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July 8, 2025
There are not many professional football players who have managed to reach their 40's with such a small amount of injuries as Ronaldo did. The Portuguese icon has done everything he could to reduce the likelihood of getting injuried throughout his entire football career...
Cristiano Ronaldo’s body has been his greatest asset. And yet, like any elite athlete, he’s had his share of moments on the sidelines. What stands out most is not the severity of his injuries, but how remarkably few and far between they’ve been over a two-decade career at the very top. He even managed to fool the bookies; one has been able to bet on his retirement at many Curacao casinos for ages. And yet, Cristiano is fit for fight in both the national as well as Al Nassr. But how have Ronaldo's injuries affected him over the years? And how much has he been injured compared to other “normal” players? That’s what we’re about to find out today.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Insane goals in Saudi Arabia
• 2007 Hand Fracture: While dazzling defenders in Madrid, a stray ball fractured Ronaldo’s metacarpal. He sat out just two matches and was back on the pitch within a week.
• 2018 Ankle Sprain: A slight twist late in the season cost him eight days and a handful of games, hardly enough to disrupt his record-breaking goal tally.
• March 2019 (Hamstring): A brief strain kept him out for just over two weeks. He returned at full throttle, illustrating his meticulous rehab routine.
• Late 2019 (Adductor Pain): A few days on the sidelines reminded everyone that even the fittest physique needs careful management.
• April 2021 (Hip Flexor): Five days of rest and targeted therapy, and he was scoring again almost as if nothing happened.
Testing positive for COVID-19 forced an 18-day break—not exactly an injury, but a forced rest nonetheless. When he returned, he stepped straight back into the flow, underscoring his resilience and professionalism.
Since moving to Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo has barely missed a beat. A minor arm knock in August 2021 and a fleeting calf tightness in early 2024 were all nipped in the bud by top-notch medical teams. Impressively, he has now gone more than three years with zero muscle injuries sidelining him. An almost unprecedented record for any outfielder, let alone someone in their late 30s.
Over a typical 15-year professional career, an offensive outfield footballer might rack up anywhere from 10 to 15 muscle-related injuries: hamstrings, groins, calves, each costing them two to four weeks on the sidelines. Add in occasional knocks, sprains and fractures, and most players will lose 50–70 competitive matches simply through the accumulated effect of these setbacks. Cristiano Ronaldo, has sustained fewer than half that number of muscle injuries across two decades at the elite level, and seldom missed more than a handful of games per incident.
So no, it is not normal. First, his near-bulletproof physical condition has enabled him to maintain peak sharpness while his rivals were still regaining match fitness. He’s rarely arrived at a major tournament or title decider without adequate preparation time, whereas most players must navigate fitness concerns in the buildup. His longevity becomes a genuine advantage: Ronaldo’s ability to compete and score well into his late thirties isn’t a fluke but the payoff of meticulous conditioning, recovery science, and an iron-clad mindset.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s seemingly indestructible physique doesn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of a meticulously crafted lifestyle that blends science, discipline, and personalization. Here’s how he keeps injury at bay:
1. Tailored Strength & Conditioning
Ronaldo’s gym sessions aren’t generic weight routines; they’re bespoke programs designed by elite sports scientists. He emphasizes functional strength: explosive lunges, single-leg deadlifts, and plyometric drills that mirror the demands of football: rapid changes of direction, powerful sprints, and high leaps. By training muscle groups both symmetrically and in isolation, he builds balanced strength that resists strains and tears.
2. Precision Nutrition & Hydration
His diet reads like a performance-fuel playbook. Ronaldo favours lean proteins (seafood, chicken, egg whites), complex carbohydrates (whole grains, oats), and healthy fats (nuts, olive oil). He eschews processed sugars and red meat, which can increase inflammation. Frequent small meals, every three hours, keep energy stable, while diligent hydration (he often drinks up to two litres of water before training) ensures muscle elasticity and cellular recovery.
3. Cutting-Edge Recovery Protocols
Training hard is only half the equation; recovering properly is equally crucial. Ronaldo employs contrast-water therapy - alternating ice baths with warm showers — to flush metabolic waste from his muscles. Daily sports massages, foam-rolling and targeted physiotherapy sessions release tension and correct minor imbalances before they escalate. He also uses compression garments and pneumatic “recovery boots” to boost circulation after intense workouts.
4. Optimized Rest & Sleep Hygiene
Ronaldo prioritizes sleep as a key recovery tool, aiming for eight to nine hours per night and supplementing with short naps when possible. He maintains strict sleep hygiene, cool, dark rooms, no screens before bedtime, and consistent sleep–wake times to maximize the release of growth hormone, which repairs tissues and strengthens ligaments.
5. Data-Driven Monitoring
Behind the scenes, Ronaldo’s load is tracked by GPS units, heart-rate variability monitors, and wearable tech that measures muscle fatigue and joint stress in real time. His medical team reviews this data daily to adjust training intensity and recovery protocols, nipping any warning signs in the bud.
6. Mental Discipline & Consistency
Physical preparation aside, Ronaldo’s mindset plays a vital role. He treats every session — be it on the pitch, in the gym or in recovery — with unwavering focus, leaving nothing to chance. This consistency means small issues are addressed immediately, rather than festering into more serious problems.
By weaving together personalized conditioning, precision nutrition, cutting-edge recovery, scientific monitoring, and iron-clad discipline, Ronaldo has created a feedback loop of continual performance and minimal downtime. It’s this holistic, fact-driven approach that allows him to defy age and emerge virtually unscathed from the physical demands of elite football.
Ronaldo’s injury log is astonishingly light: small knocks, rapid recoveries, and virtually no lingering issues. That’s down to obsessive fitness standards, world-class medical support, and an iron will to stay in peak condition. In a sport defined by physical demand, Ronaldo’s ability to remain reliably available, and devastatingly effective has been as crucial to his greatness as his talent in front of goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on August 19, against Al Ittihad, for the Saudi Super Cup. You can watch Al Nassr vs Al Ittihad, Real Madrid vs PSG, Vissel Kobe vs Barcelona, Manchester United vs Leeds United, Fluminense vs Chelsea and Arsenal vs AC Milan, all matches provided from our live soccer game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Nassr vs Al Ittihad kick-off time (19-08-2025):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 20:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 17:30
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+2: 15:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 14:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 13:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 10:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 09:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 06:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / apexosn.com / nzherald.co.nz
