Were you born and raised in Lisbon? What was your childhood like?
Yes, I was born and lived in Odivales, near the capital, in modest conditions. It wasn't the best neighbourhood, many of my childhood friends went in the bad direction, some of them are in prison now. Luckily for me, I always had family I could count on, and of course football kept my energy occupied, so I managed to avoid the really bad company.

What did your parents do?
My mum is a kindergarten teacher and my dad works in a factory. But they weren't the only ones who supported me, I also spent a lot of time with my grandparents and my uncle helped me a lot by taking me to training sessions. I also have a 21-year-old brother, there is a relatively big age difference between us, we don't talk every day, but we are always together, and as an older brother I try to give him good advice.

Have you always played football? Have you tried other sports?
Football was the only thing that existed for me. Technically, I first played futsal in a small team, let's say, and then I went to the big league - first with Odivales and then with Benfica.

Do you have a "civilian" profession, did you do any student work?
I don't have a profession in the classical sense, I did 12 years of school. In Portugal, before university, education is divided into three parts: you go to a school for grades 1-5, 5-10 and 10-12. It was out of the question to finish all 12 grades, but after that I wanted to concentrate all my energy on football. My best grades were in history and geography, because I enjoyed studying those subjects alongside football. I didn't have a student job and my first salary was as a footballer.

Do you remember what you spent it on?
I gave it all to my family.

How did you and your wife meet?
I friended her on Facebook (laughs). Luckily she was open to meeting me, and the rest is history...we've been together for nine years.

Do you live here in Fehérvár?
Of course! With our children, Gustavo and Maria, we love to go for long walks in the city centre or to go to a good place. Luckily, there is a choice.

I hear you're a big gamer. FIFA?
Sometimes FIFA, but more Call of Duty. I play a little bit almost every day. I play online with my friends on Playstation.

What would be your song in the walk to the ring if you were a professional boxer?
Eminem's Lose Yourself, obviously.

Because of the movie?
I liked 8 Miles, but I prefer Eminem as a performer.

Which movie do you like better?
I Like the new Top Gun. I didn't like the trailer. Then my wife and I went to a cinema and that's all they played. We sat in and it was great. And of all the TV shows, Game of Thrones is number one.

Is there a skill that you really want to learn but haven't yet?
Sure, there are several. I'd like to learn to play guitar, I've tried but I find it very difficult. Maybe in the future, when I have more time. Also, with a friend of mine, my mentor, I've gone down to kickboxing training in Portugal several times - he was a professional competitor. I think it's a good form of training for a footballer, mostly in pre-season. I also like surfing a lot, it would be good to improve in that as well, but here in Hungary the possibilities are a bit more limited than at home on the ocean.

If you were a time traveller, would you rather visit the past or the future?
Interesting question. I would like to go back to the past, because then I would have the opportunity to meet important people who are no longer with us. At the same time, I am also curious about the future, especially now that things in the world are unfortunately moving in an interesting direction in many ways.

What was the most spontaneous thing in your life?
What exactly do you mean?

Like one day you got up and went skydiving or something.
Ah, I see. It was like that. Well, I didn't jump out of a plane, although now that you mention it, I'd like to try that sometime. So, one New Year's Eve, a friend and I rented a big caravan and drove down from Lisbon to Seville. There we partied the night away, slept it off and drove back. I don't know why we did it, it seemed like a good idea. It was fun anyway.

You have several tattoos. Which ones have deep meaning for you?
Like the black armband on my arm. In Portugal, it is customary to put a black ribbon on the arm of the deceased before the funeral. Unfortunately my grandmother is no longer with us, she was a very important person in my life. I wear this ribbon to remember her, and I also have a Latin quote that reminds me of her.

What programme would you recommend for Hungarians travelling to Portugal?
Rent a motorhome and drive down from Lisbon to the southern border of the coast. It's a wonderful trip, I recommend it with the family. Plus the country is full of sights and monuments that teach people about Portugal's very rich history.

And what would you tell your fellow countrymen why they should visit Hungary?
Visit Fehérvár, Budapest and of course Lake Balaton! The latter is obviously interesting in summer, but it's worth visiting the lake in any season. Anyway, I feel very much at home in your country, as Hungary, like Portugal, has a great history, and our cities have a similar character.

Would ten-year-old Rúben Pinto be happy to meet himself tonight?
Ten-year-old Rúben Pinto wanted to be a professional footballer. And he did. I have a wonderful family. I don't think I could wish for more. Of course, I had to work for it and like everyone else, I've had difficult times in my life. But now I'm trying to enjoy my time with football and my family as well as working.