The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo is set to invest €5 million in a project to help the sport of Padel develop. The footballer is one of the richest sportsmen on the planet right now and is the latest player to take a keen interest in Padel.
Padel is a sport between tennis and squash, which is played in doubles on an enclosed court and has the same scoring system as tennis. It is hard to see Cristiano Ronaldo playing another sport other than football. CR7 becoming one of the investors, the sports will likely experience further growth.
The City of Padel is an old dream, which I always hoped to achieve: Portuguese Padel president
Portuguese Padel federation president said, "The City of Padel is an old dream, which I always hoped to achieve. And it is an immense pride to be able to do it alongside someone who, for me, is the greatest figure in the history of World sport, Cristiano Ronaldo, and with the guarantee of excellence offered by the consortium to be formed by CR7, SA and Lusofinança, directed by Filipe de Botton, a reference businessman in the national reality."
He further added, "Now we can say, with complete confidence, that this will be an unparalleled piece of equipment at a global level, which will consolidate Portugal as an international powerhouse in Padel." The 38-year-old sensation is massively popular among fans for his on and off-the-field records.
He was suspended for the Euro 2024 qualifier win of 9-0 against Luxembourg after picking up a yellow card in the previous game. Roberto Martinez reacted to the result, as the Spanish manager said after the game (via PSG Talk): "We need players who have the level to win games.The group is special. We don’t need to compare them. Cristiano is important, but our team is ready to win without him."
Ronaldo has so far scored 12 goals and has provided four assists in 12 matches for the Saudi Pro League side. He also helped the team win the Arab Cup of Champions.