Cristiano Ronaldo Talks Attempting Acting Career After Football Retirement
December 28, 2019
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo has said he's considered acting as a possible career move once he's finished his playing career.
The Portugal international is regarded as one of the best players of his generation, having won the Ballon d'Or on five occasions. Even at 34, he remains highly regarded, finishing third behind Lionel Messi and Virgil van Dijk in the FIFA Best Men's Player award and Ballon d'Or voting.
Speaking about life after football, Ronaldo said he would like to move on from some of the world's biggest stadiums to the silver screen, per James Westwood of Goal:
"I hope I live more than 50 years to learn new things and face different challenges and try to find solutions for them. One of the things that I seek to challenge myself in, for example, is acting in a movie.
"I always recommend learning all that is new. This is what I always strive for. I always seek to educate myself, because my studies tend to answer many of the questions on my mind. We have to learn the best of others, and this is an important part in helping me achieve what I have reached now."
Ronaldo wouldn't be the first sports star to make transition into the film industry, and you sense that with his global profile, there would be plenty of high-profile directors doing their best to get him involved in a project.
However, Ronaldo is surely a few more years away from hanging up his boots given he remains a potent goalscorer at the highest level. Physically, he appears to be in elite condition too, as this recent header in the win over Sampdoria indicated:
Ronaldo has also been passing on some of his advice over to another sporting great, tennis icon Novak Djokovic:
The man himself believes he can continue operating at a high standard for a while yet:
"Several years ago, the age of playing football was until 30-32, but now, you find those who are 40 years old playing on the field. The moment my body is no longer responding in the right way on the field, then it would be the time to leave. My success in my field is the result of hard work, and a way of living."
Per Italian football writer David Amoyal, the Sampdoria goal was a shot to the critics who have recently questioned whether Ronaldo is in decline:
This season, the Portugal international has struggled with some injury niggles, and his form has been inconsistent as a result. Even so, in Serie A he's managed to notch 10 goals in 14 appearances.
The upcoming year will be a big one for Ronaldo, as he will be desperate to sample Champions League glory with Juventus. He will also spearhead Portugal's defence of their UEFA European Championship crown in the summer.