The (Short) Story of Fabio Paim: The Greatest Talent To Never Win The Ballon d’Or

At 13, Fabio Paim was being paid £4,400 per week and set to become the greatest football player of all time. But, in 2019, he retired and spent a year in prison on suspicion of drug trafficking.

From Ballon d’Or prospects to watching his old friend Cristiano Ronaldo train from his prison cell, here’s the short story of the most wasted talent in football history.

Our story begins in 1999 when Ronaldo and Paim snuck out together to eat leftover McDonald’s burgers. Despite their humble beginnings, both youngsters were Sporting’s best upcoming talent - and they bonded over this.

It took only a few years for both players to reap the rewards of their talents. Sporting offered Paim £4,400 per week and a £130,000 annual bonus. This was the most lucrative contract for a 13-year-old in history.

Ronaldo, who was 3 years older than his academy friend, was set to make a big move to England.

In 2003, Sporting agreed to sell Ronaldo to Manchester United. But the club was keen to keep Paim who was an even bigger prospect by Sporting’s coaches. 

Ronaldo echoed this sentiment when he joined, saying: “If you think I’m good, wait until you see Fabio Paim.”

The interest in Paim gathered pace as the world’s biggest teams began fighting to sign him. Each week, top agents in Europe were flying to catch a glance at the wonderkid.

Paim, not short of confidence, agreed with the hype around him.

“Until today, there has been no one like me that young. At that time, I was better than Cristiano,” recalls Paim.

With the world at his feet, he was set to become one of the best players in world football.

When asked if he would’ve won the Ballon d’Or, Paim replied: “Yes, no doubt.”

Whilst Paim’s ability on the pitch was undeniable, so too was his love for cars, women, and parties. By the time he turned 16, he was earning £8,000 a week at Sporting’s academy and began to lose focus.

The newfound money and fame meant that his mind started to wander. He even admits to dreaming about becoming a pop star and hanging up his boots.

His lifestyle took a toll on his performances on the pitch. But, Premier League clubs believed they could get him back on track.

In 2008, Paim made a loan move to Chelsea facilitated by super-agent Jorge Mendes. The same agent who represents Paim's old friend, Cristiano Ronaldo.

It was his time to prove that could go shoulder-to-shoulder with the best. Yet, with an even heftier pay packet each week, Paim found more ways to distract himself from football with London’s nightlife.

“I was born with talent. As I was earning lots of money, I got the illusion that I didn’t need the effort,” reflects Paim.

At the tender age of 22, Sporting decided to release Paim after a failed loan spell at Chelsea. 

Things didn’t get much better for the Portuguese winger. He retired from professional football in 2018 after failing to make a mark at 14 different clubs. In the same year, Ronaldo went on to win the Champions League for the fifth time in his career.

Paim and Ronaldo once rummaged through used McDonald’s boxes together in Lisbon. Now, they had very little in common. 

In 2019, Paim hit rock bottom when he found himself behind bars on suspicion of drug trafficking.

“My prison cell was next to the field where the Portugal national team trains so I could watch them training every day for the Euro 2020 qualifiers,” Paim painfully recalls.

Now, Paim spends his time educating young players on what not to do.

He's also hoping his son adopts his footballing ability, whilst reminding us how good he was.

"If he can be half the player I was, the family will be more than happy.”