“Talent and work have to work together, One is nothing about the other" - Cristiano Ronaldo makes honest admission in podcast
Cristiano Ronaldo has recently spoken about the importance of having the right mix of talent and hard work. He is the personification of what he is preaching. Despite being one of the most talented players to ever grace the game, he is equally hard-working. His work ethic is one of the main reasons behind the Portugal captain staying atop the game for two decades.
In a recent podcast with Whoop, a brand that the Portugal captain has invested in, Ronaldo said (via CristianoXtra on X):
"Talent and hard work have to work together. One is nothing without the other. I can't say which of the two I have more, because if we see my career, playing at a ahigh level for 20 years is very difficult. And I keep doing it and my biggest motivatiton is to continue."
Ronaldo added:
"I left Madeira at the age of 11 for Lisbon, it was probably the most difficult part of my career. Following y dream in Lisbon, at the age of 11... I see my oldest son now and I don't know if I will be able to let him leave the house, untill 2 years from now, it will be difficult."
Cristiano Ronaldo moved from his hometown Madeira to Portugal's capital Lisbon at the age of 11 to join Sporting CP's academy. He became the greatest player to emerge from the Liga Portugal club's academy.
Assessing Cristiano Ronaldo's career path
After a stint with Sporting, Cristiano Ronaldo moved to the Premier League to join arguably the biggest club in England, Manchester United. He had a six-season stint at Old Trafford before moving to Real Madrid in 2009.
Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018 as their all-time top scorer with 450 goals and also bagging four UEFA Champions League titles. He joined Juventus in 2018 and won two Serie A titles before leaving in 2021 to return to Manchester United.
After a controversial exit from his boyhood club via mutual termination of his contract, Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr as a free agent on December 31, 2022.