Cristiano Ronaldo’s fitness secret revealed as 41-year-old targets World Cup success at sixth time of asking
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Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media Mon 20 April 2026 6:00, UK Cristiano Ronaldo won everything the game has to offer during a staggering club career with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, but the World Cup has evaded him.That is not to say international glory has been out of the question – the forward featured as Portugal won the European Championship in 2016, and the Nations League in 2019 and 2025.But the World Cup is the pinnacle of most careers, and Ronaldo was undoubtedly stung when Lionel Messi lifted it with Argentina in 2022.The pair will both play a part in this summer’s tournament, which will likely mark the final stage of two legendary international careers.Throughout his time with Man United, Real Madrid, Juventus and now Al-Nassr, Ronaldo’s ability to stay fit has always been a marvel. ⚽ Man United Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Manchester United fixture. VISIT THE MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES How Cristiano Ronaldo stays in top shapeFormer chief scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider in February that Man United would not sign Ronaldo in the coming months, despite the striker having gone on strike at Al-Nassr.But the fact that the links were even plausible enough to emerge speaks to the astonishing fitness of the 41-year-old.Cristiano RonaldoCareer (2002-current)Appearances1312Goals968Assists261Trophies 36The legendary forward has scored 24 goals in 25 games in the Saudi Pro League this season, taking his career goal tally to over 950.Ronaldo has well over 1300 career appearances, with some brief ankle issues towards the start of his career essentially making up the extent of his injury history.Of course, genetics have given the Portugal international a massive advantage, but it is his preparation and constant commitment to his fitness that have given him the edge.
Ronaldo uses WHOOP – a wearable technology that recently entered a long-term partnership with PSG – to monitor his sleep, strain, recovery and stress, among numerous other facets of his life.The technology is constantly tracking how his body reacts to everything and makes innovative recommendations to optimise recovery and physical health.As confirmed by Ronaldo himself, WHOOP has been the edge for the forward, and a big part of his staggering fitness.What Ronaldo has said about WHOOPIt would be easy to think that Ronaldo is simply praising a technology of which he is a partner, but there is so much more to it than that. The 41-year-old’s iconic status means he could attract any company in the world to sponsor him – he chose WHOOP because he was a customer for years before anything else.Longevity doesn’t happen by accident.
Listen to the latest episode of the WHOOP podcast, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, today — now on YouTube 💪 pic.twitter.com/H8ocwyXcIM— WHOOP (@WHOOP) June 13, 2025 View Tweet “WHOOP has had a transformative impact on my life both on and off the pitch, and I’m honoured to join the team as an investor,” said Ronaldo upon the announcement of the global partnership in 2024.“I wear WHOOP while training, sleeping, and recovering. “I look forward to working with WHOOP to continue to raise the bar on WHOOP features and coaching”.Ronaldo will undoubtedly be accompanied by his wearable difference-maker as he travels to North America this summer in search of history.