On the fourth day of the Euro 2020 tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo sat down for a press conference just ahead of Portugal’s Group F opening game against Hungary. As he was waiting for reporters’ questions, the visibly irritated Ronaldo pushed two bottles of Coca-Cola, which were next to the microphone, and set them aside. Portugal captain followed it by holding a bottle of water before shouting in Portuguese: ‘Agua!’ (Water), encouraging people to drink water instead of soft drinks.
Ronaldo, who is one of the most famous players in the world with an extensive social media reach of over 300 million Instagram followers, gave a heavy dent to the Coca-Cola brand. The beverage maker had a negative impact which resulted in a drop in stock prices of the company.
It has been reported that following Ronaldo's gesture Coca-Cola share price tanked immediately. Coca-Cola, which is also one of the official sponsors of Euro 2020, has seen an almost 1.6 per cent dip in its share price, dropping from $55.10 to $55.22 and the market value of the company went from $242 billion to $238 billion, registering a loss of almost $4 billion.
On Tuesday, Coca-Cola released a statement that said “everyone is entitled to their drink preferences” with different “tastes and needs”.
Ronaldo’s snub of Coca-Cola gained a lot of praise from the fans who took to social media to appreciate his efforts for promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Incredible Fitness Regime
The 36-year-old Portuguese star is known for his strict fitness regime and prefers a disciplined lifestyle. Apart from following intense gym and exercise sessions, his strict diet has also played a huge part in his career.
Speaking about his son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. at Global Soccer Awards last year, Ronaldo expressed his disdain towards soft drinks and an unhealthy lifestyle.
"I am hard on him (Cristiano Jr), sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta, and I get annoyed. Eating potatoes, fried food, things like that, and I don’t like it. Even the little ones, when they eat chocolate, look at me right away,” said Ronaldo.
Juventus FC striker eats six clean meals a day to help maintain his physique and follows a Pilates-based routine that focuses on resistance work to strengthen his core.
He also gives importance to his mental health which involves minimum 8-hours of sleep and spending time with his family.
Man with a golden boot, and a heart!
Cristiano Ronaldo has also lent his voice to many social cause in the past and is an open advocate for human rights.
He has been involved with many charity work including Unicef and for children's rights with NGO Save the Children. He has donated food, clothes and medical aid to families affected by the conflict in Syria.
In 2016, Ronaldo tweeted a heartwarming video message to Syrian children. “This is for the children of Syria. We know that you have been suffering a lot. I am a very famous player – but you are the true heroes. Don’t lose your hope. The world is with you. We care about you. I am with you," said Ronaldo.
In 2016, Ronaldo meet a Palestinian boy who survived a firebombing that killed his parents and brother. Earlier, in 2015, Ronaldo had also met a three-year-old Lebanese boy who had lost both parents in a suicide bombing in his home country.
In 2018, Ronaldo shared a video on Twitter to draw attention to the violence against Syrian children. He wrote: "Be strong. Have faith. Never give up." He has also raised awareness of the plight of Rohingya children.
Ronaldo was named as the most charitable sports star in the world by dosomething.org, which recognised his ambassadorship, his donations to charities, and various other causes he has been involved in within 2015.
The King of Europe!
Ronaldo was named as the most charitable sports star in the world by dosomething.org, which recognised his ambassadorship, his donations to charities, and various other causes he has been involved in within 2015.
On Tuesday, Ronaldo became the all-time leading scorer in the tournament after his record-shattering 10th and 11th finals goals in the opening Group F match against Hungary. He overtook the previous mark of nine goals set by France's Michel Platini in the Euro's all-time leading scorer list.
With 21 appearances and playing his record fifth European Championship, he has now also played more Euro matches than any other player. The 36-year-old footballer also became the oldest player to score for Portugal at a major tournament. He now has 106 goals in 176 games for Portugal - only three short of the all-time FIFA international record.
