Why Cristiano Ronaldo paints his toenails black, UFC fighters also do the same

Fans have noticed Cristiano Ronaldo has his toenails painted in a social media post and there's a very good reason behind it.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner shared a picture of himself in a sauna as he recovers from his excursions in Saudi Arabia.

He showed off his remarkable physique, with people on social media noticing something unusual about his snap.

They turned their attention to his toenails, which were painted black.

Another added: "All I know is athletes who do MMA usually add paint to get a protective layer or something."

The protective layer is supposedly the reason behind the 38-year-old painting his toenails.

According to a source via German outlet Bild, athletes paint their nails or cover it with a protective layer to prevent their nails from fungi and bacteria.

It's claimed it helps the fighters to prevent their toenails from cracking or splitting up. A layer of nail polish hardens the toenail, which minimises the danger of the nail being damaged in a fight.

Ronaldo is a consummate professional and goes above and beyond to maintain his impeccable health and physique.

The painting of his toenails is just another sign of his elite-mentality as he enjoys a prolific spell at Al Nassr.

He's scored an impressive 11 goals in all competitions since his move from Manchester United.

But he was unable to find the back of the net in his side's Saudi Pro League match against Al Feiha.

Al Nassr, who occupy second spot in the table, resume their league campaign when they host Al Hilal on Tuesday.

It will be the club's first game since relieving the managerial duties of Rudi Garcia, who was dismissed last week.

Ronaldo reacted to the news by posting a picture of himself and Garcia, accompanied with the caption: "Pleasure to have worked with you. Wishing you all the best for the future."