{"id":88801,"date":"2024-07-06T03:29:07","date_gmt":"2024-07-06T03:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/06\/cristiano-ronaldo-and-the-problem-with-too-much-fame\/"},"modified":"2024-07-06T03:29:07","modified_gmt":"2024-07-06T03:29:07","slug":"cristiano-ronaldo-and-the-problem-with-too-much-fame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/06\/cristiano-ronaldo-and-the-problem-with-too-much-fame\/","title":{"rendered":"Cristiano Ronaldo and the Problem With Too Much Fame"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/07\/05\/multimedia\/05soccer-ronaldo-01-jkpq\/05soccer-ronaldo-01-jkpq-facebookJumbo.jpg?resize=1050,550&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Cristiano Ronaldo and the Problem With Too Much Fame\" title=\"Cristiano Ronaldo and the Problem With Too Much Fame\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">As far as the authorities in Gelsenkirchen were concerned, every precaution had been taken. Extra stewards patrolled the perimeter of the field at the Arena AufSchalke. Plainclothes security staff members were in the stands. And two imposing security guards stood at the edge of the tunnel that led to the locker rooms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">And yet even that was not enough. As Portugal\u2019s players trudged to the dressing room after their defeat to Georgia last week, a fan circumvented the additional layers of security by hurling himself over the top of the tunnel and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/c6MLh7E1esQ?si=LS-PlpN2Wj0BWmEL\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">jumping directly into the path of Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Rather than coming face-to-face with his hero, though, the interloper botched his landing and fell down a set of stairs. The point, though, had been made. The lure of Ronaldo is such that, no matter what the stadium authorities or the security services do, it is ultimately not possible to stop people from trying to take a selfie with him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Ronaldo\u2019s fame, at this stage, cannot really be overstated. Now 39, he has, for 20 years, been one of the two finest soccer players of his generation: a breaker of innumerable records, a serial champion, a multiple winner of the Ballon d\u2019Or as the world\u2019s best player.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">That status has started to wane in recent years as the clock ticks on his career, but it has had little impact on his broader footprint. He remains a walking billboard. His portfolio of endorsements includes high fashion (<a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/ClHTdZhMkjW\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Louis Vuitton<\/a>), heavy industry (<a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Cristiano\/status\/997167365874839555\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Egyptian Steel<\/a>) and cryptocurrency (<a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Cristiano\/status\/1801617390095986793\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Binance<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">His image has been used to sell products as diverse as luxury watches, nutritional supplements and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/technology\/2014\/08\/cristiano-ronaldo-is-a-spokesman-for-pao-facial-fitness.html\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Japanese facial muscle toners<\/a>. Saudi Arabia is currently trying to grow an entire top-level soccer league in the light of his supernova. He is, though, more than a brand; he is a particular kind of aspiration, a blend of wealth, success and a really great skin care routine, a high-performance podcast rendered in perfect flesh.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">By one of the metrics that modern culture has decreed to be most meaningful \u2014 the number of followers you have on Instagram \u2014 Ronaldo has a reasonable claim to being the most famous human in existence. He has 633 million followers, twice as many as Beyonc\u00e9. Put another way, if Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s Instagram were a country, it would be the third-largest in the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Indeed, such is his celebrity that, during the first three weeks of Euro 2024, it has started to present everyone involved with a headache.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Most immediately, it is a security issue: All but one of Portugal\u2019s four games at the tournament have been interrupted by one or more fans trying to enter the field to take a selfie with Ronaldo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">After the first two pitch invaders made it onto the field during Portugal\u2019s opening game, the Portuguese soccer federation wrote to UEFA, European soccer\u2019s governing body. The letter was polite, and written in a way that seemed to acknowledge that the combination of social media and Ronaldo\u2019s celebrity was new territory for soccer, but it asked that additional security measures be taken.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">After Portugal\u2019s second game \u2014 against Turkey, when a half-dozen fans entered the field \u2014 Portugal\u2019s coach, Roberto Mart\u00ednez, admitted that it was becoming a \u201cconcern\u201d after one of his other stars <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/M10Infos\/status\/1804578462763511959\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">was knocked to the ground<\/a> by a steward chasing a man making a beeline for Ronaldo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The matter has been discussed at UEFA\u2019s daily operational meetings, and Germany, the tournament\u2019s host, has been fined more than $21,000 already for failing to keep its fields secure. Quite how much more can be done, though, is unclear. \u201cIt is really difficult once they are on the field,\u201d said Tom Richmond, founder of Security and Safety Solutions, a firm that provides both of those things to soccer teams and players. \u201cThe stewards are all on minimum wage; they are not really a barrier to anyone who wants to get on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But there is a growing feeling that Ronaldo\u2019s fame might be a sporting problem, too. Portugal might have reached the quarterfinals \u2014 it will play France on Friday in Hamburg \u2014 but its performances have largely been uninspiring. It beat the Czech Republic in its opener only thanks to a stoppage-time goal. It lost its final group game to Georgia, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. It needed a penalty-kick shootout to overcome Slovenia in the round of 16.