It’s November 2003, and FourFourTwo are featuring two men by the name of Ronaldo on the front cover.
One of them is, well, Ronaldo, the Brazilian striker who, a year earlier, helped deliver the World Cup for his country, winning the Golden Boot at the 2002 World Cup. Just 27, he was perhaps the biggest star in the game.
Next to him on the cover was a youngster that had only recently been snapped up by Manchester United, by the name of Cristian Ronaldo. Sitting down to talk, he said, “Is this interview really for an English magazine? I’m becoming important aren’t I?”
At 18, he had been given United’s number 7 shirt, previously won by George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. “I don’t feel the weight of the Number 7 on my shoulders – no number is going to have that effect on me,” Cristiano made clear. “But I agree that the Number 7 is special, I’d be stupid not to recognise that. It was Beckham’s number at United and its Figo’s number with Portugal. This tells you all you need to know.” Whatever happened to him I wonder…
You can read the two interviews with the two Ronnies here.
