Euro 2024: Cristiano Ronaldo, this Christ-like figure

“Jesus Christ is there to seek what is lost.” In the wave of crowds surging out of Dortmund station this Saturday afternoon, a man holds his sign high. In the middle of hundreds of Turkish supporters and dozens of Portuguese, he remains impassive. And no one really cares about the preacher. As if everyone had come to terms with the idea that the only being a little bit Christ-like is elsewhere, on a football field.

A few hours later, arms open crosswise, Cristiano Ronaldo willingly assumes this role. He is there to spread good, and he likes it enough that people talk about him. Normally he likes to score. He is obsessed with it, almost. But there, altruistic as ever, he served on a plate to Bruno Fernandes the goal of Portugal’s 3-0 against Turkey.

The Ronaldo we know would have done everything to finish the opportunity. The gesture must be commended. Even if some evil tongues will dare to think that this was a way of making history, of being the player to have delivered the most assists in the history of the Euro. With seven assists in six tournaments, he leaves the Czech Karel Poborsky behind him.

No Portuguese made a mistake at the time: it was towards Ronaldo that they ran to celebrate this last goal. He expected nothing less. If there is one to salute, it’s him. Because he centralizes attention, and that’s all he wants. Problem: when things don’t go well, we especially see his annoyance. How many times in a match does he curse? How often does he attack his teammates? How many times does he wave his arms while lowering his head? It’s not even said that he saw the 2-0 goal, with this Akaydin autogoal, because he was complaining about Cancelo’s bad pass…

We do not discover Cristiano Ronaldo. On the other hand, in matches like this, on a stage as exposed as a Euro in Germany, we notice its dimension, its place in people’s lives. On the way to Signal-Iduna Park, there is no mistake: the Portuguese jerseys most often display its flocking. Not another one. As if Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva or Rafael Leão didn’t really exist. It’s not the same pedigree, certainly, but it almost turns into an obsession.

In the stands too, there was almost only one for him, except for the ovation for Pepe at the end of the match. The song that works, which is taken up in chorus by the Lusitanian supporters, is the one which consists of proclaiming one’s name to a melodious tune. When the bus arrives at the stadium, when the players discover the pitch, during the warm-up or, of course, several times during the match. Even when one of his shots ends up way off target.

Only he can create that, even when his performance is unremarkable, not to say bad. Another example: on Saturday, there were six (!) supporters – some with Turkish jerseys – who decided to enter the field to take a selfie with him. Not sure that the photos are very clear, for the few who were able to get close. Even if, and we can understand this at this point, he ended up getting annoyed by their recurrence.

This is all a little bit off the ground. Like this thirty-year-old who circulated in the stands, delighted to attract attention and photos because he made his reputation on his project of being the double of CR7. The well-kept contours, the statement earrings and the Portuguese tracksuit worn to make sure we’re not guessing.

Although to tell the truth, in the stands of the Dortmund stadium, it was not necessarily him that the onlookers looked at the most. But rather towards a lodge. There, we recognize his son, Portugal jersey on his back, with the number 7 flocked, as well as the name “Cristiano Jr”. With him, surrounded by two bodyguards, the famous Georgina Rodriguez, the model and companion of the five-time Golden Ball. His presence is news in itself for the tabloids.

Cristiano Ronaldo is not a football player. He is much more than that. You may not like it, but you have to see it. He transcends, makes irrationality reign around him. This man is not entirely human. Truly, he is Christ-like.