Before amassing a collection of major trophies in his home, Cristiano Ronaldo held a belief that one of his former teammates outshone him – that player was Fabio Paim.
You might not be familiar with the former Portuguese prospect, but he was once touted as the next Ronaldinho. Paim possessed a combination of lightning-fast speed, silky dribbling skills, and exceptional technique – qualities that even Ronaldo believed would propel Paim to global stardom.
However, as the Manchester United and Real Madrid legend went on to secure five Champions League titles and five Ballon d’Or awards, Paim’s career dimmed amidst the distractions of parties and fame, ultimately leading to his incarceration. He’s just one of many immensely gifted young talents who struggled to establish themselves in the world of football.
Upon joining Manchester United, Ronaldo confidently stated, “If you think I’m good, wait until you see Fabio Paim.” Unfortunately, few had the opportunity to witness Paim’s brilliance on the pitch. Paim, speaking to The Sun, remarked, “Cristiano, for all his effort and hard work, went to a level he deserves,”
“But when I was playing, if I had the same effort and commitment, I would be better than him.”
“If I speak about technique, I was better. I was a smaller Ronaldinho. But as we can see, it’s not the technique that leads us to wherever. But yes at that time I was better than Cristiano. I believe he should give me one of his Ballon d’Ors.”
When Paim was a promising 13-year-old at Sporting Lisbon, Portuguese sports enthusiasts flocked in great numbers to watch him play football. Before he even graduated from school, he had already earned a substantial sum of £327,000.
However, the allure of wealth, fame, and a party-centric lifestyle derailed his career so significantly that he found himself “mentally” retiring by the age of 22. In 2019, he faced legal trouble for possession of five grams of cocaine.
To compound his woes, he could literally witness what might have been as he was confined to a prison that had a view of the training grounds of the Portuguese national football team.
“The prison I was in is next to the field where the national team performs so I could watch them training every day for the Euro 2020 qualifiers,” he shared. “I was there for a reason and I never thought, ‘Ah, Cristiano is there. I should be there too.’”
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
This season he played in total 8 times for 716 minutes for Pro League.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored 9 goals for Al Nassr. He procured 5 assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 3rd in Pro League. In the last match Al Nassr drew 2-2 against Abha. The next match in Pro League will be against Dhamk.
Al Nassr performance and stats
Al Nassr is currently 3rd in the Pro League with 19 points.
In the last 9 games, it has won 6 times, drawn once, and lost twice. In its last match, Al Nassr drawn 2-2 against Abha.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 26 goals and conceding 12.
Al Nassr will play the next match in Pro League against Dhamk on Saturday 21st of October in Riyadh. The prediction is Al Nassr winning the match.