Cristiano Ronaldo’s Gladwellian Success
Extraordinary Opportunities, 10,000 hours and Grit.
By Mu Ku Shi | Marketing Major at Bethel University (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Cristiano Ronaldo, 185 cm tall, the red number seven Manchester United jersey tucked, stands on his feet outside of the center field as he is preparing to be substituted. With no expectation from the audience, the young 17 years old Ronaldo made a first good impression using his speed to take on Bolton’s defensive players making his first debut with Manchester United in the year 2003. With eight goals in his 39 appearances, the young United player became an excitement for the crowd. Surely enough, Ronaldo became Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year which is an award presented to the Manchester United’s fan (Manutd).
The following season did not do him justice with only 9 goals in his 50 appearances in the year 2004/05. The same happened the year 2005/06 with Wayne Rooney outshine him because this will only lead to greater success. During the 2006 world cup in Germany, Portugal, the nation Ronaldo played for faced England which will soon change Ronaldo’s soccer career forever (Manutd). Ronaldo performed with high-intensity level against England in the quarter-final of the World cup. He was a threat to England using his speed to take on England’s defensive players and numerous knuckleballs which nearly went on the net. His penalty against England in the PK shootout won him a huge victory that led Portugal to the semi-final and great respect from England.
Ronaldo’s new journey at Manchester wasn’t the most welcoming especially to Manchester’s veterans. Players would give him hard times when he’s in the training field because of the way he dresses to practices and for being a newbie. However, after 18 months of hard work and dedication to better perform with the team, he earned himself respect from Manchester’s veterans. (Soccer Stories). In Outliers: The Story of Success author Malcolm Gladwell writes, “the thing that distinguishes one performer from another is how hard he or she works” (Gladwell 39). Ronaldo’s Extraordinary Opportunities, 10,000 hours, and Grit set him on a path for success in Gladwellian terms.
Sir Alex, Ronaldo’s former manager signed him after Manchester United played against Sporting, at the time Ronaldo’s club team. Sir Alex saw the potential within Ronaldo in which he did not want to miss out on because he knew other clubs would want him also. Even though Sir Alex was trying to build a stronger Manchester United team with Ronaldo, it was a great opportunity for Ronaldo to experience what it’s like to be with professional players, and prove his skill in the long run (Manutd). Ronaldo became more competitive and comfortable on the pitch at an early age and got his 10,000 hours quicker by being the last man to leave the soccer pitch.
Ronaldo broke the record at his age signing with Manchester United at the worth of 12 million Euros at only the age of 16 in 2003 (Biography). With a great start to his English powerhouse Manchester United, he was only getting better and this showed during his matches.
Unfortunately, the news broke to him that his father, whom he had a close relationship with passed away from his kidney failure in 2005. Although this was heartbreaking news to Ronaldo,he wanted to continue on his path to greatness, not let his emotions stand in his way. Things only went down-hill from here when he found out his mother struggled with breast cancer in 2007 (Biography). Fortunately, she’s back on her feet, still in the process of fighting against breast cancer. In 2009, Ronaldo donated 100,000 euro to help find a cure for cancer at the hospital working with his mother (Daily Mail). His financial assistance contributes an opportunity to find a cure for cancer faster. Not only did he experience extraordinary opportunity but this allows him to pass it down for those who are in need especially his mother.
Gladwell writes about Renee’s extraordinary opportunity to figure out a math problem she recognized from middle-school. She didn’t understand the slope of how the x and y-axis work when she punches in numbers to find a vertical line known as undefined. Renne not only gives unlimited time to solve this problem but Schoenfeld, a math professor at Berkeley who is videotaping her, also leads her in the right direction when being questioned by Renee (Gladwell 239–243). Sir Alex, gives Ronaldo an extraordinary opportunity to play professionally leading him to become one of the best well known soccer players around the world.
Ronaldo’s father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, led him on the soccer pitch at a young age with little experience. Aveiro worked at club Andorinha as the equipment Manager which allowed him to see how soccer works. During his youth, Ronaldo found out he had a heart problem and needed medical treatment. Fortunately, Ronaldo succeeded in his heart surgery at the age of fifteen. With high expectations to recover, Ronaldo worked harder to step foot on the field again. His godfather, Fernao Sousa, stated that Ronaldo prioritized soccer over his meal and homework (Biography). This led him to focus on the sport and to get his 10,000 hours early on.
According to Melcon Gladwell, the Chinese culture works long hours in the heat and humidity in the rice paddies which are filled with leeches to feed their family. By working 360 days annually, the cultivation can be fulfilled. “No food without blood and sweat” (Gladwell 238) Asian culture puts forth the work in the field for 10,000 plus hours to be sure they can provide for their family. Ronaldo knew the only way to be successful in his career is to put in long hours of work in the field so he can provide for his family off the field with the money he earns playing professionally.
Ronaldo’s hard work showed in his performances and awards he won over the years — in the field as he contributed 42 goals alongside FIFA of the year award in 2018. Real Madrid, Spanish soccer club, invested 131 million to sign Ronaldo which shows that he is worth a lot of money.
