A different fate! The goalkeeper against whom Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first professional goal is now making money selling timber in Africa
On October 7, 2002, Ronaldo scored his first professional goal against goalkeeper Joao Ricciardo.
And 7,424 days later, their lives could not be more different, with Ronaldo winning five Ballon d 'Or awards and becoming a Real Madrid legend.
Joao Ricciardo, the goalkeeper from whom Ronaldo scored his professional debut, lives in Angola and now works in the timber business, Relevo, a Spanish media outlet, reports.
Relevo reached out to Joao Ricciardo, 53, and the man Ronaldo scored his first professional goal, will admit: "I will always be associated with him."
"I am now living in Angola and selling wood," Ricardo tells Relevo.
He says: "My father was an expert in timber and in Portugal we had a family business where I worked for five years before turning professional. I was there all day and trained at night, so I already had the knowledge, and with the help of my brother, who is also his partner, I started a wood brand and we do a lot of work with Brazil and Portugal, and sometimes Spain, and I'm making money."
