Cristiano Ronaldo talks Ballon d'Or, family, but not FIFA at movie premiere

Cristiano Ronaldo talks himself, Ballon d'Or and more at the premiere of his new movie.

SI Staff | Nov 9, 2015

Cristiano Ronaldo talks Ballon d'Or, family, but not FIFA at movie premiere /

LONDON (AP) — The most important date of the year for Cristiano Ronaldo has nothing to do with Real Madrid's big "clasico" games against Barcelona. Or crucial Champions League matches. Or representing Portugal on international duty.

According to Ronaldo, it's when he takes a private jet on the annual January trip to Zurich to discover if he will be crowned the world's top player at FIFA's Ballon D'Or extravaganza.

"It's a card inside an envelope that can change so much," Ronaldo says in a new documentary about his life that was premiered Monday in London.

"It's the climax of a year's work."

Ronaldo's obsession with winning football's top individual honor is a major theme in the 92-minute documentary, which opens with the 2014 gala and closes with the 2015 triumph.

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What Ronaldo is less keen to talk about is the governing body behind the coveted golden ball or the president—Sepp Blatter—who has presented him with it three times.

Promoting his film in London on Monday, a news conference moderator initially tried to cut off question to Ronaldo about FIFA and what the star player expects from the scandal-battered organization which runs the game.

But Ronaldo, perhaps sensing he was being seen as weak, quickly cut in: "I am not afraid of nothing ... I answer what I think."

Only he didn't.

"Of course I'm not going to speak about that because when Cristiano says something it's creates like a huge thing," Ronaldo said, referring to himself in the third person. "I'm not going to be involved in these kinds of problems."

GALLERY: Rare photos of Cristiano Ronaldo

Rare Photos of Cristiano Ronaldo

1987

A 23-month old Cristiano Ronaldo smiles for the camera.

2001

Cristiano Ronaldo practices with Portugal U17.

2002

Cristiano Ronaldo lies injured while playing for Sporting Lisbon before his transfer to the English Premiership team Manchester United.

2003

Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United teammates Diego Forlan and Ruud van Nistelrooy pose with Casey Ogden during the players' annual visit to children's hospitals in Manchester.

2005

Cristiano Ronaldo was the center of attention during an appearance on Herman SIC

2006

Cristiano Ronaldo attends Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics tour at the Manchester Evening News Arena.

2007

After giving Christmas gifts to a group of underprivileged children, Cristiano Ronaldo takes time to sign autographs.

2007

Cristiano Ronaldo and Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu attend the debut of the New Seven Wonders of the World at Luz stadium in Lisbon.

2008

Cristiano Ronaldo and Adrian Grenier strike a pose during a party in Hollywood.

2008

Cristiano Ronaldo didn't let an injury get in the way of his beach time during a visit to Malibu.

2008

Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo with his Barclays Player of the Year, Golden Boot and 30 League Goals awards at Carrington Training Ground in Manchester, England.

2008

Cristiano Ronaldo autographs a team jersey for a Saudi man after arriving at King Khaled airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

2008

Cristiano Ronaldo kisses his "Golden Shoe 2008" award, presented to Europe's best goal scorer.

2008

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portuguese national teammate Aziza Makukula pose in a cockpit on their way to Zurich.

2009

Alejandro Gonzalez/Real Madrid via Getty Images

WWE star Rey Mysterio with Cristiano Ronaldo as they visit Valdebebas in Madrid.

2010

Elisa Estrada/Real Madrid via Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo with Russell Crowe during the actor's visit to Madrid.

2009

Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani celebrate in the dressing room after the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester.

2010

Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul Gonzalez pose with Rafael Nadal at the Madrid Open tennis tournament.

2010

Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Da Silvano Restaurant in New York City after having lunch.

2011

Cristiano Ronaldo and girlfriend, model Irina Shayk, watch Rafael Nadal serve during a tennis match on day nine of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open.

