Copyright dailystar
Brazil icon Ronaldo is one of the greatest strikers of all time but his wild lifestyle is also the stuff of legend - including his love for beautiful women. Of course, devastating injuries played their part in derailing the career of the goal machine. But it's no surprise that many believe the 2002 World Cup winning hero - nicknamed O Fenomeno because of his incredible feats on the pitch - could have been even better if he didn't party so much. That view was shared by Florentino Pérez, then president of Real Madrid , who once took Ronaldo to task over his hedonistic ways during his time at the La Liga titans, when he scored a whopping 104 goals in 177 games, despite no longer being in his prime. Yet 'R9' had a very cheeky response, with a remark about one of the world's most beautiful women, Swedish model Helen Svedin, who was married to his team-mate, Portuguese winger Luis Figo. Ronaldo reportedly said: "President, if I had Figo's wife, I would stay home every day". Figo, who celebrated his 53rd birthday earlier this week, was quick to laugh off the tale when appearing on Spanish TV back in 2019. He said: "I already knew about that because he mentioned it in the locker room. I know 'Ronnie' and I have a lot of love for him." The legendary Portuguese winger added: "I forgive Ronnie because he is always joking." "What he doesn't know is that I would leave the house when my wife would fall asleep," Figo joked. But he showed he is still very much in love with his Swedish model WAG, saying: "She is a collection of adjectives: elegant, attractive, sexy, a great mother and most importantly a great person." Figo also touched on his start in international football when he was sold to Barcelona from Sporting Lisbon at 22-years-old, saying: "I arrived at Barcelona in hopes of starting an international career. "It was a good experience. I was not afraid, I really took to the city and the club. I started to live alone after living with my parents in Portugal." Figo played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, making the controversial switch when he was tempted by the Galacticos of Real. Barca fans were furious - with one infamously throwing a pig's head at him during El Clasico. The game was halted for 14 minutes as stunned referee Medina Cantalejo did his best to calm things down - but that hasn't stopped Figo from reopening old wounds down the years. The Portuguese star retired in 2009, after a short stint with Inter Milan.
