Cristiano Ronaldo has opened up on how his ritual of speaking to his late dad and son inspires him to become a better human being.
The Al-Nassr captain is widely considered one of the greatest footballers to have graced the sport thanks to his impressive achievements.
Despite being on the wrong side of age, the 38-year-old has not lost his passion and continues to aspire for greatness even in the twilight of his career.
He was recently adjudged the Player of the Month for February in the Saudi Pro League after notching eight goals in four games in the month under review.
Aside from his prowess on the field, Ronaldo is also admired for his humanitarian works, which was evidenced as he sent relief items to victims of the Turkey and Syria earthquake.
Ronaldo takes inspiration from dad and son
Throwing light on where he derives his passion for striving to be the best version of himself, Ronaldo said, as quoted by Frank Khalid.
“I keep my son’s ashes next to my father’s ashes. I have a small chapel and I keep my father and my son there. I talk to them all the time. They help me be a better man, to be a better father.”
Ronaldo and his late dad
Although Ronaldo admits he never really shared a father-son moment with his late dad Jose Dinis Aveiro, the former Manchester United ace holds him in high esteem.
As a result of his father’s struggles with alcohol, the five-time Ballon d’Or completely abstains from alcohol. Ronaldo was just 20 when his father died in 2005, per the Sun.
Cristiano loses baby son
Ronaldo and his partner Georgina Rodriguez were expecting twins in April last year; however, one of the twins, his son, died during childbirth.
He admitted the death of his son was the worst moment of his life.
“[It was] probably the worst moment that I passed through in my life since my father died,” the ex-Real Madrid forward said, as quoted by Eurosport.
“When you have a kid, you expect that everything will be normal, and you have that problem, it’s hard…we had quite difficult moments because we don’t understand why it happened to us.
Kaka picks Ronaldo as GOAT
Sports Brief previously reported that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been compared as the greatest players in football history throughout their careers – but which one is the true GOAT?
Ronaldo and Messi have broken, rewritten, and set enough records to practically last a lifetime in their illustrious careers, some of which may never be matched.
Kaka, who won the 2007 Ballon d’Or prize ahead of the GOAT duo, once described Messi as a genius while commending Ronaldo for his mentality.
