In an interview with ESPN, Portuguese national team forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro-League club Al-Nassr, shared how he maintains high motivation in football.
The 39-year-old "CR7" has been defending the colors of Al-Nassr since January 2023, after moving from English side Manchester United.
I feel proud to have this age and still compete at the highest level. It's not easy to be at this level. To still push, to still motivate, to carry on, to score goals, to be in good shape, to compete with the young lions that are coming and that when they play against me, they want to show me that they are stronger and faster than me. You have to prepare very well, not just physically but mentally, too. This is the challenge.
Cristiano Ronaldo
In the 2023/2024 season, Ronaldo played 28 matches for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Arabian Championship, scoring 33 goals and making ten assists, the highest number for the forward in the last eight years.
On May 14, journalist Ben Jacobs hinted on social media that the forward could extend his contract with Al-Nassr until the end of June 2026. On May 16, Forbes published the list of the highest-paid athletes in 2024, with five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo claiming the top spot with an annual income of $258.6 million.