Have you ever thought about this one thing——

If one day, you open the news and see that man in the number 7 jersey calmly say "I'm leaving," would your heart feel a pang, a void?

If Cristiano Ronaldo truly turns and walks away, what he takes with him is not just the memories of several generations.

What he tears down is the last heroic filter of modern football.

Let me give you some numbers, and then you'll understand why we're anxious.

Ronaldo's official career goals in competitive matches are over 900.

More than the current combined total of active Messi, Mbappé, and Haaland.

All-time top scorer for the national team.

All-time top scorer in the Champions League.

All-time top scorer for Real Madrid.

5 Ballon d'Ors.

5 Champions League titles.

4 European Golden Shoes.

These numbers might have numbed you.

But think from another angle—

His career peak spanned from his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 to his fifth in 2017, exactly 10 years.

And his goal tally in top-flight leagues, from age 21 to 36, for 15 consecutive seasons, each season he scored at least 30 goals for club and country.

What does this mean?

There's a recognized iron law in football: after age 32, a striker's goal efficiency drops 30% every two years.

But what about Ronaldo?

At age 32, he single-handedly carried Real Madrid to the final in the Champions League knockout stages;

At age 35, he won the Serie A Golden Boot;

At age 37, he scored a hat-trick in the Premier League.

He forcibly turned the curve that should have kept declining into a straight line.

This isn't "maintaining form," this is an open provocation against the laws of biology.

Why are we so anxious? In short, we've been spoiled by him.

In normal football:

Age 35 is called a veteran;

Age 38 is called an old legend;

Age 40 is called a living fossil.

But this guy?

From innocence in Lisbon, to sharpness in Manchester, to the altar in Madrid, and finally to the twilight in Saudi Arabia—

He forcibly extended the word "peak" for 20 years.

With these 20 years, he gave us a grand illusion:

As long as he's still running, we are still young;

As long as he hasn't said goodbye, that passionate era hasn't ended.

What's more worrisome is that this era can no longer produce someone this tough.

Take a look at the current transfer market—

A 20-year-old kid, after half a good season, can have his price soar to 100 million.

Then? After signing a contract, first buy a Lamborghini, sign with a top agent, post two training photos, and that's it.

If performance is poor, post on Instagram saying "adjusting mentally."

Football has become a job, a task of clocking in and out.

But what about Ronaldo?

The Juventus team doctor once revealed a detail:

When Ronaldo first joined, the physical exam data came out, and everyone was stunned.

His body fat percentage stayed at 7%~8%, while ordinary professional players are at 10%~12%;

His muscle mass was 5% higher than teammates 10 years younger.

This isn't talent.

This is capital earned from 300-400 push-ups a day, thousands of sit-ups, ice baths, and unwavering sleep management.

Money can give birth to countless new stars, can create countless geniuses.

But sorry, money cannot create a second Cristiano Ronaldo.

In 2018, in the Champions League match against Juventus, that bicycle kick—

The home crowd stood and applauded in unison.

How many times have you seen an opponent make the opposing fans willing to stand and applaud?

It wasn't because he scored a beautiful goal—

It was because everyone saw:

A 33-year-old man jumped 2.38 meters high, hung in the air for a full second.

In that second, time had to make way for him.

What chills the heart the most is: Is the next generation really ready?

Mbappé is fast? Fast.

Haaland is fierce? Fierce.

But have you ever felt like something is missing?

Today's players are more and more like precision-engineered sports cars—

Beautiful data, excellent performance, but the one thing missing is soul.

So, this farewell will definitely be a pain for the entire industry.

When that day truly arrives,

At this diverging crossroads,

The football world must learn how to walk alone in the night without a totem.