's third World Cup glory. Regardless, of what haters and trolls say, the 38-year-old striker believes, "Your love makes me strong. Your hate makes me unstoppable."
On his relationship with Messi, Ronaldo once said, "To be honest, there are no problems between me and Messi. People have their own opinions about who they think is the better player. It is what it is, but there is no rivalry beyond games and what happens on the pitch."
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Known as one of the fittest athletes in sports, Ronaldo's thumb rule is, "Dedication, hard work all the time, and belief."
Ronaldo believes in making the most of an opportunity when life presents it to you. "Today there are opportunities that no one knows if they will come round again in the future," said the Al-Nassr star once.
Ronaldo's mantra for life has been: "We should make the most of life, enjoy it because that’s the way it is."
Here's wishing CR7 a very happy birthday!