Cristiano Ronaldo's former teammate at Sporting declared he was always better than the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
In a shocking revelation, former Portuguese footballer Fabio Paim, has traded his boots for a new career as a pornstar.
Once hailed as a brighter prospect than Cristiano Ronaldo during their time together at Sporting Lisbon, Paim now finds himself in a vastly different spotlight, making headlines as he pursues his long-time dream of acting in adult films.
The former Chelsea loanee’s career shift has sparked plenty of attention and controversy, especially after his recent comments comparing himself to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“Here in Portugal [the news about the pornographic film] is all the rage, everyone is going crazy,” Paim admitted in an old interview with Globo Esporte via Record.
“Do you know why? Because people don’t take it the wrong way, that’s just how I am.
"On a podcast, I said that my dream was to be a pornographic actor. I got a lot of offers. I was on the news, I was on the front pages of newspapers… And I hadn’t done anything.”
Paim’s journey into the adult industry comes after a football career that never quite reached the potential many had anticipated.
Having grown up alongside Ronaldo, the 36-year-old claims to have been more talented than the Portuguese icon.
“He grew up with me, we spent a long time together,” Paim said.
“I was Sporting’s number one at that time. Cristiano started to be Cristiano when he went to Manchester. Even then, nobody knew he would become what he is today. Today Cristiano is the king, Paim is nobody... I had more talent. But talent is nothing, talent is just a little bit. If you don’t have the rest, you’ll be nobody.”
Paím moved to Luiz Felipe Scolari's Chelsea in August 2008, but only appeared for their reserves during a four-month spell.
On 11 December he left the English club and moved, yet again on loan, to Rio Ave FC, before going on several failed loan stints up until 2018 when he supposedly retired from professional football.
"Cristiano should offer me one of his Ballon d’Ors"
Despite his unfulfilled football potential, Paim has shown no shortage of confidence, even suggesting the Al-Nassr superstar should give him one of his five Ballon d’Ors.
“Cristiano Ronaldo should offer me one of his Ballon d’Ors,” Paim said on a podcast hosted by PT Clipes.
“If I had half of Cristiano’s head, it wouldn’t be him and Messi. It would be me, him and Messi and maybe he wouldn’t have won the Ballon d’Ors that he has.”
Following his previous remarks in 2023, Ronaldo, 39, responded with a cold dismissal on Instagram, writing, “Wtf??? Who is this guy?”
Paim’s life has been marked by controversy both on and off the field.
He faced accusations of rape in 2012 and 2015, neither leading to trial, and was later arrested in 2019 on suspicion of drug trafficking before being cleared of any wrongdoing.
Now, he’s receiving a fresh round of attention from his new career path