Cristiano Ronaldo ready to rumble after World Cup flop

By: 10 years ago

Cristiano Ronaldo AP FILE PHOTO

TOKYO — Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, putting a miserable World Cup behind him, on Tuesday declared himself fit and ready to go as he chases trophies at Real Madrid.

“I’ll try my best all the season like I do it every year. I’ll try to be the best, try to help my team, try to score goals and try to win titles,” the 29-year-old striker told a sponsor’s event in Tokyo, adding he would like to play “six, seven more years” at the top level of club competition.

Portugal failed to make the World Cup knockout round in Brazil last month with one win, one loss and one draw in their group as an injury-hit Ronaldo squandered plenty of chances and notched up just one goal.

He had been hampered by a left leg injury since just before the global tournament.

“I’m really focused. My injury is gone. I feel very, very good,” Ronaldo said, adding he wanted to kick off and finish the Spanish top-flight league season “in good shape.”

Without referring to his World Cup disaster in Brazil, the striker described last season as “amazing.” He listed several individual trophies while Real Madrid won a 10th Champions League title and the Copa del Rey, the oldest Spanish football competition.

Ronaldo was the top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League and won his second Ballon d’Or as well as the European Golden Shoe, among other honors.

The chiseled Ronaldo was in Japan to promote a series of fitness products, including an airplane-shaped device meant to shape up facial muscles, after posting an online photo of himself wearing a black mask that went viral.

Ronaldo added that he hoped for a repeat of last season’s glory, saying he will have an “opportunity to win five, six titles this year — so fantastic. I’m really focused.”

“This is my goal for every season — to prepare myself 100 percent. And for me every season is a challenge so I want to be good again.

“I dedicate myself 100 percent and I want to carry on like that until I finish my career.”