With 975 career goals and five Ballon D’Or awards to his name, Cristiano Ronaldo is a name synonymous with greatness. Now aged 41, he is currently in action for Portugal at the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
He scored his first goals of this summer’s tournament in Portugal’s clash against Uzbekistan, registering a first-half brace. In the process, he became the first ever player to score in six different World Cups.
To celebrate this historic achievement, Nike announced the release of a special gold CR7 Mercurial. The boots, a limited-edition signature release, feature a metallic gold finish with white accents, giving the boot a trophy-inspired finish. Naturally, it also contains the signature CR7 branding on the heel, along with Ronaldo’s signature.
There is another interesting detail on the soleplate of the boot, which is translucent with a “GOAT” graphic visible from underneath. Per reports, Nike has also revealed that this special edition boot is closely based on the design of the iconic Mercurial Superfly 1, which made it’s debut back in 2009.
The Gold CR7 Mercurials made their debut as Portugal faced Colombia in a high-stakes Group K tie on Saturday.
Surprisingly, though Ronaldo started the game with his new boots, he ended up changing into the standard ‘Breakout’ variant of the Nike Mercurial Superfly 11.
Considering how important the game was, it is likely he made the switch to return to the familiar comfort of a boot he has already worn in other games this summer.
Though they did not last the full 90 on their World Cup debut, these new boots are are expected to be extremely sought after by sports collectors and fans of the Portuguese great, considering their historical significance and highly exclusive nature.
While discussion about Ronaldo’s eye-catching boots will likely continue over the course of the summer, the Portuguese great and his team will be occupied with much more pressing matters on the field.
After their game against Colombia ended in a 0-0 draw, they were forced to settle for second place in their group. This puts them on what many fans and experts alike think is the tougher side of the knockout bracket.
In the Round of 32, Portugal will face Croatia, with a potential Round of 16 tie against Spain also in store.
