What’s the story?
According to a report in ESPN, Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo revealed that money does not motivate him after it emerged that the Portuguese forward had turned down a highly lucrative offer to play in China.
When inquired on whether he would like to be the best-paid footballer in the world in an interview with On TV, an Egyptian TV channel, he said, “In my job, I try to be the best, and I work for that. So this is important for me, to be the No. 1, the most valued player.
“But this is not my motivation. My motivation is to play football, to be the best, and this is what I try to do. I'm looking to money only as a means to become comfortable and independent after I finish football," he added.
In case you didn’t know…
It was reported earlier in the week that an unnamed Chinese club were willing to pay a sum of €300 million to Real Madrid to sign Ronaldo. They even offered the four-time Ballon d’Or winner an annual wage of more than €100m to lure him to the country. However, Jorge Mendes, the player’s agent, revealed that the offer was “impossible” for his client to accept.
Also read: 'People tell my son there's a better player than his dad' says Cristiano Ronaldo
Earlier in November last year, Ronaldo had signed a new deal with the Los Blancos that would keep him in the Spanish capital until 2021. He also signed a “lifetime” endorsement contract with sports manufacturer Nike worth approximately $1 billion.
The heart of the matter
Ronaldo, widely considered as one of the best players in the world, has been in top form for the last few seasons. The 31-year-old recently won the Ballon d’Or award ahead of rivals Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann.
When asked how he still motivates himself at this stage of his career, having won everything that is possibly there to win, Ronaldo said that his target was to maintain the level of football that he has been playing over the last few years in which he has won two Ballon d’Or’s in three seasons. He also expressed his happiness at signing the “huge” contracts with Real Madrid and Nike.
What next?
The Portuguese is bound to the Santiago Bernabeu until 2021. He had previously expressed his desire to continue playing even when he is 40 years old and had said that it was the penultimate contract of his career.
Sportskeeda’s take
In 2021, the Real Madrid ace will be 36 and it will be interesting to see if he signs another contract at Madrid or moves to fresher pastures with the cash-rich Chinese clubs in hot pursuit. Whether or not he moves to another club, the former Manchester United man will always motivate himself to play well in order to win the top awards.
