Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on 5 February 1985 in Madeira, Portugal. He plays as a forward for the Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team. Commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo or CR7, he is regarded as one of the best players of this generation.

He has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or five times, two Ballon D'or's behind by his arch-rival Lionel Messi. Known for his pace and physicality, Ronaldo plays on the left wing but can play as a striker as well. The Portuguese international has scored 827 goals in 1153 appearances for club and country till date making him arguably one of the greatest footballers of all time.

Early Life

He was born in the Funchal district of Sao Pedro. He grew up in a small house with his parents, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro, as well as his three siblings.

At the age of seven, Ronaldo showed a great passion for soccer and played for a local team, Andorinha, where his father worked as a kit man. At the age of just eight years old, Ronaldo's talent was noticed by a former player and scout for Sporting Lisbon, a professional soccer team in Portugal. He was offered a trial with the club and soon after, was accepted into their youth academy.

He was diagnosed with racing heart condition which could have halted his footballing career when he was 15. After a successful surgery, he was able to play again and was promoted to the senior team at the age of 16. He became the first player to play for the U16, U17, U18, the B team and first team of the club in one season.

Club Career

Ronaldo made his debut for Sporting CP in the Primeira Liga against Moreirense on 7 October 2002. He scored a brace with Sporting winning 3-0. He made 25 appearances and scored five goals for the club in the 2002-03 season.

In a friendly match between Sporting and Manchester United in August 2003, Ronaldo contributed greatly to help the Portuguese club defeat United 3-1. He impressed manager Sir Alex Ferguson and other United players with his pace and dribbling skills.

He spent just one season with the club before being signed by Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world, in 2003 for a transfer fee of £12.24 million. He made his debut on 16th August 2003 against Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League, when he came on as a substitute for Nicky Butt. He received a standing ovation as United won 4-0. On November 1 2003, Cristiano scored his first goal for the club with a free kick in a 3-0 win against Portsmouth.

Ronaldo spent six seasons with Manchester United, where he became a key player and won numerous titles, including three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one UEFA Champions League title, and one FIFA Club World Cup. He also won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008, while still playing for Manchester United. He has scored 118 goals from 292 appearances for Manchester United.

Ronaldo joined Spanish giants Real Madrid in the 2009/10 season for a then-world-record transfer fee of £80 million. He was given the number 9 jersey and made his La Liga debut on 29 August 2009, against Deportivo La Coruna. Madrid won 3–2 and Ronaldo converted a penalty. He kept up his form and scored in four consecutive matches.

In his nine seasons with the club, he became their all-time top scorer with 451 goals in just 438 appearances. During his time at Real Madrid, he won four UEFA Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, and two Copa del Rey titles. He also won four more Ballon d'Or awards, bringing his total to five.

In 2018, Ronaldo was signed by Juventus, one of the biggest clubs in Italy, for a transfer fee of €100 million. Ronaldo cited his need for a new challenge as his rationale for departing Madrid, but later attributed the transfer to the lack of support he felt was shown by club president Florentino Pérez.

On 18 August, Ronaldo made his debut in a 3–2 away win against Chievo Verona. On 16 September, Ronaldo scored his first two goals for Juventus in his fourth appearance in a 2–1 home win over Sassuolo in Serie A; his second was the 400th league goal of his career.

During his three years at Juventus, he won consecutive Serie A titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20 as well as the Coppa Italia in 2020-21 and two Supercoppa Italiana in 2018 and 2020. He scored 101 goals in 134 appearances in all competitions.

On August 27th 2021, Ronaldo made a shock return to Manchester United at the age of 36. He was signed for an initial £12.85 million, with a two-year contract plus an optional year. Ronaldo was given the number 7 shirt after Edinson Cavani agreed to switch to number 21. The first 24 hours of Ronaldo's shirt sales was reported to have broken the all-time record following a transfer, overtaking Messi after his move to Paris Saint-Germain.

On 11 September, Ronaldo made his second debut at Old Trafford, scoring the opening two goals in a 4–1 league victory against Newcastle United. While his first few months at United were fruitful, his form started to dip in the second half of the season and he has a fractured relationship with interim manager Ralf Ragnick. Despite this, he finished as their top scorer, finding the net 24 times in 38 appearances.

