Cristiano Ronaldo’s new Nike CR7 Mercurial boots unveiled ahead of Portugal’s 2018 World Cup challenge

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed the inspiration behind his new boots – his homeland Portugal.

His previous boots have paid homage to various landmarks and moments in his illustrious career, including his time at Manchester United and his success with Real Madrid.

And after unveiling Portugal’s new Nike kits for this summer’s World Cup, the 33-year-old has presented ‘Chapter 6: Born Leader’ in the series of seven CR7 signature Mercurial boots – inspired by his nation with the boot complementing the national team’s colours.

“When you play for your country you want to win and defend your colours,” said Ronaldo.

“When I play for Portugal, I feel good. Not just for myself but for my whole family and friends.

“To be captain of the Portugal national team makes me feel proud. Of course, it’s great to be the leader of the team.

“I am one of the oldest players with more caps, more goals, more everything.

“I like to lead by example.”

The boots, which Ronaldo wear for the first time in Friday’s friendly against Egypt, are available to buy on March 20 on nike.com and in stores from March 22.

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Chapter 6: Born Leader – Fact box

• A nod to Portugal’s historical sea exploration lies within the Swoosh
• On the lateral side of the heel, the captain’s “C” is incorporated into a raised applique of the sphere (an armillary sphere graphic is also featured on the boot bag)
• Black at the collar blends to hyper jade toward the sole making these the first Mercurial 360 boots to feature more than one knit colour
• The cross on the heel tab ties back to the cross within the Portugal National Team collection
• The cross pattern underfoot the Mercurial 360 is aligned with the pattern on Portugal’s new away jersey

Ronaldo in numbers

The Real Madrid superstar hit his 50th career hat-trick for club and country at the weekend with four goals in the 6-3 demolition of Girona.

He’s now hit 17 goals in his last eight games, to position Zinedine Zidane’s side perfectly to salvage their season after likely relinquishing the La Liga title to Barcelona – who are 15 points ahead.

It is now 37 goals for the season for the 33-year-old, with Los Blancos peaking at the right time ahead of their quest to defend the Champions League and win it for a third successive season.

Ronaldo will face off against Egypt star Mo Salah on Friday, with the Ballon d’Or winner (37) now one goal ahead of Salah (36) in all competitions, with his 12 goals in the Champions League proving the difference between the pair.