Cristiano Ronaldo raises the bar

There is something to be said about a man who is what he is because of his unquenchable thirst to be the best he can be. To be something his peers look at in awe and the next generation look up to as an aspiration.

This is the driving force behind Cristiano Ronaldo.He if often seen as a man who works for himself rather than the team and for whom personal glory is of paramount importance in an environment where players, whether they believe it or not, say the same lines time and time again of how they always put the team above self.

And that is what makes him the player he is and he has no qualms about admitting that to the world.His critics call him a spoilt brat and arrogant with particular vigour towards his penchant for self-indulgence, citing his chiseled body and ever changing hairstyle but for Ronaldo it is all part of his drive towards perfection.

“People say I have everything but they don’t know the sacrifices and the hard work I have put in to get to where I am,” says the Portuguese star.

And they were quite a few sacrifices whether it was leaving home as a 12-year-old or choosing to live a life of discipline and training.

But at the pinnacle of it all for Ronaldo is Lionel Messi. The Argentine’s four Ballon d’Or in a row was like the nail on the headboard for Ronaldo, even going as far as to admit that he did not want to go for the ceremony anymore.

But it gave him an attainable goal and something to strive for to make himself a better player. While their relationship with each other has improved significantly over the years, Messi remains a reason for Ronaldo to push himself beyond limits perhaps even he could not have imagined earlier.

From a fan’s perspective, they should be thankful for being alive at a time where there is not one but two prodigiously gifted players, who in any other era would be the dominant force, shining bright.