Cristiano Ronaldo is 41 years old, preparing for his sixth World Cup, and still painting his toenails black before every game. At this point, if the habits are strange, they're also clearly working.
The numbers are almost absurd to read in sequence: five Ballon d'Or awards, 34 trophies, 140 Champions League goals, 143 international goals, 226 caps, and over 970 career goals across club and country. Whatever Ronaldo's routine is doing for him, you'd be foolish to argue with the output.
The four habits that define his preparation
The black toenails aren't a fashion statement — they're functional. Ronaldo applies black nail polish to prevent fungal infections and stop his nails from splitting or cracking after hours in tight football boots. Unglamorous, practical, and very him.
His sleep setup is genuinely unusual. Rather than a full night's rest, Ronaldo follows a protocol designed by sleep specialist Nick Littlehales: five 90-minute naps per day, each taken in the fetal position to reduce back pain and improve posture. Fresh pajamas, blackout curtains. No exceptions.
Then there's the superstition side. Ronaldo has never touched a trophy before winning it — not once in his career. In 2017, sitting alone with the FIFA Confederations Cup trophy in front of him, he still refused. He didn't win it that day either, for what it's worth.
And every time he takes the field, it's right foot first. The habit comes from the Portuguese expression entra com a direita — enter with the right — a cultural belief tied to good fortune. Given where his career has gone, it's hard to argue the foot is wrong.
Why this World Cup is different
The FIFA 2026 World Cup will be Ronaldo's last major international tournament. He's expected to retire from professional football within the next few years, making this summer's run in the United States his final chapter on the biggest stage.
Portugal open their campaign against DR Congo at NRG Stadium in Houston on Wednesday, June 17 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Coverage is available on FOX, Peacock Premium, and Fubo TV.
Portugal's odds heading into this tournament will hinge heavily on how Ronaldo performs — and at 41, that's both the most compelling storyline of the group stage and the biggest unknown. A player who's defied physical logic for two decades is still the focal point of a national team's World Cup ambitions. Rational or not, the market keeps pricing him in.
226 international caps. This is how it ends.
