1 week ago
5
At the peak of health and wealth, you might not think that Cristiano Ronaldo has much to fear.
But it turns out that CR7 does have one phobia playing on his mind: going bald.
And the 40-year-old has opened a wellness clinic in Riyadh to help Saudi Arabian men cling onto their coiffure into older age.
Ronaldo has opened another branch of his Inspire brand to promote health and wellness in the region.
'If you see me without hair, I will not be the same person,' he told Loud FM.
'It's better to do things with hair. I think so. Do you not agree with me? I prefer it. But so many people don't care if they have hair or not. I believe with hair, you're looking better. So this is just my opinion.
Cristiano Ronaldo admits he is scared of going bald and has opened another wellness clinic to help tackle hair loss
The 40-year-old, seen with partner Georgina Rodgiguez, has opened another wellness clinic
'And I know we've had a joke, but no one should feel in any way embarrassed to inspire you. This is something positive you can do for yourself. Maybe sometimes people joke a little bit like we have, but it's actually something very positive.
'We're having a bit of fun, but you should be proud to come here, yes? Listen, as I've been in the business for so many years, I understand a little bit the problems of the people and depend on the country as well. Because for example, Spain, Portugal, Italy, they look in different ways. They are similar, but in a different way. What I mean with that?
'The people go to the clinic a little bit, they go a little bit shy. Because five years ago, it was like a stigma. But now it's different. The people see with different eyes now. They see like, it's like that you go to the dentist to do the checkup.
'The hair is completely the same because we have a unique body. And everything is together. So I think you should be confident, with hair or without hair. With hair is better, in my opinion. You feel comfortable with yourself. I think it's the most important thing. I love that. I think it's an important conversation.
'The confidence is not coming from outside, it's always coming from inside, but it's always nice to be looking good as well outside. So for me, as I tell you, the health is for me, the main key.
'Better health, more longevity, in my opinion. So as you mentioned, and good, my focus is to be part of the great companies of health. I have another companies related with health that aren’t hair. So I'm glad we are here to help the people for the self-confidence.'
His comments come as it was revealed that the Portuguese star has become the world's first billionaire footballer.
He is said to be worth £1.04bn after finance experts took a deep dive into his career earnings, investments and endorsement deals and they were all adjusted for prevailing tax rates and market performance.
Ronaldo has become the world's first £1billion footballer thanks to his Saudi earnngs
They report that Ronaldo's astronomical money in Saudi Arabia has 'catapulted him to the top of the rankings for highest-earning sportspeople'.
He is the first footballer in their new Bloomberg Billionaires Index and they note that his wealth now significantly eclipses long-time rival Lionel Messi after the Argentine opted to move to the US with Inter Miami.
Ronaldo has a lifetime deal with Nike that is reported to be worth £745m in total - by far his biggest agreement with any company. There are partnerships with Tag Heur, Armani, PokerStars, Samsung, Unilever, Louis Vuitton and many, many more.
He is currently building an extraordinary, sprawling complex back home costing £28m, of which the lavish renderings have been shared and is often seen draped in the world's most expensive jewellery and watches, including a Franck Muller Invisible Baguette Diamonds Imperial Tourbillon - worth £1.13m.
Ronaldo is making a remarkable £300-a-minute in Saudi Arabia. His paymasters at Al-Nassr splash out £167.9million-a-year on his contract.