He continued to work hard and earned himself the Ballon d’Or award as the sport’s player of the year in 2016. At the age of 35, Ronaldo is currently playing for Serie A Juventus club with the worth of over 100 million. His first 14 games with Juventus, he scored 10 goals and became the league’s MVP in May of 2019 (Biography). Ronaldo has over 18 years of playing soccer started in 2002 in professional football which is far over 10,000 hours of practice and became the winner of the globe soccer award best soccer player of the year in 2019.
Ronaldo’s father passed away as he started his professional soccer career in 2005. This heartbreaking news had strong effects on him, not only did they have a good relationship with each other but soccer was introduced to him by his father. This tragedy motivated Ronaldo to keep working hard in soccer and remember his father through the game of soccer. In one of the Cristiano Ronaldo interviews before the Arsenal game in 2007, he said, “I learned from the bad moments and this is why I’m better now. I feel good. I feel very well. I’m enjoying it” (Interview before Arsenal Game). This only motivates Ronaldo to keep on grinding in the sport he loves.
Gladwell writes about an experiment on KIPP Academy middle school students in the South Bronx, known for being the poorest neighborhood in New York City, and their performance on their school work. The outside of the school may be deceiving but once you walk inside, you can see KIPP students walk in the hall quietly in a single file. Moreover, the students take turns speaking, asking questions, sitting up, and paying attention to what’s going on around them. KIPP is known for “lower-income kids from dingy apartments in one of the country’s worst neighborhoods-whose parents, in an overwhelming number of cases, never set foot in college-do well in mathematics as the privileged eighth graders of America’s wealthy suburbs” (Gladwell 252). With an opportunity like this, kids from lower incomes dedicate their time to learning to flee poverty. Ronaldo knew the only way to become successful is to put in the work.
Ronaldo is on top of his diet and proper training to prevent injuries. He contains high protein, vegetables, carbs, and avoid sugary food as much as possible. He even routinely workout which became a habit for him (Goal). Despite how much Ronaldo has been through, he still pushes to be on his top level of strength by focusing on his health and diet which helps him perform at a high level.
Ronaldo started his professional career at a young age and he would always listen to the experienced players (Unisport interview). Being in the world-class club, he would be made fun of by his teammates from the flashy clothes he wore to practice, to making Ronaldo chase the soccer ball in the game of rondo for as long as he could (Soccer Stories). The Gladwellian ideas of Extraordinary opportunities, 10,000 hours, and Grit are ways to help better ourselves and give hope to future generations. These three ideas assisted Ronaldo in becoming the 2019 winner of the globe soccer award best soccer player of the year. This demonstrates that Ronaldo is still performing at his highest level of performance as well as giving hope to future generations. Ronaldo and his mother knew right away that quitting school and focusing on soccer full time can assist his family financially. Every goal he scored he would celebrate because he knew the hours he put in when no one is watching. The work you put in will determine where you will end up in the future.
WORK CITED
“Cristiano Ronaldo.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Aug. 2019. Web.
“Cristiano Ronaldo: Man Utd Legends Profile.” Cristiano Ronaldo | Man Utd Legends Profile | Manchester United.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers. The Story of Success. Little Brown & Company, 2008.
Platt, Oli “What Are Cristiano Ronaldo’s Diet, Workout and Fitness Secrets?” Goal.com, 16 January. 2020. Web.
Sehwag, Sunidhi. “Cristiano Ronaldo Success Story: CR7.” The Amazing Writer, 25 Apr. 2020. Web.
Couzens, Gerard. “Renaldo’s Mother Rushed to Hospital Suffering.” Daily Mail. 3 Mar. 2020.
“Cristiano Ronaldo Interview before Arsenal Game (21/01/2007).” Sky Sports 1, 17 Jan. 2017. Web.
“Cristiano Ronaldo Interview: CR7 Reveals How to Succeed.” Unisport.
“When Cristiano Ronaldo Was Bullied in the Manchester United Locker Room.” Oh My Goal.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mu Ku Shi, a freshman from Saint Paul, Minn., seeks a marketing degree from Bethel University and to someday publish stories about refugees in media. Shi likes spending hours hammocking, watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, and painting/drawing.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
Reene, in one of the stories by Malcolm Gladwell, taught me to never quit on your goal just because you can’t reach it on your first try.
As I transitioned my Inquiry seminar course online, I was behind on many of my annotation assignments to complete my final paper on Inquiry Sports Storytelling.
With help from professor Scott Winter, I was able to catch up on all my missing assignments and publish my hero story.
Malcolm Gladwell taught me that you are never alone on your journey to success.
The road to success takes extraordinary opportunities, family legacy, a lucky break, etc.
I never see how writing can be useful in my future.
I tried to get a Sports Storytelling course done with for my general but it turns out I can publish a story.
This is just a beginning to many refugee stories I’ll be writing about.
Every new day is another opportunity to learn.
