CRISTIANO RONALDO has revealed he would lock himself in a room and not eat if he missed a chance to score.
The Portuguese legend, who turns 40 today, opened up on the impact his career has had on his mental well-being.
Cristiano Ronaldo has opened up about his struggles to cope with failureGetty
GettyCR7 says he would not eat and lock himself away after not scoring[/caption]
Ronaldo‘s determination to be the best led to him struggling to cope when he felt he had failed on the pitch.
On the emotional toll it took on him, CR7 told LaSexta: “What happens on the pitch. stays on the pitch.
“I can’t get back home with my problems from football and get back home with my family. It is not fair on them.
“But in the beginning it was very difficult. I tell you clearly.
“I remember myself in Madrid for example, missing an opportunity or missing a penalty. I would lock myself in my room, angry at myself.
“I did not allow myself to fail and I talked to myself alone with the light off. I was sick.
“I would lay down in bed without having any dinner and say, ‘Why did you shoot to the right and not to the left? You’re dumb.’
“I was talking to myself like that.”
Instagram / cristianoRonaldo posted this snap ahead of his 40th birthday[/caption]
When it comes to penalties, Ronaldo has scored 171 and missed just 31 across his career, with 13 of the spot-kicks not finding the back of net at Real Madrid.
Despite now learning to not take football into his personal life, he has still had struggles with emotion, bursting into tears when his penalty was saved by Jan Oblak at Euro 2024.
But with 923 goals for club and country so far, Ronaldo is convinced he is the GOAT.
He said: “I am the best player ever, I believe that.
“I’m fast, I’m strong, [I score] with my header, with the left, no one has ever been more complete than me.
“You may prefer Pele, Messi, Maradona, I understand and respect that.
“If I finish on 920, 925 goals… it doesn’t matter to me at all. I am the best in history. Period.
“If I reach 1,000 goals, great. If not, that’s fine too. Numbers don’t lie.”
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