“He wears what he wants. Not what you wanted” - When Cristiano Ronaldo hit back at criticism aimed at son over brand choices

Cristiano Ronaldo has been the face of the sports apparel giant Nike for several years now. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner signed a 10-year deal with the brand in 2016 valued at a whopping $1 billion and keeps exhibiting a host of Nike products to his 635 million followers on Instagram.

However, a major talking point among fans developed when the Portugal talisman's son was seen wearing clothes belonging to Nike's rival brand. In a post by Cristiano's mother Dolores Aveiro in April 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. could be seen wearing Nike shorts, a Nike hoodie along with Adidas socks and sliders.

Social media went crazy over the crossover and Cristiano Ronaldo himself had to intervene and talk about it in the post's comment section.

"He [Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.] wears what he wants. Not what you wanted," commented the five-time Ballon d'Or winner on his mom's Instagram post.

In fact, Cristiano Ronaldo was also spotted wearing shoes belonging to a rival brand in an image posted by his friend Miguel Paixao as per SPORTbible. He was seen wearing Asics trainers in the photo, which is a direct competitor of Nike.

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Cristiano Ronaldo once revealed that he had considered retiring from the Portugal national team

Morocco v Portugal: Quarter Final - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Source: Getty (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo has made and broken innumerable records with his national team in his career. One of the greatest goalscorers of all time, he currently has a whopping 130 goals and 45 assists in 212 games for his country. However, his recent run of form has not been the best.

In a March 2023 interview, Cristiano Ronaldo revealed that he had contemplated retiring from international football after the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar [via GOAL].

"I'm not going to lie. In our life, we have to put everything on the scale. We thought, we reflected, me and my family, but then we came to the conclusion that, despite the difficulties, we cannot throw in the towel. I was able to see situations at different angles. I learned a lot from that," explained Ronaldo.

However, he talked about Roberto Martinez and how the new manager believed in his capabilities and gave him the opportunity to show his skills for the country.

“I'm glad to be back. Roberto Martinez showed that he counted on me. I've always wanted to play. As you know, he talked to everyone and to me, too. And I was able to realise that I have a lot to give to the national team. I feel it, I want it, and my desire is to take Portugal to the highest level. I will always give my contribution when they need me.”

However, the Ronaldo-Martinez partnership is yet to find success for Portugal, especially after an underwhelming Euro 2024 campaign where they were knocked out by Kylian Mbappe's France in the quarterfinals.