A backyard filled with the smell of grilled sardines and Portuguese pork sausage was the first place Ronaldo displayed his talent for soccer.
During games of keep-away, he positioned himself in the center and jumped to catch balls midair. Ronaldo, a Chihuahua and dachshund mix named after the Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, was living up to his name.
After noticing their dog’s rare skills and interest in soccer, Ronaldo’s owners tried to teach him to score goals like the international superstar. But Ronaldo was more interested in grabbing balls with his mouth, so he became a goalkeeper.
Ronaldo’s owners and their family members began posting videos on social media of the dog guarding a small goal in 2022. Millions of people have since watched Ronaldo, 6, sprint, leap and slide to block shots with impressive dedication.
As excitement builds for this summer’s World Cup, which will primarily be played in the United States, dogs are getting involved in the festivities. There’s a soccer tournament for rescue dogs and a photo contest for dogs in soccer attire. Meanwhile, Ronaldo — the dog — is emerging as a fan favorite on social media.
“He’s totally addicted to soccer balls,” said Candida Craveiro, Ronaldo’s owner, who lives in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. “He has a natural talent to play ball.”
Craveiro had no idea her dog had a gift for goalkeeping when she adopted him from a litter of puppies in South Florida in early 2020. She and her husband, Antonio, who are both Portuguese, named the dog with a black and brown coat Ronaldo because of their admiration for the soccer player.
Their family enjoyed kicking a soccer ball in their backyard during barbecues, and Ronaldo soon joined the games, chasing the ball until he stopped it.
Sam Katzman, Craveiro’s son-in-law, later tried to teach Ronaldo to dribble a ball and score on the net with his snout. Instead, Ronaldo snatched balls with his mouth as Katzman lobbed them.
“He pretty much just decided that he was a goalkeeper,” Katzman said.
Katzman said he considered feeding Ronaldo treats to motivate him to play soccer, but the dog didn’t need extra incentive. In fact, he would indicate that he wanted to play by carrying Katzman’s shoes outside with his mouth.
He’s far from the first dog to love playing. Research has found that dogs are attached to their toys in part because of the dopamine that’s released in their brains during play.
Most of the balls that Ronaldo blocks are regulation-size but aren’t fully inflated so the dog doesn’t hurt himself, Katzman said. Some have handles that Ronaldo, who weighs about 30 pounds, grabs as they come at him.
The more Ronaldo has played with Katzman, the better he has become.
“This is incredible,” Katzman, who works in sports management and marketing, recalled thinking. “The world needs to see this.”
He began posting videos of Ronaldo on TikTok in June 2022. The dog went viral for the first time the next month, when Katzman replied to a video on X of Canadian forward Jonathan David hitting a drone in the sky with a soccer ball.
“Impressive!” Katzman wrote. “But can you score on my dog?” He included a video of Ronaldo blocking two shots.
Very impressive. I would put 5 past him in the first half though. He is still a dog. https://t.co/WSNIvNpLrx
— Jonathan David (@itsJoDavid) July 7, 2022
“Very impressive,” David replied. “I would put 5 past him in the first half though. He is still a dog.”
Some videos of Ronaldo’s saves have since been viewed millions of times. Katzman, who had not played much soccer before meeting Ronaldo, typically takes shots while his wife, Stephanie Craveiro Katzman, films on her phone.
Ronaldo’s popularity continues to grow and even got a boost when he showed off his technique on a regular soccer goal during halftime of a Lehigh University women’s soccer game in October.
When Katzman plays with Ronaldo on a regular day, he carries dozens of balls in a mesh bag, including a gold one that is based on the Ballon d’Or, a player-of-the-year award that Cristiano Ronaldo has won five times. The dog sometimes practices while wearing a tiny red Portugal jersey, but he also has other hobbies, like chewing squeaky toys, playing with his owners’ cats and lounging on the couch while Portuguese soccer is on TV.
Ronaldo is so invested in blocking shots that Katzman, 33, said he often has to call a time out and encourage the dog to drink from a portable water fountain. Katzman wants to keep Ronaldo healthy and energized for years to come.
“I don’t even know if he’s reached his peak yet,” Katzman said.
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