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The footballing and YouTube worlds collided when Darren "IShowSpeed" finally managed to meet his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo. The young streamer has been chasing the Portuguese football legend all over the world, having traveled to the Middle East during the Qatar World Cup and attending Saudi Pro League matches for a chance to meet Al-Nassr's new star.
The 18-year-old YouTube sensation has been a long-time fan of Ronaldo, and fans were incredibly hyped for a potential meetup. The golden opportunity presented itself at the recent Portugal vs Bosnia and Herzegovina UEFA Euro Qualifiers match where Cristiano Ronaldo met and clicked pictures with his ardent fan, IShowSpeed.
This article explores Darren's obsession with Ronaldo and how his passion for the soccer icon became an integral part of his personality.
Exploring IShowSpeed's idolization of Cristiano Ronaldo
IShowSpeed was one of the fastest-growing YouTubers last year and has amassed over 16 million subscribers on his channel, with tens of thousands of fans from all over the world who regularly tune in to his streams. His content is mostly about football and sports culture, where not only does he visits stadiums and livestreams from the stands, but also extends to playing the sport on the field.
Back when he was starting out, one of his viewers had asked him what his favorite football team was. The creator promptly replied that he loved Ronaldo and re-iterated the footballer's iconic celebration:
"Cristiano Ronaldo! Siu!"
The YouTuber was clearly taken with the star player, with his iconic celebration being a theme of one of IShowSpeed's hit songs called Ronaldo [SEWEY]. To date, the official music video, where the creator donned the official CR7 Portugal kit to rap the song, has over 30 million views, making it one of his more popular tracks.
The YouTuber has been trying to meet his idol for quite a long time, having traveled across the pond to attend a number of Manchester United matches back in November before Ronaldo left. However, his endeavor did not bear fruit as the footballer sat out the last few matches that month before moving to Al-Nassr.
After England, the Breakout Streamer of the Year also attended the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Despite being in attendance for the last few Portugal games, his efforts to meet Cristiano Ronaldo did not bear fruit. However, fans did not lose hope as IShowSpeed's growing popularity had indeed reached the footballer's ears, as confirmed by his former teammate Jesse Lingard.
The will-they-won't-they meet has been going on for some time, with the YouTuber receiving an official gift pack full of Cristiano Ronaldo merchandise from the star himself. That said, nothing could have prepared IShowSpeed to meet the man, as he ended up crying with joy after he was able to talk to and hug the Portuguese striker.
The fact that the tweet of their picture received over 1.6 million likes and over 110 million views in a day is a testament to the YouTuber's deep obsession with Cristiano Ronaldo and the effect it has had on his career.
