Many many young kids idolize soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. They look up to the player and wish to fulfill their dreams one day like Ronaldo.

At a promo event in Tokyo in 2014, a young Japanese fan made everyone laugh when he tried to talk to Cristiano Ronaldo in Portuguese. Ryota Iwaoka’s father had suggested the young boy ask Ronaldo his question in his native language.

Iwaoka agreed and practiced for hours to ask the question in a different language. The young boy was nervous when he took up the stage in front of the player. Ronaldo tried his best to encourage Iwaoka by smiling at him while nodding along with him, to show he understands the question.

Some fans who were present in the audience, however, started laughing at the young boy for his accent and broken Portuguese. The soccer player was quick to come to the defense of the young boy.

Ronaldo questioned, “Why they smile? You speak good Portuguese. Very good. They should be happy because you tried very hard.” The audience started applauding upon hearing the former Manchester United player praise the young boy for his effort.

Iwaoka wanted to become a professional soccer player and therefore asked Cristiano Ronaldo for advice. The young boy asked, “You are my favorite player and I want to play alongside you. So, how can I become a professional?”

To this Ronaldo replied, “My big message for him, for this boy, is believe in your capacities. Work hard and dedicate yourself one hundred percent and dream. Believe all the time! Believe that this going to be possible!”

The young boy remembered his idol’s wise words and worked hard toward his dream. Iwaoka became a talented midfielder in his junior high. However, several schools refused him to play for their teams before he finally got a chance at Yamanashi Gakuin University.

Yamanashi Gakuin’s team qualified for the national championship in 2020. Furthermore, Iwaoka played an important role in the playoffs. He admitted, “I thought I would have the chance to prove myself in these three games and get to the championship I dreamed of. I believed in myself and I played with all my heart.”

He, however, missed the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals due to an injury. The player watched his team from the sidelines. His team defeated Aomori Yamada in the finals thus winning the championship. The young player took Ronaldo’s words to heart and continued to work hard towards his dream despite hitting several roadblocks in his journey.

Tags: Cristiano Ronaldo