After winning the World Cup it was time to have sex, Ronaldo told reporters following the game last night in Yokohama, Japan.
Asked whether winning the Cup was worth four weeks of celibacy, Brazil's hero said, "The World Cup is more important because it comes every four years, but sex you can have anytime, so now I will have sex."
A clearly elated Ronaldo said he was starting to realize that he had helped bring happiness to millions and he would savor his achievement, but it had been a team effort.
"I think holding the World Cup is one of the most wonderful experiences of my life, but none of this would have happened without the group and nothing can go beyond the fact that it is more than an individual victory."
He also said there were more goals to aim at. "There is also an Olympic gold medal to win and we can add another star [World Cup victory] to the five we now have, so there is plenty left to do."
His World Cup final rival, Germany's Oliver Kahn said he took the blame for his side's first goal.
"No, I don't think I can be consoled. I am fully aware that this is the only mistake I made in the seven matches of the World Cup. That one mistake was brutally punished."
Even so, he said, he was proud of his and Germany's achievement. "We led Germany to new heights, heights that nobody thought would be possible and we can continue to build the team for the future.
"I think we have put Germany and German football back to where it belongs among the top four. The memories of this World Cup will be very good and cannot be destroyed by an unlucky goal."
Kahn's coach, Rudi Voeller, gave credit to Brazil and said they deserved to be world champions.
"They have these incredible individual skills," he said. "They are so strong one-on-one."
"They are worthy world champions. They showed it not just today, but in other games as well."
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said the secret to his team's success had been hard work and togetherness.
Also, "The difference between the two teams was the individual skill of the Brazilian players. That was the key factor which helped Brazil to win."
His defense held during a tough first half and Ronaldo made the difference in the second.
"The defense was so heavily criticized, and it was not that bad," said Scolari, bringing back memories of the qualification campaign. "Maybe the best defense in the world."
additional reporting by AP
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Taiwan’s Tony Wu yesterday beat Mackenzie McDonald of the US to win the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand, his first challenger victory since 2022. The 26-year-old world No. 315, who won both his qualifiers to advance to the main draw, has been on a hot streak this month, winning his past nine matches, including two that ensured Taiwan’s victory in their Davis Cup World Group I tie. Wu took just more than two hours to top world No. 172 McDonald 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to win his second challenger tournament since the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in 2022. Wu’s Tallahassee win followed two years of
Taiwanese martial artists bagged one gold, four silver and three bronze medals at the World Junior Wushu Championships in Brunei, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brunei Darussalam said yesterday. Liu Yu-tzu won the gold medal in the girl’s taijiquan A group and also picked up a silver medal in the girl’s taijijian A group. Hu Hsin-ling, Yu Min-hsun and Chen Chao-hsiang each won a silver medal in the girl’s jianshu B, boy’s nangun B and boy’s taijijian A groups respectively. Hu also won a bronze medal in the girl’s qiangshu B group, while Yu and Lin Shih-hung picked up bronze medals
RSS