Dubai: Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the secret of his success: “There is no secret - just love what you do.”
Speaking at the 14th Dubai International Sports Conference, the global football icon revealed that it’s his simple passion for the game that has allowed him to reach the top.
With multiple Champions League, Premier League and La Liga trophies with Manchester United and Real Madrid, a European Championship with Portugal, and most recently a Serie A winners’ medal with Juventus, there is very little that the five-time Fifa Footballer of the Year has left to win.
But rather than bask in his glory, he keeps his feet on the ground and continues to push himself further each day, and he has no plans to stop any time soon.
“There are no secrets to success,” he said. “I have been playing football for many years, but with each past year, my maturity is growing.
“It is important to get titles, obviously as this helps your success. But there is no secret. It is simply just love what you do.
“I have been doing this for 13-14 years at the top, but you have to love it or you will not succeed. It is about a team - to help each other to reach the top.
“The ambition is part of what you are. In the last 15 years the most important word to me is passion. You must be motivated.”
Despite having been at the top of the game for a decade and a half, Ronaldo is still determined to keep pushing for more success - But he also knows his limits.
“I want to play on for a few more years,” said the 34-year-old. “It is not possible to win all the titles, but you need to be humble. I know I have achieved so much but I know that others also achieve and there are many great great players.”
The discipline involved to be the best goes much further than the football field, Ronaldo explained. “Everything is a process, only maybe 30 per cent is football. Everything else is just as important. Diet, training, relaxation. I know my body 100 per cent. There are fellow athletes who do not know.
“If you want to keep the highest level, you need to do everything well. To stay excellent, you have to think about excellence. You have to do things 24 hours to help you give a better performance every time.
“Take care of yourself and learn from the best. It is very important to learn from those who can help you with areas you do not know. I am always looking to learn from those around me. Physical and mental training are equally important. Like a meal, you need all the ingredients. As an athlete you need to take care of yourself.
On a lighter note, Ronaldo - famous for his good looks - also hinted that he has an eye on dominating Hollywood once the time has come to hang up his playing boots, even if that means getting out of his ‘comfort zone’.
“I need to prepare for my next life after football,” he said. “Maybe I want to star in a movie, but I must learn how to act, speak perfect English and also not to be nervous.
“If I want to achieve this, I need to go out of my comfort zone. And I always want to learn something new. Life does not stop after football.”
