Cristiano Ronaldo Jokes About Joining Old Team-Mate Rio Ferdinand in Boxing
Cristiano Ronaldo has teased the idea of a post-football career move into boxing after poking fun at former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand for his recent announcement.
Bookmakers Betfair revealed in September that Ferdinand was preparing for a switch to boxing, and Ronaldo jested to his old club mate that he could follow his example in an interview for Nike Football (at two minutes, 20 seconds):
Upon being asked by Ferdinand what he sees himself doing in 10 years, and the prospect of winning more personal accolades, Ronaldo struggled to contain his laughter and blurted out: "10 years? No, in 10 years it will be tough. Maybe I will be a boxer like you!"
Ferdinand will turn 39 in November and has attracted widespread attention for his decision to take up a boxing fight, and the Telegraph recently assessed some previous examples of athletes transitioning to the ring:
Having accomplished nearly everything there is to do in football, it could be the case that four-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo needs to satiate his competitive desires in some fashion after hanging up his boots.
However, at 32 years of age, the Portuguese powerhouse continues to impress for club and country, leading Real Madrid to become the first team to win back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles earlier this year.
After May's triumph over Juventus in the European final, Ronaldo insisted his age is not a concern and suggested he can be a potent force for years to come, per PA Sport (h/t Sky Sports):
"My age is just a number, I feel like a young boy. I am very happy—an amazing season again. We've won trophies and of course, it is one of the best moments of my career—I have the opportunity to say this every year but it's true!
"This season was amazing again, last season was amazing."
It's difficult to envision a modern football landscape without Ronaldo present, but as his accolades show, he already sits on par with the sport's greats and would surely be considered the all-time best by some:
The forward will at least have Ferdinand as a point of reference for whether he could pursue a boxing lifestyle and may reconsider if his old team-mate is beaten badly in his debut fight.
