Former Real Madrid and Arsenal star Mesut Ozil’s body transformation since retiring from football has been so immense that Cristiano Ronaldo had to comment on it.
It is just over a year since the German international announced his retirement from the game as one of the best playmakers of his era.
During his playing days, Ozil had a number of notable attributes on the pitch including excellent vision and passing ability.
One department that was lacking in his armour was his physicality, as he was never the kind of player to go shoulder to shoulder for the ball with much stronger opponents.
Since his retirement, Ozil has taken up a unique path for himself, and the evidence is there for all to see.
The 35-year-old decided to work on his physique after quitting football, and in the one year he dedicated to the gym, there has been significant progress.
Ardent fans who follow Ozil on social media will have noticed that the retired midfielder cannot go three days without sharing a post of him pumping iron.
In one of his training videos shared on his Instagram, Ozil shared a compilation of his workouts with the caption, “Always stay ready, then you don’t need to get ready.”
If the video is anything to go by, Ozil is unrecognizable as he has gained significant muscle, especially in his upper body.
Cristiano reacts
In fact, his transformation was so impressive that it attracted the most followed human being on Instagram’s attention.
As reported by beIN Sports, Ronaldo was among those who commended Ozil for his transformation, as the Portugal star simply reacted with a three word message: “Bro not bad”, along with a winking face emoji.
????Cristiano Ronaldo’s comment on Mesut Ozil’s IG reel ???? pic.twitter.com/IqVriXQnJf
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) March 22, 2024
Ronaldo knows how far Ozil has come in the German’s fitness journey, as the two shared glorious moments during their time at Real Madrid.
During their time together in Spain, Ronaldo and Ozil played 149 matches together, and had 39 joint goal involvements.
Ozil has in the past been quoted saying he enjoyed playing alongside Ronaldo since it was easy to assist the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.