Cristiano Ronaldo plans to solidify himself as key figure in Portugal for new sport: Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly planning to establish himself as the face of a new sport in Portugal. As reported by The Mirror, the Al-Nassr superstar is planning an ambitious project in his country by investing in padel and becoming an entrepreneur in the sport.
Ronaldo has recently enjoyed a few games of padel with longtime friend Miguel Paixao. The 39-year-old plans to contribute towards the growth of the sport in Portugal and solidify his position as an icon of padel.
Padel, also called padel tennis, is a racket game that hails from Mexico. Padel, which requires two paddles and a tennis ball, has the same scoring system as tennis but the technique is different.
The size of the court and distance to the net are also different in padel than tennis. The project is named Padel City and has been approved by Oeiras City Council.
The project will be developed by the Portuguese Padel Federation in partnership with Smooth Odissey, a company owned by Cristiano Ronaldo and businessman Filipe de Botton.
The project is in its specialised licensing stage but the work is reportedly likely to get underway soon. The area of Vale do Jamor in Portugal will have 17 padel courts out of which 15 will be under cover to allow playing throughout the year.
A center court is also in the pipeline with the capacity to set up stands for more than 2,000 spectators. A restaurant, a gym, and a physiotherapy room will also be constructed in a 15,000-square-metre complex. The headquarters of the Portuguese Padel Federation will also be constructed in the same area.
Diogo Jota opens up on whether Cristiano Ronaldo will play another major tournament
Portugal forward Diogo Jota has responded on whether Cristiano Ronaldo will play another international tournament. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner came under criticism for his poor showings in Euro 2024.
For the first time in his career, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United attacker failed to score a single goal in a major international tournament. He played 486 minutes for A Selecao in Euro 2024 and not only failed to net a single goal but also missed a penalty.
On being asked about Cristiano Ronaldo's poor Euro campaign, Jota said (as quoted by Goal):
"I don't have much to say about it. I think we could have gone all the way but we lost in the quarter-finals. I'm always ready to help my country. It wasn't required so you get that frustration from feeling that you could have helped."
The Liverpool forward added:
"I am not sure about [the Euros being his last international tournament]. I am not sure what he told about his last tournament. But he has been an inspiration for me since his early days, since I can remember. He is an icon and won the Ballon d'Or multiple times. He was a reference for me. I was glad to share a dressing room with him and learn everything I could. I will thank him for that."
After Portugal's elimination from the quarter-finals of the Euros, Ronaldo revealed that he won't be a part of the team in Euro 2028. However, there is a chance that he will be in A Selecao's 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.