Cristiano Ronaldo became the highest scorer in the tournament’s history after scoring twice in Portugal’s 3-0 win against hosts Hungary, in their first fixture at the UEFA Euro 2020. The toughly-fought contest remained deadlocked until the 84th minute, before Raphael Guerreiro’s opener. The talismanic Ronaldo then slotted home a penalty in the 87th minute before netting the ball again in stoppage time.
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With 11 goals in the competition overall, he overtook France’s Michel Platini (9) who had held the record since the 80s. Before the game though, the spotlight had been on the events of a press conference in the build up to the Portugal-Hungary encounter.
After taking his place in front of the media in Budapest, Ronaldo irritably removed two bottles of sponsors Coca Cola placed on the table in front of him. He replaced it with ‘aqua’ in a gesture to encourage drinking water over bottled drinks.
This food habit is part of the strict diet that has enhanced the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star’s longevity at the summit of world football. Even at age 36, usually considered as the evening of football careers, he is showing no signs of holding back.
What does he eat?
Ronaldo is particularly demanding when it comes to his diet. The Portugal international has a personal dietician who has worked with him ever since his Real Madrid days, eating six small meals a day – or one every three to four hours, he had said in an interview to Goal.com.
“Eat regularly,” Ronaldo had said. “If you train regularly it’s important to keep energy levels high to fuel your body for better performance. I sometimes eat up to six smaller meals a day to make sure I have enough energy to perform each session at top level.”
For breakfast, Ronaldo is a fan of cheese, ham, low-fat yoghurt alongside plenty of fruit as well as avocado toast. There is also the occasional fruit juice, normally orange or pineapple.
He prefers fish in other meals – particularly swordfish, sea bass and sea bream – and his favourite dish is bacalhau a braz, which contains cod, onions, thinly sliced potatoes and scrambled eggs. He also eats plenty of fruit and lean protein.
While eating out, Ronaldo says he often orders steak and a salad, and never anything frozen – everything he eats, is fresh.
As mentioned earlier, hydration is vital for him — “drinking water is so important,” Ronaldo said. He chooses to sacrifice alcohol and carbonated drinks to keep his body in top condition.
How does he train?
Ronaldo’s workouts are designed to the very last detail, as per the Spanish outlet AS. In addition to his training sessions with the Juventus club squad and the Portuguese national team, the striker follows his own specific programme.
This includes five gym sessions in a week, plus pilates and swimming. One of the key challenges for his trainers has been to stop him to overtrain. Although given his prime physical condition and its superhuman potential, it can be hard for them to know where to set the limit.
Any other secrets?
As doctors often say, seep is a vital component of a healthy life. Ronaldo swears by this rule, and aims to get eight hours a night – dropping off and getting up at the same time every day. He also takes out time for a siesta or two during the latter half of the day. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner can take up to five naps in a single “typical” day, according to ESPNFC and AS.
Images: Instagram/cristiano
