Nothing about Cristiano Ronaldo is unassuming.
Whether it be the chiseled, occasionally tangerine frame and perfectly arranged wisps of a tinted mane, the solitary goal celebrations or claims that he’s the “best player in history,” Ronaldo has made a career of matching dazzling displays on the pitch with equally sensational soundbites off of it.
When the Portuguese Euro 2016 winner reportedly bet his Real Madrid teammates in November that he’d finish the season with more goals than Lionel Messi, it was both characteristically grandiose and unlikely.
At the time, Ronaldo was a symbol of a Los Blancos squad faced with a dearth of goals. Ronaldo had just one goal to Messi’s 12, and with the Argentine showing no signs of slowing down and sans history of significant injury, Pichichi Trophy hopes were a pipe dream.
Four months later, and on the heels of a stretch of 18 goals in nine La Liga matches, Ronaldo’s 22 tallies are just three short of Messi’s 25 with nine to play. He can’t possibly do it, can he?
With Ronaldo looking to win a fourth Pichichi to draw level with Messi – and assuming the Barcelona star continues to …read more