Its not easy to be Cristiano Ronaldo

MADRID, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 02: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid reacts during the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Granada at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 2, 2012 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

So Cristiano Ronaldo is suffering a bout of depression. Wow, does he have reasons to be depressed. He is one of the wealthiest and most well-known footballers in the world, has one of the hottest girlfriends ever (seriously, look at her!) and scores more goals in a season than most players do in their career. And yet he’s sad. The media frenzy regarding his ‘sadness’ has reached biblical proportions. Everyone has their own theory. He’s not happy with the money, one newspaper says. He’s not happy with the Madrid management, another report states. Some sources say he’s depressed about the fact the Andres Iniesta won the UEFA Best Player in Europe award when he deserved it. Whatever the reason is, the fact is that one of modern football’s best players in unhappy with life and no one can seem to understand why. Jokes and memes are being made everyday on this very subject. Its true what they say, ‘One man’s sorrow is a million men’s joy.’

The reason I bring up Ronaldo is due to his stature in world football. His is the only name that can be taken in the same breath as Messi (some people feel Ronaldo is superior to Messi, but that’s not really the point). He is Portugal’s best player by a country mile. And this is a team that boasts the likes of Nani, Moutinho and Co. But somehow, his form with Portugal has, at best, been above average. And that’s just not good enough for Cristiano. Call it bad luck or glory hunting, the penalty-that-never-was versus Spain must have haunted him for a while. For years now, he has been nominated for every top footballing honour there is, and every time, a Messi or an Iniesta takes it away from him. This is a man who runs the show every time he’s on the field, and yet he is denied his claim to greatness every time. So, if you were in his boots, playing with every fibre of your being, consistently performing at the highest level and yet being given no recognition for it, wouldn’t you be just a little sad?

So, why is Ronaldo being denied the honours he so rightfully deserves? Is it the misfortune of being born in the same era as a certain Lionel Messi (Ronaldo is sizzling on his day, but Messi is just plain mesmerizing) or that he plays for a country that he’s almost too good for? Its no secret that to be considered the greatest of all time, you HAVE to win a major international trophy (the World Cup preferably). And, in my opinion, Argentina has a slightly better chance than Portugal in the international arena. And as hard as Ronaldo tries, he is still to get his hands on that elusive international success. This is a man who has been groomed for greatness since he was a teenager. He has been the target man for two of the world’s biggest clubs (Man Utd, Madrid), shattering records over and over again. And somehow, he has nothing to show for it. Nothing more than statistics. Most footballers would be over the moon, but then again, Cristiano Ronaldo is not like most footballers.

People may call him arrogant and egoistic, and I agree to a certain extent, but has he not earned the right to be? What more does he have to prove to the world? Taking nothing away from Iniesta, who, in my opinion, completely deserves all the accolades he get. But he does have the advantage of playing with most of his club mates in the national team as well, which does makes things easier, if only a little bit. And the worst part for Ronaldo is that he can do nothing about it, except take him game to the next level, which he has done over the years. The effort and the dedication it must have taken is something I can’t even comprehend. And after all this, all he gets is jeers from the opposing fans and jokes being made at his expense.

Its true that he is one of the wealthiest and most well-known footballers in the world, has one of the hottest girlfriends ever (seriously, look at her again!) and scores more goals in a season than most players do in their career. But that’s because he is Cristiano Ronaldo, and he does it because few others can. And people ask why he’s sad. They say genius is fickle. And looking at Ronaldo, I see that is true. But the fact remains that he is pure genius and pure class. So next time, show a little respect. I think he’s earned it. The reason he says he’s better than everyone else, is because he truly is(well, except Messi, but that is a never-ending debate). So, next time you say he’s got no reason to be depressed, think again.