Legendary NFL and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady has been showing up for some FIFA World Cup matches in the United States. He’s been a fan of soccer for a long time and has enjoyed watching other star players on the pitch.
Yet, Brady has a connection with Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo. Recently, Brady was asked if Ronaldo had any influence on him getting back on an NFL field.
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Brady appeared on the “Stick to Football” podcast with hosts Gary Neville, Roy Keane, and Ian Wright. Besides his love for soccer, Brady also talked about his NFL career, Super Bowl championships, and losing to former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning in a Super Bowl.
“Did Cristiano Ronaldo convince Tom to come out of retirement?” one of the hosts on “Stick to Football” asked in their “Mythbusters” segment.
Brady had a one-word answer ready for the hosts: “No.”
Brady also said on “Stick to Football” that he was present for the Brazil-Morocco match.
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“Great time,” he said. “Had all three of my kids and I sat with my buddy Michael Rubin, who’s a great buddy of mine. We’re going to be at the World Cup final up in Jersey. But I love watching Brazil soccer.”
The podcast hosts also got Brady to share that he had a large sports card collection. Besides this “Mythbusters” segment, Brady also talked about the growth of soccer (or football, if you will) in the United States.
He shared his thoughts on the World Cup atmosphere where matches are played, along with personal recollections of watching some of soccer’s great players on the pitch.
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With Brady’s playing days behind him, he’s been focusing on his role with the Las Vegas Raiders as part of the ownership team. Additionally, Brady has been in the Fox Sports booth for NFL games next to play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt.
Brady won seven Super Bowl championships, was a three-time NFL Most Valuable Player, a two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and an NFL Comeback Player of the Year. The No. 199 pick (sixth round) by the New England Patriots out of Michigan in the 2000 NFL Draft threw for 89,214 career passing yards.
He also threw for 649 career touchdowns along with 212 career interceptions.
Greatness respects greatness, something that translates to both Brady and Ronaldo in their respective sports. In listening to Brady talk about soccer, it’s obvious that he has a lot of respect when watching teams play in events like the World Cup.
