Shobhaa De for Daily News & Analysis

• The writer recalls an evening spent with the Brazilian striker.

Jul 1: Trust a bunch of enterprising desis to ignore the rules of the game and grab a great opportunity when they spot one. It was the ultimate free kick, and we took it in style. How often do football fanatics find themselves cheek-by-jowl with a sporting legend — the one who doesn’t require a surname — Ronaldo himself? It happened in Monaco, thanks to Vijay Mallya .We were anchored in the world’s most expensive yachting destination, to watch the world’s most exciting sport - Formula One. With the low growl of Ferraris revving, and the metallic clack-clack of helicopter blades crowding the sky, it was a pretty surrealistic experience to begin with. Add to that, an over-crowded port crammed with super yachts hosting super celebrities living it up noisily on impeccably maintained decks.

The guests were in celebratory mode that night since their all-time hero Michael Schumacher had effortlessly won the Grand Prix a few hours earlier. But it was clear that the party-goers on the yacht right next to the legendary ‘Kalizma’ (Dr Mallya’s acquisition that once belonged to Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor), were having an even better time. As champagne flutes clinked on both yachts, an eagle-eyed guest on ours looked at the revellers on the adjoining one and gasped, "Isn’t that Ronaldo?" Everybody peered shamelessly, as someone else exclaimed, "Yes it is…and look, there’s Roberto Carlos…Oh my god…it’s really them!" In a nanosecond, all of us were reduced to behaving like school-children in the presence of mighty demi-gods.

While we were willing to merely gape at the frenzied socialising on the adjoining deck, we noticed a steward from that yacht frantically signaling to a steward on our yacht. The beautiful people next door had run out of champagne! Did we have some to spare... like a case or two? As bottles of Dom were smoothly transferred from this yacht to that one, the rest of us plotted on how to extract an appropriate price for the favour. We demanded an audience with the football legends — and got it! Of course, we slyly used a ‘royal card’ by brazenly name-dropping. Yashodhra Raje Scindia was a part of the entourage. It was unanimously decided to propel the princess forward. It turned out to be a smart move, as all of us were warmly received by the footballers who expectedly were with stunning companions.

At the time, Ronaldo was engaged to MTV VJ Daniella Cicarelli.  I whipped out a camera and asked whether we could take a few souvenir snapshots.  Burly body-guards swiftly intervened but were brushed aside by Ronaldo and Carlos, who willingly obliged. While one cannot possibly call it a ‘meaningful’ encounter during which world views were exchanged, I’d say it was a highly memorable one, nevertheless.

Today, the Brazilian, who has wowed the world with his newly established record (15 goals in the World Cup) with his dazzling goal against Ghana, is the toast of football fans globally. For a sportsman who has survived cruel jibes (‘too old’, ‘too fat’), Ronaldo must be having the last laugh. His ‘Cup Moment’ will be tested once again on July 2, when Brazil plays France (a team Brazil has not beaten since 1958). Along with his billion-plus fans, there will also be a small group of Indians rooting for him and recalling that magical meeting in Monaco when Ronaldo gave them the sort of kick in their lives they can never forget. I definitely cherish the memory, and if you ask me whether it was worth that case of Dom, I’d say it was worth much, much more. Let the Samba begin!