2011

Cristiano Ronaldo participates in a kart race with his Real Madrid teammates at Carlos Sainz Center in Madrid.

2011

Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk attend the Marie Claire Prix de la Mode gala at the French Ambassador's Residence in Madrid.

2012

Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk attend the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at La Caja Magica.

2012 Cristiano Ronaldo and Queen Sofia of Spain

Queen Sofia of Spain presents Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo with the Ibero-American Community Trophy during the National Sports Awards ceremony at El Pardo Palace in Madrid.

2013

Cristiano Ronaldo leans in to kiss Irina Shayk as they attend the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at La Caja Magica.

2013

Angel Martinez/Real Madrid via Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo and former player David Beckham pose after a training session at UCLA Campus in Los Angeles.

2013

Jill Weisledero/Los Angeles Dodgers via Getty Images

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo kicks around a baseball as Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig looks on prior to the Dodgers game against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

2013

Cristiano Ronaldo launches his CR7 underwear line in Madrid.

2013

Cristiano Ronaldo attends the unveiling of his wax figure at the Museo de Cera (Wax Museum) in Madrid.

2014

FIFA Ballon d'Or nominee Cristiano Ronaldo, his son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., and Irina Shayk arrive at the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2013 at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland. Ronaldo won the award as FIFA top player over Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery.

2015

Alexander Hassenstein/FIFA via Getty Images

FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo signals during the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2014 at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland.

2016

Europa Press/Europa Press via Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo sprays his fragance 'Cristiano Ronaldo Legacy' at World Duty Free store at Barajas airport in Madrid.

Pressed further on why players are seen afraid of speaking out on the state of FIFA, Ronaldo was no more revealing.

"What do you expect me to say? I'm so happy? Of course I'm a little bit sad because of yesterday," he said, referring not to FIFA but Real Madrid's first loss of the season.

"I don't want to (think about) yesterday on this day because it's such a special day for me. It is one of the most important days in my life."

For Ronaldo getting his own film premiere in London's Leicester Square seems to be an occasion on par with Champions League finals—and Ballon D'Or galas.

Already the player with one of the biggest egos in the game—justifiably given his goal scoring exploits at Manchester United and now Madrid—Ronaldo is elated at becoming a silver screen star thanks to the team behind movies about Formula One driver Ayrton Senna and troubled songstress Amy Winehouse.

This is a film, though, that's unlikely to win Ronaldo any cinematic honors to join the vast collection of football medals — unless awards are given for shots of footballers preening in the showers and shaving.

But there are touching scenes with Ronaldo seen as a doting father, playing with Cristiano Jr. in his Madrid home.

Recent media reports are used in the film to highlight the mystery over the identity of his son's mother. Ronaldo has full custody of Cristiano Jr. and says that when he is older "then I will tell him what I did."

Cristiano Jr. is seen living a closeted life, never mixing on camera with other children. His father lives a similar existence.

"In football I do not have a lot of friends ... most of the time I am alone," Ronaldo says. "I consider myself to be an isolated person ... disconnected from the world."

Perhaps Ronaldo's tender care for his son is because his own troubled upbringing with a father who drank himself to death 10 years ago.

"I wanted a different father," Ronaldo says in a rare revealing moment in the film that isn't about self-promotion.

His father figure now is agent Jorge Mendes, whose fortune has been built by representing players like Ronaldo — including his then world-record 80 million-pound (then $120 million) switch from United to Madrid in 2009. Much of the film morphs into a homage to Mendes, the super-agent in the sharp black suit, black tie and shades.

"If I didn't know you I'd ask for your autograph," Mendes says to Ronaldo at a celebratory dinner. "I live obsessed with him every day."

Ronaldo's biggest fan, though, seems to be himself.

"If we had two or three Cristiano Ronaldos in the (Portugal) team I would be more comfortable," he said, reflecting on last year's World Cup group-stage failure. "But we don't have."

Published Nov 9, 2015

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