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">There is a common thread between all of those games: the perfectly toned, immaculately coiffured superstar fending off selfie-hunting fans. Ronaldo is the only outfield player to have started all of Portugal\u2019s games. He has yet to score a goal. His most notable contribution so far was to miss an extra-time penalty against Slovenia, a failure that led to him breaking down in tears.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">In many ways, though, his performances have not been any great surprise. Ronaldo has spent much of the last two seasons playing in Saudi Arabia\u2019s revamped league. He has not played in the Champions League, the highest form of club soccer, since 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">His international career seemed to have drawn to a natural close during the World Cup, 18 months ago, when he was <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/12\/06\/sports\/soccer\/goncalo-ramos-portugal-world-cup.html\" title=\"\">dropped from the starting lineup<\/a> for a game against Switzerland. He had scored only once in the tournament at that point, from the penalty spot. His replacement, the striker Gon\u00e7alo Ramos, duly scored three times in a little more than an hour. The page, it seemed, had been turned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mart\u00ednez, though, evidently feels differently. Hired after the World Cup, he has been resolute in his defense of Ronaldo during this tournament. The striker\u2019s presence, Mart\u00ednez has made plain, is both nonnegotiable and \u201con merit,\u201d as he put it last month. Even after the game against Slovenia, Mart\u00ednez was quick to proclaim how \u201cproud\u201d he was of his aging star.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">While there are others willing to put the other side of the argument \u2014 to suggest, delicately, that all of those cellphone-wielding fans are seeking a photo with someone who, like them, probably shouldn\u2019t be on the field \u2014 it is not an easy position to take.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cWhen someone knocks at the door, you don\u2019t ask who they were, you ask who they are,\u201d the Portuguese journalist and broadcaster, Sofia Oliveira, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/cnnportugal.iol.pt\/videos\/ao-dia-de-hoje-ronaldo-nao-e-jogador-para-ser-titular-na-selecao-nacional\/6683e2070cf2dff02b872f71\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">said on CNN Portugal<\/a> after the game against Slovenia. All of her studio colleagues knew it, she said, but they did not seem especially willing to say it out loud.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The footage spread immediately. The reaction was, in part, predictably vitriolic. \u201cQuestioning his value is always difficult, because we are talking about one of the best players of all time,\u201d Ms. Oliveira said in a series of text messages to The New York Times.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Ms. Oliveira was keen to stress that she does \u201cnot think he no longer has the quality to represent the national team,\u201d just that \u201cthe current moment in his career\u201d should be taken into account.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cThis is not the first competition in which it is clear that the current Cristiano does not present enough soccer arguments to an undisputed place,\u201d she said. \u201cPortugal has options and, in order not to undermine his status, we are ignoring other players.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Her view \u2014 one more commonly expressed by observers outside Portugal \u2014 is that Mart\u00ednez and his employers are not prepared to omit or even substitute Ronaldo. And that in doing so, they are effectively no less compelled by his celebrity than those running from the stands in the hope of getting a photo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The reason for that is encapsulated by what happened the last time Portugal tried to move beyond him. In that game against Switzerland in the 2022 World Cup, the Portuguese led by 5-0 with a quarter of the game remaining. Ramos had scored three times. Rather than celebrate a new hero, though, the crowd chanted Ronaldo\u2019s name. The sport was over, they had decided. Now they wanted the show, the one they had come to see.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cIt\u2019s almost asked that Cristiano himself realizes he is no longer at the same level,\u201d Ms. Oliveira said. \u201cIt won\u2019t be the federation or Roberto Mart\u00ednez who will do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">More than his Instagram follower count, that may be the best measure of Ronaldo\u2019s untouchable status. He is so famous that one country, Germany, is finding it increasingly difficult to stage soccer games with him. And he is so famous that another country, Portugal, is not prepared to countenance playing any soccer games without him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-798hid etfikam0\">Andrew Das<!-- --> contributed reporting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/07\/05\/world\/europe\/cristiano-ronaldo-portugal-euro-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As far as the authorities in Gelsenkirchen were concerned, every precaution had been taken. Extra stewards patrolled the perimeter of the field at the Arena AufSchalke. Plainclothes security staff members were in the stands. And two imposing security guards stood at the edge of the tunnel that led to the locker rooms. And yet even [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":88802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/07\/05\/multimedia\/05soccer-ronaldo-01-jkpq\/05soccer-ronaldo-01-jkpq-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[33540,7436,3684,33541],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88801"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88801"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88801\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88803,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88801\/revisions\/88803"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}