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RONALDO MCDONALD
CRISTIANO RONALDO and Fabio Paim ate leftover McDonald’s burgers together every night.
They even jetted off on holiday together just weeks before Ronaldo lit up Euro 2004.
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But after their football careers went in completely opposite directions, Paim is not even sure his old friend remembers he exists.
And the forgotten footballer would be too scared to step back on to the pitch with his former Sporting academy team-mate - despite being better than him as a teenager.
Paim is three years younger than Ronaldo so they did not play together regularly as kids but were good friends away from the pitch.
They were united by their football ability and love of fast food, a far cry from elite athlete Ronaldo’s super-healthy nutritional diet he has today.
Paim told SunSport: “When we used to play in Sporting and lived in the academy, we lived in the stadium.
“At night we used to go McDonald's to pick up the burgers that no one wanted anymore so they weren't good to sell.
“We were there every night for the burgers.
“Yes, Sporting knew. It's not like nowadays. We were allowed to go out.”
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Paim added: “We were friends. I can't say best friends but we were friends.
“I had holidays with him. One was in Brazil, it was my first time in Brazil, before Euro 2004.
“That was Cristiano’s first European Championships in the senior Portugal team and we went on holiday before it.
“I trained with the national team but was too young to play. If I was older, I could have been there.”
The kids first met when “special” Paim signed for the Sporting academy aged eight and played a tournament in Madeira, the Portuguese island where Ronaldo was born.
At that time, Paim could not have predicted just how good an 11-year-old Ronaldo would become but he did show some of the traits that have underlined his incredible success.
Paim added: “The first time I met Cristiano I was eight years old, I was new at Sporting and we went to a tournament in Madeira.
“We had good times together, really good times. Football was not so serious at that time for us.
A FAB-ULOUS FOOTBALLER
“We could enjoy being kids.
“But I always remember Ronaldo as a hard worker, really committed and someone who wanted to be the best.
“He has always been like that, upset when he lost. That effort has taken him to where he is now. Even today, he doesn't need to play but wants to be the best.
“He’s won everything that he could, there is nothing left. But it is a result of that effort when we were kids.
“Not even he knew he would be where he is now. I believed he was going to be someone in football, a good player but on the level that he achieved? At that time, no.”
Ronaldo left Sporting to join Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2003 and memorably declared: "If you think I'm good, wait until you see Fabio Paim."
Paim remains the only player Ronaldo has openly confessed is better than him.
But while Ronaldo went on to become one of the greatest footballers ever, winning five Champions Leagues and the Ballon d’Or five times, Paim’s career fizzled out as the fame and money took over, chasing a lifestyle of women, cars and partying with his mega wages at such a young age.
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The former winger, who was on £10,000 a week on loan in Chelsea’s reserves aged 20, still holds regrets about the mistakes he made that ultimately saw him squander his outrageous natural talent - especially because he genuinely believes he was not only better than Ronaldo but would have been the best in the world.
Instead, he insists Ronaldo is the greatest ever, better than rival Lionel Messi, although not everyone in Portugal agrees.
Paim took SunSport to his barbers, where the Messi-mad owner has banned talk of the former Real Madrid man.
Asked Ronaldo or Messi, Paim said: “I cannot say the truth because the boss doesn't allow anyone to pronounce Cristiano's name.
“In his head, Messi will always be the best. I can't say Ronaldo otherwise I can't be here next week!”
But eventually Paim relents: “Cristiano. That’s my choice.
“In my head, I really think he is the best for everything he conquered and everything he has done.
“In Portugal, we will never see another one like him. Never.
“Cristiano, for all his effort and hard work, went to a level he deserves.
“But when I was playing, if I had the same effort and commitment, I would be better than him.
I don't even know if Cristiano remembers I exist
Fabio Paim
“I had different characteristics. In terms of technique, I was better. I was a small Ronaldinho. But as we can see, it's not the technique that leads us to wherever.
“I regret some of the choices I've made but knowing myself as I do, it was impossible to be at Cristiano’s level.
“But yes at that time I was better than Cristiano. He should give me one of his Ballons d'Or!”
Paim has lost contact with Ronaldo - although ironically he watched his former team-mate training with the Portugal national team through the window of his prison when he was arrested in 2019 and put in a cell for a year on suspicion of drug trafficking offences.
Now with his name cleared after the case collapsed, Paim is helping kids to avoid making the same mistakes he made.
However, he has not kicked a football for three years since a short stint at Polish third-tier side LZS Starowice in 2020-21.
And after two previous knee surgeries, it would take a very special phone call for him to lace up his boots again.
Paim added: “No, to be honest, I don't want to play with Cristiano again.
“I'm afraid to enter the field because I know I'm going to be injured. If he asks me, I would go.
“I don't even know if he remembers I exist.
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“It's been a long time since I last spoke to him.
“We have different lives. He is in his life, I have mine but I am sure that if I meet him somewhere, we will speak like the old times.”
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