Water is beneficial for your health, not soft drinks with colour, sugar, preservatives, and several other chemicals
In the world of sports, legendary players are offered millions of dollars for promoting a product. When they are young, their thought process forces them to earn as much as possible. However, when they grow a little older, i.e., when they mature, they realise they have a responsibility towards society and their fans. Therefore, they have a change of heart.
On June 14, 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo displayed a change of heart when he removed two bottles of carbonated soda kept in front of him.
On June 21, ahead of Portugal’s group F match against Hungary in the Euro 2020, Portugal’s captain and legend Cristiano Ronaldo sat down for a press conference. On the table were kept two bottles of carbonated soft drink C*ca-C*la which the former Real Madrid player did not appreciate.
O Cristiano Ronaldo duelou contra a coca cola.
— REAL MIL GRAU (@realmilgrauu) June 8, 2024
KKKKKKKKKKKKK ESSE DIA AQUI FOI LOUCO
pic.twitter.com/aEnYx8d5h5
Advocating a healthy lifestyle, Ronaldo moved the two bottles from the table and held a bottle of water, uttering the word “Agua”, which means water in Portuguese, urging people to drink water instead of carbonated soft drinks.
Ronaldo’s action had a bitter effect on the soft drink’s manufacturer. The company witnessed a drop in its share price by 1.6 per cent to 55.22 dollars, and the market value crashed from 242 billion dollars to 238 billion dollars.
While hardcore Ronaldo fans and fitness enthusiasts appreciated Ronaldo’s actions, a huge number of people trolled Ronaldo because Ronaldo had once endorsed the brand in 2006 during the FIFA World Cup.
Netizens were quick to brand him a hypocrite, and several took him to X to register their opinion about the incident. One user wrote, “The bottle is doing no harm. It is there as the brand is one of the sponsors. You can leave the bottle alone. You do not have to drink it. They are the sponsors. It is disrespectful to do that. Now C*ca-C*la suffered a $4 billion value fall because of him. This is not right.”
While the officials of the Euro 2020 did not issue a statement for or against Ronaldo, they appreciated the soft drink manufacturer for their support as a sponsor and for their investments in the sport. A Euro 2020 spokesperson further stated, “We could not organise a tournament with such success for players and fans, nor invest in the future of football at all levels. Players are offered water, alongside Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, on arrival at our press conferences.”
In Euro 2020, Portugal was placed in Group F against the likes of Hungary, Germany, and France. Out of three matches, Portugal won one, drew one, and lost the other one. The team proceeded to the round of 16, where it met Belgium but lost the game with a scoreline of 1-0.
Despite Portugal getting knocked out in the round of 16, Portugal won the Euro 2021 with five goals and one assist. Czech Republic forward Patrik Schick also scored five goals in the tournament, but Ronaldo won because he made one assist in the competition.
At 39, Ronaldo is possibly appearing in his last UEFA Euro tournament with Portugal in Group F against Turkiye, Georgia, and the Czech Republic.
