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INTERVIEW: Cristiano Ronaldo on life outside football and battle to be best in the world

Sport360 staff

16:12 30/08/2015

Real Madrid and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo talks with his sponsor Nike in a wide-ranging Q&A about what makes the forward tick on and off the pitch.

From his biggest fears to greatest passions away from the game, Ronaldo shares a rare glimpse into the world of CR7.

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Who is Cristiano Ronaldo off the pitch?

A normal person. I try to do normal stuff, surrounded by my family, my friends, my son. Just trying to be as normal as possible. I’m just training in the morning, so when I arrive home I get to do other things that make me feel comfortable.

What is your biggest passion outside of football?

I have many, but I will just mention one, which is playing with my kid.

You’re widely considered to be the best football player on the planet. What keeps you motivated if you’re already at the pinnacle of the sport?

Well, my challenge is always, year-to-year, trying to be the best—training hard to get myself 100% all the time. My main goal is to always achieve this kind of success. This is what I am trying to do all of the time, and the last eight, nine, ten years I think have gone pretty well. So I try to keep going like that.

What or who is your greatest source of inspiration?

The people who I work with, the people around me—they are always giving me motivation and the opportunity to work hard and be good. They give me good vibes, good energy, and I think that that is the most important thing for me.

What is your biggest fear?

Dying young. I don’t want to die young. I want to be old and die when I’m 80 or 90.

What are you thinking in the moment right before you take the pitch for a match?

Nothing special. I try to enjoy it. Playing football is what I like to do. So I just enjoy it, the sport, and I want to allow the fans and the public to enjoy it, too.

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