In his second season under new manager Erik ten Hag, he found himself at the center of attention under media spotlight. Ronaldo publicly showed his dissatisfaction with the direction of United on and off the field. After failing to secure a transfer away from the club, he lost his starting spot in the team to the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. With tensions mounting over being benched and falling out with Ten Hag, his contract was terminated on November 22, 2022 by mutual agreement. He only scored three goals in 16 appearances in the 2022-23 season.

On 30 December 2022, Saudi club Al-Nassr reached an agreement for Ronaldo to join the club effective 1 January 2023, signing a contract until 2025. He received the highest salary in history, worth to be around €200 million per year. He made his debut for Al Nassr on 22 January, as club captain, playing the full 90 minutes of a 1–0 win over Al-Ettifaq, and scored his first goal in a 2–2 draw against Al-Fateh by converting a last-minute penalty.

International Career

Cristiano Ronaldo has also had a very successful international career with the Portuguese national team. He made his debut for the team in 2003, and has since gone on to become the team's all-time top scorer with over 100 goals.

Ronaldo has played in multiple international tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship, and the UEFA Nations League. He helped Portugal reach the final of the 2004 European Championship, where they lost to Greece, and the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup.

In 2016, Ronaldo played a key role in Portugal's triumph at the UEFA European Championship, scoring three goals in the tournament, including one in the final. He also led Portugal to victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019, scoring a hat-trick in the semi-final against Switzerland.

He currently has 118 goals for Portugal in 196 appearances.

Records

• All-time top scorer in UEFA Champions League history with 134 goals.

• All-time top scorer for Real Madrid with 451 goals in just 438 appearances.

• Most hat-tricks in La Liga history with 34.

• All-time top scorer for the Portuguese national team with over 100 goals.

• Most goals in a single UEFA Champions League season (17 goals in 2013-14 season)

• Fastest player to reach 100 goals in UEFA Champions League history.

• Most goals scored in UEFA European Championship history (14 goals)

• First player to score in 11 consecutive UEFA Champions League matches.

• Most goals scored in a single UEFA European Championship tournament (joint record with Michel Platini, 9 goals in 2016).

Awards and Achievements

Personal Life

Ronaldo was born in Madeira, Portugal, and comes from a large family. He has three siblings and is very close with his mother, Dolores Aveiro. Ronaldo is known for his philanthropy and has been involved in numerous charitable causes throughout his career. He has donated millions of dollars to various organizations, including UNICEF and Save the Children. He also has a passion for fashion and has launched his own clothing line. He also enjoys playing poker and has been known to participate in high-stakes games.

Ronaldo is known for his strict diet and fitness regimen, which he credits for his success on the field. He also promotes healthy living through his various social media platforms.

Net Worth

As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be around $500 million, making him one of the richest athletes in the world.

Family

Cristiano Ronaldo comes from a large family. His parents are Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro. Ronaldo's father passed away in 2005 due to liver failure. He has two older sisters, Elma and Katia, and one older brother, Hugo.

Ronaldo is also a father of five children. He has a son named Cristiano Jr., who was born in June 2010. The identity of Cristiano Jr.'s mother has not been publicly disclosed. In addition, Ronaldo has three other children with his partner, Georgina Rodriguez: a daughter named Alana Martina, who was born in November 2017, and twins Eva and Mateo, who were born via surrogate in June 2017. The couple expected their second pair of twins in 2022. The male twin died during childbirth while the female twin survived.

Partner

Cristiano Ronaldo is in a relationship with Georgina Rodriguez, a Spanish model and former Gucci sales assistant. The couple has been together since 2016 and currently live together with their children in Saudi Arabia.

Houses

Ronaldo has several luxurious homes located in different parts of the world. The following are the most notable ones:

Turin, Italy: The house is located in the hills of the Po river valley and features a stunning view of the city.

Funchal, Portugal: The house is located on a hill and offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Lisbon, Portugal: The apartment is located in the Chiado district and is said to be worth around €7.2 million.

New York City, USA: Ronaldo reportedly purchased a luxurious apartment in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 2015. The apartment features stunning views of Central Park and the city skyline.

Marbella, Spain: Ronaldo also owns a luxurious villa in Marbella, Spain. The house features seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a gym, a cinema room, and a large swimming pool.