Cristiano Ronaldo once suggested that his former Sporting team-mate Fabio Paim was a better player than he was. But Paim has now discussed his desire to become a porn star three-and-a-half years after quitting football following a whirlwind career that failed to ignite.
Paim, 36, starred during his time in the Sporting academy, where Ronaldo learnt his trade ahead of his first transfer to Manchester United.
But their lives have since followed different trajectories, with Paim failing to make a name for himself in the game while Ronaldo has become one of the biggest names in football history.
In 2003, Ronaldo said: “If you think I’m good, wait until you see Fabio Paim.” Five years later, Paim joined Chelsea on loan but only lasted five months in England before returning to Portugal.
He completed a permanent move to Portuguese second tier side Torreense in 2010 and had underwhelming spells playing in Qatar, Malta and Lithuania before hanging up his boots at the start of 2021 after a stint with Polish club Starowice Dolne. He was later put in prison for a year on drug trafficking charges.
Paim was recently interviewed on Tiago Paiva’s YouTube channel, where he was massaged by two women in bikinis. And the former star exclaimed: “I would like to act in a porn film. I’m serious, it would make my dreams come true. I don’t have a girlfriend, I’m single.”
Paim, who was said to be earning £4,400 per week at the age of 13, had an exchange with Ronaldo on social media last year after claiming he would have had a more successful career if he had “half the head that Cristiano” has.
Ronaldo commented after the interview was shared as he joked: “Wtf, who is this guy?” Paim also joked that the Portugal international should give him one of his Ballon d’Or trophies.
And Paim previously told The Sun: “The first time I met Cristiano I was eight years old, I was new at Sporting and we went to a tournament in Madeira.
“We had good times together, really good times. Football was not so serious at that time for us. We could enjoy being kids. But I always remember Ronaldo as a hard worker, really committed and someone who wanted to be the best.”
He added: “When we used to play in Sporting and lived in the academy, we lived in the stadium.
“At night we used to go McDonald’s to pick up the burgers that no one wanted anymore so they weren’t good to sell. We were there every night for the burgers. Yes, Sporting knew. It’s not like nowadays. We were allowed to go out.”
