19 YO Portuguese Overtakes Cristiano Ronaldo in World Titles Post Doha Aquatics Championship Gold

Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest soccer players of all time. The Portuguese striker is known for his speedy runs, footwork, and phenomenal shooting prowess. CR7 has become one of the most recognizable names in the world due to his talents that dominate every arena of soccer. However, he has just been overtaken by another national hero in terms of world title wins.

Diogo Ribeiro recently won a gold medal at the 2024 World Aquatics Championship in Doha. The 19-year-old triumphed in the 50m butterfly category and finished things off within 23 seconds. The young Portuguese swimmer didn’t enjoy the perfect start to the race. However, now he will definitely enjoy the bragging rights of having surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo.

Diogo Ribeiro makes history by winning Portugal’s first-ever swimming gold

A tweet on X showcased the comparison between Diogo Ribeiro and Cristiano Ronaldo after the swimmer clinched the golden glory at Doha. The post carried the caption, “DMR is 19 years old and has already won more World Titles for Portugal than Ronaldo🤣.” This, however, is the first-ever world title won by Ribeiro. Moreover, this is the first-ever swimming world title of Portugal across any category.

Likewise, Portugal has unfortunately never won a FIFA World Cup either, despite having one of the best players on its roster. Cristiano Ronaldo has tried to win the first World Cup for his homeland multiple times throughout his career. However, the Portuguese side got choked on every iteration, even when they played well.

Cristiano Ronaldo did win the UEFA European Championship with his team back in 2016, but the FIFA title has always eluded his nation’s grasp. While Diogo Ribeiro did a great job at Doha, he still needs to go a long way to achieve the level of excellence Ronaldo has in his sport. In fact, while the soccer player didn’t win any World Cups, he has won several individual awards from FIFA.

The greatness of Cristiano Ronaldo as an individual player

Cristiano Ronaldo is a five-time winner of the FIFA Player of the Year award. The Portuguese soccer giant achieved this despite competing with Argentina’s Lionel Messi every year, a player who nobody could beat even in 2023. Moreover, unlike swimming, soccer is a team game where the success and the mistakes of every player determine the outcome.

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Cristiano Ronaldo recently turned 39 on February 5 and may not be around till the FIFA World Cup 2026. However, Portugal has received a new national hero who is here to bring more world championships to the country. Diogo Ribeiro has shown promising talent right from a young age, just like Ronaldo. Will he be able to continue his run and win more gold medals for Portugal?

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