When I was little and used to watch fútbol with my dad in Venezuela, soccer players (and athlethes in general) where skinny guys with 'fros' whose only worry was to leave their sweat and blood on the field in order to honor their jersey or else face humiliating defeat.
But now, in the era of commercial sponsorship and underwear ads, players are concerned about their images as much (or, arguably, sometimes even more) than about their performances: stoic training has been substituted for toned and tanned physiques and honestly painful injuries for hours of field acting and perfect haircuts.
And no one has mastered this new trend better than Portuguese-born Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo, loved by the ladies and despised by men (unless they are Real Madrid fans) as a somewhat skilled but insufferable metro sexual footballer who is as famous for his “tightly whiteys” and pretty boy attitude as he is for his game.
Following the top 5 Cristiano Ronaldo memes of the 2012 season (warning: graphic language):
1. How he sees himself:
How we see him:
2. How he sees himself:
How we see him:
3. How he sees himself:
How we see him:
4. How he sees himself:
How we see him:
5. How he sees himself:
How we see him:
