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Sports

Ronaldo and the Great Photoshopped Abs Controversy of 2016

Cristiano Ronaldo's abs are in the news. Again.

Toward the end of his career, [Original Ronaldo famously became Fat Ronaldo](http://the18.com/news/fat-ronaldo- can-still- jump-high) as the Brazilian could no longer resist the spoils of his fame and wealth. In short order, O Fenomeno went from being one of the greatest strikers the game had seen to a laughing stock of sorts as injuries cut short his prime and his BMI ballooned. His prodigious weight gain even [inspired a game called Run Ronaldo Run](http://www.freeonlinegames.com/game/run-ronaldo- run), wherein you have to help Ronaldo dodge burgers and sodas as he kicked a ball.

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The second coming of Ronaldo, Cristiano from Portugal, never seemed likely to go the way of his namesake, as age has only rendered him more chiseled, manscaped, and orange. So it was jarring when a Catalan public broadcaster, TV3, aired a still of the Real Madrid star lifting up his shirt and revealing a little flab around his waist.

Well, flab on the Ronaldo Curve. It was still very much a stomach most men would be pleased to trade him for.

Real Madrid TV, of course, called them out on it in an extended segment. They would not stand for the besmirching of the good name of Ronaldo's fine frame.

And then they compared the still with the original image from the game footage, which does indeed reveal a much more Ronaldo-esque figure. In that shot, he actually has a belly-button, which seems significant.

On Thursday, TV3 conceded that they had edited the image, per [pro-Barca Catalan sports daily Sport](http://www.sport-english.com/en/noticias/liga- bbva/tv3-admitted- they-edited- image-cristiano- ronaldos-abs- 5275804).

Going on yet another TV show, one Jordi Ramos admitted they had altered the image, but did so "without bad faith," according to the report. Rather than fat-shaming Ronaldo, he claimed, they were trying to clean "advertising brands" out of the image.

We're going to call bullshit. Because there are no logos or brands—not even advertising brands—whatsoever in the original image, and especially not on Ronaldo's stomach. Why would there be?

By all accounts, he still very much looks like this (far left).