SUMMARY
- Cristiano Ronaldo just had a remarkable year in 2023 with more than 50 goals for club and country.
- Pele retired at the age of 37 in the USA.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a fitness freak, and his dedication to his body has helped the Portuguese superstar push himself in his late 30s. Ronaldo’s dedication to fitness is often talked about in the soccer community, but matters got out of hand when it was compared to the legendary Pele and Maradona.
Cristiano Ronaldo just had a remarkable year in 2023 with more than 50 goals for club and country at the age of 38. In comparison, Pele retired at the age of 37 when he played his final season with the New York Cosmos. Likewise, Diego Maradona also retired at the age of 37, five days before his 38th birthday. He made his final appearance for Boca Juniors in 1995.
Both had world cups by the age of 38
— Kira (@AFC_kira) January 10, 2024
These stark comparisons in fitness and desire to play soccer were the topic of discussion for ESPN UK. They tweeted the retirement age of Pele and Maradona in comparison to Ronaldo, who is still going strong. However, the comparison backfired as fans pushed back against the tweet by slandering Ronaldo in the comments.
Some sections of the fans trolled Ronaldo. The angle was that Ronaldo didn’t have a World Cup trophy or even a goal in the knockout stage. On the other hand, some sections of the fans presented a well-thought-out argument about the advancement in training and medical science and how it has helped Ronaldo in his fitness journey.
Medical science has moved on a lot since then! No way a player could be at peak fitness in the 70’s/80’s at 38
— Footballia (@xfootballia) January 10, 2024
Comments like “Both had world cups by the age of 38,” “Still no WC KO goals,” “Did Pele and Maradona play in the era of top-class technology and data collection”? “He could win Ballon d gym,” “Medical science has moved on a lot since then! No way a player could be at peak fitness in the 70’s/80’s at 38” and “I’d retire before 38 too if I had already won a world cup,” echoed the sentiments of the fans.
The diet of Cristiano Ronaldo that keeps him fit at 38 years old
Ronaldo’s fitness levels are still high at Al-Nassr. Even at the age of 38 years old, Ronaldo has a chiseled physique and high endurance. The diet of Ronaldo has not changed over several years. However, more came to knowledge when Al-Nassr nutritionist José Blesa talked about Ronaldo’s diet to a Spanish newspaper.
As per Blesa, Ronaldo follows a Mediterranean diet. The breakfast contains a large amount of proteins, such as cheese and low-fat yogurt. At lunch, Ronaldo always gives priority to chicken and fish, which is mostly repeated over dinner.
🚨Jose Blesa (Nutritionist of Al Nassr):
“Since Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the club, all the players have trained more intensely and followed a stricter diet. In fact, Al-Nassr players now have less fat and more muscles.”
“Cristiano follows the Mediterranean diet, Ronaldo’s… pic.twitter.com/Xwtn4KhoRP
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) October 22, 2023
Blesa further revealed the dish of tuna, olives, and eggs, accompanied by a good salad, can always be found at the table of Al-Nassr superstar. Ronaldo stays away from sweets and soft drinks and these rules are also followed by family members. Ronaldo has achieved immense success in his career. However, all of that couldn’t be possible with his dedication to his fitness and diet.