According to Brazilian media outlet Globo, Ronaldo was not wearing a watch while warming up before Portugal's match against Croatia, but rather a Whoop fitness tracker designed to monitor health and athletic performance.

During warm-ups before the Croatia match, Ronaldo was spotted wearing what appeared to be a watch on his wrist. While similar in appearance to a smartwatch, the device is actually a wearable tracker used to monitor athletic performance and health. Known as Whoop, this band can be worn on the wrist, arm, under the chest, or concealed beneath a sleeve or compression gear.

This fitness device tracks health and physical performance and is used by many elite athletes. Ronaldo is also an investor and official brand ambassador for Whoop. Unlike a traditional smartwatch, Whoop's design focuses purely on collecting internal body data rather than displaying the time.

Among its many features, Whoop offers continuous battery life and provides athletes with a "recovery" score ranging from 0% to 100%. For example, if Ronaldo wakes up in the "red" zone, indicating low recovery, his coaching staff knows to keep training intensity lower that day.

The device can also detect alcohol consumption, measure mental stress, and requires a monthly or annual subscription to function. If subscription payments cease, the app locks and the wearable becomes nothing more than a useless piece of fabric and rubber.

One reason this device has become popular among footballers is its pure fabric and rubber design. Because it has no hard screens or exposed metal, it meets FIFA's strict safety standards, allowing athletes to wear the sensor concealed beneath arm sleeves or socks during official matches. It can also be worn inside compression shorts, sports vests, compression pants, or even socks.

The device has also gained popularity among athletes across different sports, which has sparked controversy. Earlier this year, the Australian Open banned athletes from wearing such fitness trackers before Grand Slam matches. Sabalenka, a brand ambassador, expressed her frustration with this decision in an interview with international media outlets:

Sabalenka said: "I don't understand why. I use Whoop year-round, and I wear it at all WTA events I compete in. It's only to monitor my health. I don't understand why Grand Slams don't allow us to use this device, and I sincerely hope they reconsider and allow players to monitor their health."

Gabi Guimarães also uses this tracker and explained how the device helps her in an interview with Ge.

Guimarães said: "This is a device called Whoop, and even Ronaldo uses it. It detects sleep quality, including all stages of deep sleep. It's best to wear it all day on match days because it measures heart rate and combines physical effort and recovery, like a personal coach. It tells me approximately how many hours I slept each day, whether I need more or less sleep, and my recovery and rest status. You can wear it on your arm, wrist, or under a sports bra."

Traducido por IA.

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