Cristiano Ronaldo is arrogant. He is brash, theatrical and, at times, quite ridiculous. He has probably attempted one too many stepovers, protested one too many decisions and reminded us of his greatness more times than anyone cares to remember.
And goodness, how wonderful it has been to watch.
There is something refreshing about an athlete who makes absolutely no secret of how highly he regards himself. Ronaldo has never pretended to be anything other than a man who believes he is the best footballer on the planet.
Some people find that insufferable. I find it fascinating.
Because, really, how different is he from the thousands of elite athletes who wake up every morning convinced they can beat the person standing opposite them?
You do not reach the summit of professional sport without an extraordinary degree of self-belief. Somewhere in the mind of every great competitor is the conviction that they are better than their opponent, that they can do things others cannot.
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Ronaldo simply had the audacity to say it out loud.
In South Africa, we tend to admire our sporting heroes with a little humility attached. We like those who do their talking on the field, accept praise reluctantly and play down their achievements.
There is nothing wrong with that, of course. But there is something equally admirable about a man who knows just how good he is and has spent the better part of two decades proving it.
And Ronaldo certainly has.
With the 41-year-old announcing his retirement from international football on Thursday, there will understandably be plenty of discussion about his records, his trophies and his place among the game’s immortals.
The 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal tell a remarkable story. So do the five Ballon d’Or awards, the Champions League triumphs and the European Championship he helped deliver to his country in 2016.
But I suspect many of us will remember something beyond the numbers.
We will remember being children in the playground, trying to recreate the way he lined up for free kicks. The legs spread wide, the deep breath, the carefully measured steps backwards.
We will remember the oversized No 7 jerseys, the countless attempts to copy his stepovers and the celebrations that followed goals which, in our imaginations, were every bit as spectacular as his.
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There was a time when just about every child wanted to be Cristiano Ronaldo.
Not simply because he scored goals, but because he made being a footballer look like the greatest thing in the world.
He had the swagger, the confidence, the celebrations and, perhaps most importantly, the personality.
And then there was that European Championship final in 2016.
Forced off injured against France, Ronaldo spent much of the closing stages on the touchline, gesturing, shouting instructions and celebrating every little victory alongside coach Fernando Santos.
Here was a man physically unable to contribute to the contest, yet seemingly incapable of accepting that he could do nothing about it.
It was chaotic, excessive and wonderfully Ronaldo.
You could laugh at the theatrics, but you could never question how desperately he wanted to win.
That, to me, has always been part of his appeal.
Of course, there have been moments when his ego has got the better of him. The sulking, the frustration and the occasional inability to accept that the game no longer revolves entirely around him have all invited legitimate criticism.
Watch: Ronaldo bids farewell to international football
He has never been perfect. Nor should we pretend otherwise.
But must we demand that every great athlete be modest, agreeable and careful with every word?
Football would be a considerably duller place if everyone behaved exactly how we expected them to.
And perhaps that is what has been lost in the comparisons with a certain left-footed genius from Argentina, whom we won’t mention in this particular piece.
For years, supporters have treated admiration for one as some sort of betrayal of the other. Every Ronaldo achievement becomes an opportunity to praise the Argentine, and every achievement from the Argentine another reason to diminish Ronaldo.
What a strange way to appreciate two extraordinary footballers.
We have been fortunate enough to witness two men perform at a level that most generations could only dream of. Their rivalry gave us unforgettable matches, ridiculous records and an entire era of footballing excellence.
Surely there is room to appreciate both without having to tear either down.
Ronaldo was never going to be everyone’s favourite. He was too loud, too expressive, too convinced of his own brilliance.
But he was also outrageously talented, relentlessly ambitious and responsible for some of the finest moments this sport has produced.
He made us laugh, argue, celebrate and occasionally shake our heads in disbelief.
More than anything, he made us feel something.
And for all the debates about who was better, who scored more and who deserves to be remembered as the greatest, there is one thing that should never be in doubt.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers to have ever played the game.
Say what you will about his arrogance.
It was part of the magic.
Photo: Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images
