Though we've already had numerous books written on Cristiano Ronaldo - the most notable by Guillem Balague - they all share one thing in common; none are official.
The reason? Those advisors closest to the player wouldn't allow any author carte blanche access, wanting to approve copy and, if necessary, sanitise the final publication so that it read exactly how Ronaldo and his representatives preferred, rather than perhaps being a completely honest and true recollection of his life.
What that means is, thus far, no one has really heard the Portuguese's real life story 'from the horse's mouth,' and without any filter added.
Assuming that there’ll be one written, perhaps sooner rather than later, there are five questions that need answering:
#1 Who’s your plastic surgeon?
Ronaldo has had a lot of plastic surgery work done, some of which he will admit to – how could he not – and some of which he still refuses to accept.
But let’s look at the two pictures above. Take away the obvious work done on his smile and we can see that the player now has fewer lines as a 32-year-old than he did as a teen when at Manchester United. That takes some doing.
The skill of the surgeon is Ronaldo-esque in its high-quality application and there’s a steady stream of work available for whoever carried out the procedures. Though much of what we see is ‘man made’ and ‘fake’ so to speak, the work has been done so expertly that it looks completely natural.
It is no wonder offers of modelling work are still flooding in – Ronaldo could melt a thousand hearts with that smile.
#2 Who’s your sculptor?
For a man so vain, it is inconceivable that there is any truth behind his assertion that he is happy with the statues made of him.
The one that was erected outside his museum was bad enough, but that was handsomely topped by the monstrous effort that was unveiled at the airport in Madeira that has been named in his honour.
Somehow, the sculptor has managed to make the bronze look even worse than Ronaldo did as a spotty teen. Some achievement that.
His polished image has taken a battering on social and mainstream media, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the bust was changed in due course. One can’t imagine that the fun everyone is having at the player’s expense will be acceptable to him or his consultants.
That either design ever made it past the initial stages is astonishing in itself!
#3 What’s your biggest achievement as a professional?
Where do you even start?! Since joining Real Madrid in 2009, Ronaldo has averaged more than a goal a game and is already the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
To put those exploits into perspective, he surpassed Raul’s total in less than half the time it took the Spaniard to achieve his own mark. Whether his goalscoring output remains as his biggest professional achievement is arguable.
On an individual level, he has already won four Ballon d’Or awards, just one behind Messi, tasted victory in three Champions League finals and won four Golden Shoe awards for most goals in a season in Europe (about to be equalled by Messi).
Despite all of those accolades in his locker, the Euro 2016 win with Portugal might take some beating. Unfancied at the start of the tournament, Ronaldo’s participation in the final was curtailed by a crunching tackle from Dimitri Payet. That the Portuguese still went on to win against all the odds has to rank highly.
#4 Do you play for your father?
For anyone to have lost their father when not long out of their teens is bound to affect them in almost every possible way. Ronaldo had not long been at Manchester United before his dad, Jose, succumbed to his long-standing alcohol problem.
Always a player who wanted to do it all, and one who would notoriously be labelled a ‘cry baby’ if things didn’t go his way, it wouldn’t be hard to reconcile Ronaldo’s incessant drive and ambition with a need to continuously prove his worth to a man that was never really there for him in his formative years.
It’s abundantly clear how close the player remains to his mum in particular, and also to the rest of his family, but with no father figure to look up to or to guide him, is this his way of saying ‘look at me, I did it’ to the old man?
Though he is the youngest of four children, he is far and away the most successful and arguably has taken on the role that his own father couldn’t provide – that of breadwinner and man of the house.
#5 Are you gay?
Notoriously private away from the game, Ronaldo has never sought to deny the persistent rumours that he is gay.
He won’t reveal the name of the mother of his child, and with another expected to join his family at some point soon, he has already been quoted as saying that the same rule will apply. The continued mystery has led to suggestions that perhaps all is not what it seems.
It does beg the question as to why, if he is so keen to shield the women in his life, he’s more than happy to be seen in the company of men, some of whom it has been reported he travels to for ‘cuddles.’
Being photographed with a number of beautiful women and in alleged relationships with them has been seen as stage-managed by his agent, because Ronaldo is a confirmed advocate and supporter of gay marriage and his cryptic quote that, “I am at ease with my sexuality and it’s not a problem for me,” leaves more questions than answers.
Could it actually be that the joke is on us and Ronaldo is playing the media or is he gay? For the most famous footballer in the world to come out wouldn’t be a huge surprise if truth be told, but it would be seismic for the game if true and would represent a true watershed moment.
