The Nike story retelling the rise of Cristiano Ronaldo has reached its fourth chapter; Forged For Greatness takes us to his time at Manchester United, where he honored the mythic number 7 assigned to him by Sir Alex Ferguson himself. At age 18 he arrived at Manchester expecting to wear the number 28 he had used during his stint at Sporting Lisbon, but the legendary manager had a different idea on his mind.
“Alex Ferguson said to me: ‘Listen, I want you to take number seven,’” recalls Ronaldo. “I was surprised because I knew the guys who had worn that shirt.”
Ronaldo quickly became one of United’s most prominent players, having a great impact in their domestic and international success during 2007 and 2009.
“It was the beginning of my success in football. I improved not just my skills but my body too,” says Ronaldo. “In the five years that I was there, I learned the art of football. We won many things together. It was a dream for me.”
Other chapters: Savage Beauty, Natural Diamond, Discovery.
The new design of the Mercurial Superfly CR7 cleats is inspired by the Portuguese star’s transformative years at England, featuring a nod to hot iron being forged into shape. The metallic color-changing upper transitions into a molten-esque orange and red plate.
The Nike Swoosh is featured in black, while the CR7 logo merges into the side with the ‘7’ shown in silver prominence. The Roman numerals for 28 appear on the heel counter as a reference to his previous number, with the VII part highlighted to show the emergence of 7 from 28.
The Mercurial Superfly boots are designed for deadly speedsters. The Flyknit upper features speedribs to ensure fit and enhance ball control, while the outsole is designed to deliver comfort and explosive acceleration. The new CR7 shoes will be available in low cut and indoor versions.
CR7 Chapter 4: Forged for Greatness collection is available at World Soccer Shop.
