Exactly one year ago, Cristiano Ronaldo would have spent Christmas Day pondering a decision that would end up shaking the world of football to its foundation.
On Christmas Eve, 2022, the Portuguese legend tweeted a family photo — with partner Georgina Rodriguez and his children, wearing Santa hats — simply captioned “Feliz Natal! Merry Christmas!”
The beaming smile did not hint at what was going on in his professional life behind the scenes.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar had wrapped up a week earlier, but Ronaldo’s Portugal had been eliminated in the quarterfinals on Dec. 10,…
