Cristiano Ronaldo won the Middle East Player of the Year award at the 2025 Globe Soccer Awards on Sunday, but he was not the only winner at the 16th annual ceremony.
Novak Djokovic has been named the winner of the Globe Sports Award, with the captain of the Portuguese national team in charge of presenting him with the award, and heaped praise and similarities between the two.
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CR7 and Novak have ‘similar stories’
In fact, these awards came as no surprise to fans, as both athletes are great icons of their respective sports, overcoming various obstacles and difficult competitions to remain active today.
But Cristiano’s words got people talking. When it came time to present the award to the 38-year-old Serbian tennis player, Al Nasr’s captain had some heartfelt words for him.
Looking back at both men’s pasts and careers, CR7 drew parallels between them: the passage of time.
“For me, he is an example. When he sets an example for others, he speaks words that come from himself. So for me (he) is an example of longevity. We have a similar story,” Ronaldo said.
“So I think he deserves it (the award) because he is a great example for this generation, all generations and the generations to come. That’s why he deserves it,” added the Portuguese.
The truth is that even at the age of 40, Cristiano Ronaldo has managed to stamp his name at the top of the football world and is still striving to reach his goal of 1,000 goals (956 goals). Meanwhile, Djokovic, who is two years younger but headed in the same direction, is ranked fourth in the ATP Rankings and is the male tennis player with 24 wins, the most Grand Slam titles in history.
On the other hand, age does not seem to be a determining factor in the careers of both professionals. CR7 announced that the next 2026 FIFA World Cup will be their last tournament, but they have extended their contract with Al Nasr until 2027.
Meanwhile, Novak asserted that he has no intention of retiring anytime soon, saying, “Yes, I would like to continue. The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is kind of a guiding star, but honestly, there are no limits. So we’ll see.”
