The blogosphere has been overrun with news that there was a significant possibility Ronaldo would eventually move on to Spanish powerhouse club Real Madrid for a fee that would make him, unequivocally, the highest paid athlete in the history of the world. And during last night’s Champions League final match, Cristiano Ronaldo’s ambivalent future with Manchester United was summed up with one, stuttering penalty kick.

His first half heroics left no doubt in our mind that a Manchester United victory would guarantee, at least to us, Ronaldo’s commitment to Manchester. Then, he missed a penalty kick that placed the title, for a few moments, in the hands of Chelsea.

The miss inspired a surplus of ideas: Would he be remembered as a hero after this? Would his 42 all competition goals be marred by this? Did the riddle concerning his future with Man U just solve itself? After John Terry missed Chelsea’s fifth and final penalty, the tables turned once again, but something changed. Even if Manchester United won, Cristiano Ronaldo was still in the books as the man who missed the penalty. And a guy, with an ego like Ronaldo, wouldn’t stand for that on his record.

Today, Ronaldo is more distant from the notion of staying at Manchester United—a day after obtaining the most cherished club title in Europe—than ever before. And why not? He entertained and marveled Manchester United fans and gained the praise of the world. Now he’s delivered a title. Why stay in Manchester when he’s already won it all? What do you guys think?

Mixed messages from Ronaldo cloud United triumph [AFP]
Image [Getty]