Cristiano Ronaldo continues to break records in the FIFA World Cup at the ripe age of 41. The Portugal legend converted a penalty on Wednesday in the Round of 32 fixture against Croatia to help see his team through to the next stage. In the process, he not only became the oldest player to appear in a World Cup knockout game, but also to score in one.
Ronaldo was not substituted until the 81st minute for Goncalo Ramos. The continued long stints in each match is an indicator of the forward’s incredible physical fitness. The hard work Ronaldo puts in has been a consistent theme right since the start of his career. While discussions around his remarkable frame remain ubiquitous, of late there is one particular unusual feature that has caught the fans’ eyes.
The sheer size of Ronaldo’s Adam’s apple has become a point of conversation in online forums. The apparatus not only appears to be unusually large, but also incredibly pointed. Like any unusual sighting, the feature has sparked a frenzy of banter on social media.
Adam’s apple is formally known as the laryngeal prominence. It is a forward projection of the thyroid cartilage that protects the voice box called the larynx. While present since birth, the bulging of the cartilage only occurs at puberty in males due to an increase in testosterone levels.
There are several causes why some men have more of a bulge than others. The primary reason, unsurprisingly, is a larger level of testosterone. It causes the cartilage to grow in size as well as its two halves to meet at a sharper angle, thus creating a more pointed protrusion.
Low fat percentage in the body makes the Adam’s apple appear even more prominent. This undoubtedly plays a role in enhancing the look of Ronaldo’s organ, given the various reports over the years of the fat levels in his body.
The fact that the Portuguese talisman stands at 6’2” is another reason why his Adam’s apple appears so distinct. It is believed that there is usually a direct correlation between the size of a human’s frame and his laryngeal projection.
Moreover, with age the skin on the body becomes looser, which further increases how large Adam’s apple looks.
The fixation over a footballer’s body part is no new phenomenon. In the past, fans have commented on Marcus Rashford’s head shape, Angelo Stillner’s nose, and Alexander Isak’s knee, to name a few. The stature of Ronaldo means the observation is only amplified further.
At the end of the day, Ronaldo won’t mind the conversations as long as he can continue driving Portugal forward. His next assignment is a Round of 16 fixture against Spain, in Arlington on July 6.
