Cristiano Ronaldo has accomplished almost everything there is to achieve in football.
The Portuguese star has amassed more than 300 accolades, medals and trophies since he first started kicking a ball around a football field – several of them right here in Manchester.
Yet, Ronaldo’s greatest achievement of all is the role he’s played in taking this sport to a new level.
Before the turn of the millennium, late-night partying wasn’t just pervasive in football – it was normal. But when a new wave of talent emerged in the modern era – a generation of fitness-obsessed footballers spearheaded by the likes of Ronaldo – the athletic expectations of the average player increased.
Cristiano Ronaldo completed his move to Manchester United this week // Manchester United
The culture at the highest level of football has changed ever since. No longer can players get by on a diet of fried food and alcohol – Ronaldo has played a major role in raising the bar.
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Today, athletes all over the world aim to emulate ‘CR7’s body shape… but how exactly does he do it? What’s the secret to becoming one of the fittest, strongest players to ever grace a football field?
At 36 years of age, Ronaldo ought to be making cameo appearances from the bench and circling an upcoming retirement date on his calendar – instead he’s returning to Manchester United to help them win trophies and compete at the highest level.
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Off the pitch, Ronaldo takes a tactical approach to his meals – tucking into a different dish every three to four hours. A little bit, a lot of the time.
Ronaldo tucking into one of his many meals a day // Cristiano on Instagram
His preferred meals are what you might expect: whole grains, fresh fruit, fish and chicken. He also eats cheese, ham, yoghurt and toast in the mornings, whilst making a conscious effort to avoid red meat and frozen food at all times (well, after the above photo was taken).
He also guzzles sports drinks to boost his electrolyte and vitamin B12 levels.
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Ronaldo has never looked like a normal footballer on the field, and he doesn’t sleep like an ordinary guy either. Instead of shutting his eyes for eight hours at a time, he grabs 90 minutes of rest up to five times a day.
This allows him to recharge regularly and remain in peak physical condition at an age where most footballers are looking to hang up their boots.
Cristiano on Instagram
At the recent Dubai Sports Conference, Ronaldo admitted he could potentially retire at any time – although there’s a good chance he could continue playing beyond 40-years-old. Something that millions of Manchester United fans will be hoping for.
“The moment my body no longer responds in the right way on the pitch, then it will be time for me to stop,” he told the crowd.
“Many years ago the ideal age to retire was 30 or 32, now you still see players aged 40.”
If any player can keep smashing it at the highest level well into their forties – it’s CR7.
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An official Guinness Fan Zone is coming to Manchester for the Six Nations
Danny Jones
One of the biggest Guinness Fan Zones in the UK is coming to Manchester city centre for the Six Nations this February and the best part of all is, it’s absolutely free.
With the beloved rugby union tournament kicking off on Saturday, 4 February, Guinness are bringing their popular fan zone to our lovely city and just in time for the Wales vs Ireland game, not to mention England vs Scotland later the same day.
Popping up on Baring Street, Mayfield, just round the corner from Piccadilly Station, the Six Nations fan zone will be the biggest outside of London and runs all the way until Saturday 18 March.
Transformed into a dedicated space for rugby lovers to watch the match and enjoy a fresh pint of ice-cold Guinness, the fan zone festivities don’t stop there.
Credit: Supplied
To keep the party rolling, they will also be hosting a series of interactive shows, activities and live performances, including bagpipes, Irish dancers and more. There’s even an interactive beer wall – the first one to be available outside of rugby union’s historic home at Twickenham.
Once again, general admissions tickets to the fan zone are absolutely free, but you can bag yourself a table reservation for £10 per person. Better still, for super fans, you can even grab an exclusive Season Pass for a limited time only, granting you access to all five games in the competition.
This includes a special edition team jersey, access to the best seats in the house and the first 150 customers will also get a Guinness Six Nations tote bag filled with beanies, cushions and foam fingers, even temporary tattoos and face paints for you to get your full colours on.
Last but not least, those who do grab a Season Pass will also be in with a chance to win one of Guinness’ exclusive ‘Money Can’t Buy Experiences‘, this year’s main prize being four tickets to a Six Nations match, a dressing room tour and being trusted with flag bearer duty before kick-off. Mint.
Russian supporters waving Putin flags and wearing ‘Z’ war symbols questioned by police at Australian Open
Danny Jones
A number of Russian supporters attending the Australian Open were spotted waving pro-Putin flags and wearing ‘Z’ war symbols during Novak Djokovic’s match on Wednesday evening.
Spotted in the crowd whilst watching Djokovic’s quarter-final tie against Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev, the group of fans cheering on Rublev are now said to have been questioned by local police following the stunt as a further investigation is expected to be carried out.
The nine-time tournament winner might have seen off the world number six seed in straight sets to progress to the penultimate round of the major, but the controversy that the pro-war display has caused is understandably all anyone can focus on.
You can see a significant number of Russian fans chanting “Putin!” with their flags in the stands below, as well as another man clearly flaunting the ‘Z’ symbol — synonymous with the invasion of Ukraine.
Police have detained four spectators for questioning at the Australian Open after they held up Russian flags with Vladimir Putin’s face.
Another man was seen inside the stadium during the match wearing a t-shirt with a pro-war ‘Z’ symbol. pic.twitter.com/lt8VLuZupF
According to a statement issued by Tennis Australia, four men were questioned by local authorities in Melbourne after they revealed their pro-Putin emblems and reportedly threatened security guards inside the Rod Laver Arena then they were asked to remove them.
Victoria Police have now confirmed that while charges were made, the group of supporters were quickly ejected, with Australian Open organisers reassuring that they will “continue to work closely with event security and law enforcement agencies.”
To make matters worse, Djokovic’s father, Srđan, was later seen posing with what appears to be the same group of fans and images of Vladimir Putin outside the stadium.
The Serbian has not long put his own controversy behind him after being deported from the country due to covid regulations and his anti-vax stance last year. This surely won’t help.
The father of tennis star Novak Djokovic is under fire for posing with pro-Russian fans at the Australian Open. It's sparked a new political storm, as spectators clashed with security guards. https://t.co/b3nAU1JF34#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/ieZoVIJ2il
The Russian invasion has been an ongoing issue at the Open, with Russian and Belarusian players now having to compete under a neutral flag.
This comes after spectators had initially been allowed to bring any flag into the arena with them. However, following the incident, certain Russian flags are now prohibited and security guards have been provided with pamphlets in order for them to check for approved national emblems.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was both surprised and relieved to find out that Germany has confirmed they will be sending Leopard 2 tanks to bolster his country’s defences, which he only learned whilst in the middle of an interview with Sky News’ Kay Burley.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Sky News he is "very happy" and "thankful" that Germany has decided to supply 14 Leopard 2 tanks – but warned the quantity and delivery time of the vehicles is "critical".