A photo posted for Father’s Day was enough for millions to notice something on the feet of 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo.
Alongside his eldest son, Cristiano Jr., now on Portugal’s under-15 team, his toenails could be seen painted black. It is not the first time: he was photographed the same way in a sauna back in April 2023.
The explanation has nothing to do with aesthetics. According to the German newspaper Bild, dark nail polish hardens the nails and acts as a shield against the constant impacts of football, reducing the risk of breaks, fractures, and fungal or bacterial infections caused by wearing closed, damp boots for hours.
Cristiano is not alone in this. Mike Tyson and MMA fighters such as Israel Adesanya and Francis Ngannou share the same practice. What seemed like a whim of the Al-Nassr forward is actually a care routine that many elite athletes keep quiet about.
