Cristiano Ronaldo still remembers brutal punishment which made him a champion

Cristiano Ronaldo’s extraordinary work ethic may well date back to one brutal punishment as a youngster.

Now football’s all-time leading goalscorer and one of the most trophy-laden players the sport has seen, Ronaldo came from humble beginnings on the island of Madeira.

Getty

Yet from an early age he had to move 1,000 kilometres away to mainland Portugal to Sporting’s famed academy in Lisbon where he was crafted into one of football’s top prospects.

However, there was one big stumbling along the way, which one of his coaches from the time has now explained.

Leonel Pontes was working as a guardian for Ronaldo and other youth team players at Sporting when he had to deal out some brutal punishment.

In conversation with Portuguese outlet Sabado, the Shanghai Shenhua director recalled: “There’s one tough story. 

“He had a normal childhood moment, some bad behavior with a Sporting employee and we punished him. That was a moment that even cost me a lot. 

“We had a game against Marítimo and were going to Madeira. I had spoken to his mother during the week and what were they preparing? Friends, family… a fan club to watch the game. 

“That week he behaved like that. We got together and the decision was to punish him and not let him go to Madeira.

“That moment was tough for me, first because I was going to my hometown; second because he was also going to his hometown, he spent a lot of time in Lisbon and there was going to be a fan club there with his whole family.”

At such a young age being banned from a trip back home was likely a very tough experience for Ronaldo, but he responded perfectly.

Pontes continued: “The best thing was his reaction to adversity, and this reveals champions.

Rex Features

Getty

“He didn’t like it, he was irritated for a few weeks, but he worked hard every day and continued training and playing. 

“Later, he was called up and played like a natural. Giving a punishment that doesn’t hurt is like not giving a punishment at all. Now, a punishment that hurts—that really resonated with him. 

“It’s remarkable because it was a sensitive moment in his career, and he still remembers it as a significant factor in his growth.”

What happened next for Ronaldo?

Ronaldo would debut for Sporting in 2002 at the age of just 17 and ended up playing 31 times in his debut campaign, scoring five times.

That was enough to book him invites to the training grounds of some of the world’s best teams, and he ended up picking Manchester United.

From then on he won five Champions League titles and five Ballons d’Or in a career for the ages, which is still going strong into his 40s.

Getty

The Al Nassr striker looks set to play at the 2026 World Cup with Portugal after three titles with his country, and Pontes is certain his status as a world great is secured.

He explained: “In China, they don’t know where Portugal is, many of them don’t even know Portugal exists, but they know there’s a player named Cristiano Ronaldo, who is Portuguese.

“This legacy is unique and will last forever. And, probably, in our lifetime, we won’t find anyone who has had this impact. And it continues to grow. 

“The brand continues to grow, and he’s still 40 years old. This is extraordinary.”