The tragic life of the player once hailed as "better than Cristiano Ronaldo".

Fabio Paim is known to be a close friend of Cristiano Ronaldo. He is three years younger than CR7 but trained together at the Sporting Lisbon academy at the same time. Fabio Paim and Cristiano Ronaldo once went through difficult times together, to the point where they would scavenge for leftover food at McDonald's every night to stave off hunger.

Cristiano Ronaldo once admitted that Fabio Paim was better than him.

In terms of talent, Fabio Paim was once considered to have more potential than even Cristiano Ronaldo. Even the Portuguese superstar himself admitted that Fabio Paim was better than him.

Speaking while playing for Manchester United in 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo admitted: "If you think I'm good, watch Fabio Paim." It's worth emphasizing that this is the only player CR7 has ever claimed to be better than himself.

In fact, Fabio Paim had plenty of opportunities to build a brilliant career, no less impressive than Cristiano Ronaldo's. At the age of 13, the midfielder was given a generous salary of £4,400 per week by Sporting Lisbon. That was a very high income for a player of that age. Fabio Paim's salary increased year after year, not including bonuses worth £130,000.

At the age of 20, Fabio Paim moved to Chelsea on a loan deal, earning £10,000 a week. The player born in 1988 should have seized this opportunity to rise to prominence like Cristiano Ronaldo. However, he never got that chance.

Fabio Paim was once considered a prodigy of Portuguese football and had the potential to develop further than Cristiano Ronaldo (Photo: Getty).

Fabio Paim doesn't hide his talent: "I used to be a special player. I should be humble, but it's true. Back then there was no Facebook or Instagram to document my skills, but I'm sure that to this day, no one has reached the quality I once had."

I've been compared to a mini Ronaldinho, and I'm even better than Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano reached his current level through hard work and dedication. If I had the same perseverance and dedication as him, I probably could have reached the same level."

Fame and money at such a young age proved to be the enemy that hampered Fabio Paim's career. The player admitted to being "blinded" by money and constantly wasting his energy on all-night parties. Alcohol, women, and luxury cars extinguished the burgeoning career of the Portuguese prodigy.

In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo began to rise to global superstar status. That was also the time when Fabio Paim's career began to decline after a period of decadent partying.

At the age of 22, Fabio Paim retired at Real Massama in Portugal. He then embarked on a career in China, Angola, Lithuania, Qatar, Malta, and Brazil, before finally ending his career in Poland in 2020.

Fabio Paim reflects on his dismal career with a heavy heart: "Having natural talent wasn't a blessing for me. When I earned too much money, I became delusional and thought I didn't need to try anymore. I regret my choices."

Now that my career is over, I see things differently. I had talent, but my mind wasn't fully focused on the ball. Partying and women were always on my mind. If I had worked harder, I might have played for Barcelona or Real Madrid."

Fabio Paim at this point in his career, after a turbulent career and having served time in prison for drug possession (Photo: The Sun).

In 2019, Fabio Paim's life hit rock bottom when he was arrested for possessing 5 grams of cocaine. His year in prison gave the player many things to reflect on.

Now a father of two, Fabio Paim struggles to make ends meet. Many times, he wishes he could start over. Sadly, he cannot undo the mistakes of the past.

"My time in prison made me realize that things that come too easily aren't good. Now, I choose a quiet life. I don't want anyone to pity me for my past mistakes. For me, family is the most important thing. Now I know what happiness is. Sometimes money can't buy joy," Fabio Paim confided.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/cuoc-doi-bi-tham-cua-cau-thu-tung-duoc-vi-gioi-hon-cronaldo-20231027182728965.htm