Overview

• Ronaldo revealed that the black toenails in his Father's Day Instagram photo serve as a protective coating to prevent fungal infections and nail cracking in high-stress athletic settings.
• The photo, captioned "Tal pai tal filho," drew more than 13 million likes and shifted fan commentary from his physique to his toe polish.
• Athletes such as Mike Tyson, Francis Ngannou and Israel Adesanya also use black nail coatings to shield their feet from fungi and bacteria in sweat-prone environments.
• This practice is not new for Ronaldo, who was first spotted with black toenails in 2023 during an Al-Nassr recovery session and in a sauna photo with MMA fighter Francis Ngannou.
• His 14-year-old son, Cristiano Jr., continues to rise in soccer as a forward for Portugal’s U-15 national team, replicating his father’s celebrated "siu" celebration.