Motivated by Fans
Cristiano Ronaldo: Thank you. Thank you. Host: Wow, Cristiano, Dubai loves you. Cristiano Ronaldo: Thank you. Thank you very much.
Good Host: afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys. Thank you for being here with us at Expo, at the heart of the Expo, Al Wasl Plaza. It is my absolute pleasure to be here with all of you and with one of the greatest footballers in the world.
Cristiano, welcome to Dubai, welcome to Expo, welcome to Al Wasl Plaza. Thank you. Cristiano, people have been waiting for you. They are so excited.
Around us here physically, and virtually on virtual Expo, they're waiting not only to see you but also to hear from you. So are we ready to hear from Cristiano? So please have a seat, Cristiano, and we're gonna start our conversation.
So let's start. Cristiano. They're Cristiano Ronaldo: not gonna listen, eh? Host: So can we start with the first question?
Cristiano, you've been in Dubai for some time. How do you like Dubai? What are some of your thoughts?
Well, Cristiano Ronaldo: first of all, I have to say thank you to all of them to coming here. I didn't expect that will be so many people, but thank you. But Dubai, as you as people know, I love Dubai because they treat me unbelievable.
I love the people, I love the culture, and I coming here every year. So it's nice. It's nice to be here, and I have to say thank you to all of them.
Host: And we welcome you to Dubai all the time, and Dubai, as I said, loves you so much, as you can see from your fans here. So my question, my second question is, before we came up on this beautiful stage to welcome everybody, we went around the Expo site. Was there anything about what you saw that made an impression on you when we went around?
Cristiano Ronaldo: Of course, yes. I think Dubai, they do unbelievable work to make all these countries together, 192 different cultures, different mentalities, so it's great. I think it don't surprise me, to be honest, because Dubai, they always bring something in a table unique, different, and is spectacular, so it doesn't surprise me.
But in terms of what they did, the Expo here for the first time, it's, it's amazing to put all cultures together to learn by each other. I think it's, it's fantastic. Host: So one thing that we're doing here in the Expo, Cristiano, is to talk about things that matter to everyone, and this week happens to be the week of health and wellness.
And we want to encourage everyone of all backgrounds, nationalities, especially the young people and the younger generation, to understand what matters to them, to inspire them to do change. The person that you are, Cristiano, the role model that you are, what is the advice or the tip that you give people here today and around the world on what changes that they can do to make the world a better place?
Cristiano Ronaldo: Well, first of all, I think this message should be for all of the people, not only here, but all the people who can have the opportunity to hear my advice or my opinion on what I doing in my life. So as you mentioned, especially for the kids that will be, the next generation. As you know, I have four kids.
I waiting for two more. So I Ah. Congratulations. Thank you. And as you mentioned, the health, it's the most important thing, and you have to take care of our body, our mind, spiritual way as well.
It doesn't matter about cultures or religions, because we are all the same. So I mean, to teach the boys how to take care of the body, to drink well, to sleep well, to training, to listens their fathers, to give good advice. I think it's, it's, it's, it's, is about to follow the example.
As you know, I'm gonna do 37 soon, and I'm still play. 37, younger. Exactly, because, you know, I treat good my body, you know? I take care of my body.
Doesn't matter the age. Matter what you give to your mind and your body. And what I have to say to the, this young generation, it's believe in themselves, listen to fathers, try to educate them themselves, learn much as they can, you can, because, you know, we are all equal.
We are human beings, so we have to give example, our generation, older generation, to the smallest ones. So what I advise to them, it's take care of his body and listen the fathers. So Host: I hope everybody heard those key messages.
Listen to your parents, take care of yourself, believe in yourself, which is really important. Cristiano, you mentioned that you're going to turn 37 very soon. And you've been playing football professionally for around 20 years or more.
Expo's about technology, about innovation. Is there any technology that has helped you to maintain your fitness, to improve your fitness, to help you in your practice? So how do you work with technology to help you to be the player that you are?
Cristiano Ronaldo: Well, definitely the technology helps a lot. Help me, help all the people here, all the world. And I think we have to take advantage of that, but don't be obsessed with that as well.
For example, I can give you a small, impression. For example, I have my oldest kid, Cristiano, he gonna do it 12 years old, and he ask me every time, "Daddy, can I have the phone? Can I have a phone?
Can I have a phone?" I say, "Cristiano, you have time." But I know as well that this young generation, they are one step ahead of when I had their age.
So we have to take advantage of that, I agree, but not to be obsessed about the technology. Give them, but with a period of time, not give them all the time. I think it's, it's, it's the main point here.
Host: Absolutely. So Cristiano, our time together is coming to a close, unfortunately. So, before we go, what is your final message to all the girls and to all the boys here, in here Expo, in the heart of Expo Al Wasl Plaza. What would you like to send a message to everyone here, but also everyone virtually who have joined us, but also the world?
Guys, Cristiano Ronaldo: let's, let's listen now with carefully, because what I'm gonna say now, it's coming from the bottom of my heart. I didn't expect when I. Come on, guys. Let's listen.
Let's listen. I didn't, I didn't expect when this platform coming up, that to see many of these people here waiting for me. I didn't expect, to be honest. So this is.
You guys, you are my motivation to carry on to play football. Because without you guys, it's, it's. The football all will be less.
Because we're guided by the fans, and just to feel that, the warmth that you give to me, the motivation, the love, make me feel so proud, and I don't have words to express myself more than that. But I have to say thank you all of you to coming here to listen, to listen a few words from my mouth.
I know that you expect more. But sometimes, the most important, it's the short time that we appreciate. Sometimes we have a long time, but you don't expect what we feel.
And what I have to say now, it's thank you very much to be here, to give this love, and I appreciate a lot. Thank you guys. Thank you.