Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Nike Boots Inspired by the Game That Changed His Career

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will wear a new pair of Nike boots when Portugal takes on Latvia in a World Cup qualifier next Sunday. The Nike boots that Ronaldo says are inspired by the game that changed his career “forever,” referring to the Lisbon vs Manchester United friendly match played over a decade ago on August 6, 2003. A young Cristiano Ronaldo led Sporting to a 3-1 victory over the Red Devils with two assists. Then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson was so impressed that six days later he spent £12.2 million GBP (approximately $15.2 million USD) to bring Ronaldo to Old Trafford, making him the most expensive teenager ever in English football.

Now, Ronaldo and his sponsor Nike have developed a new boot to mark that fateful 3-1 Sporting victory. Titled CR7 Chapter 3: Discovery, the Mercurial Superfly has several nods to that day. The most obvious is the date stamp along the heel of the boot, while the colors are are also inspired by that of Ronaldo’s first team, Sporting. The silver dot graphics are also a nod to the silver Mercurial Vapor I that Ronaldo wore during that game. CR7 Chapter 3: Discovery Mercurial Superfly, as well as additional versions including the Mercurial Veloce DF and Mercurial Victory DF (which all feature a Dynamic Fit Collar), will be available beginning November 7.