ronaldo biography pdf

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Early life and career

International career, endorsements and legal issues.

What was Cristiano Ronaldo best known for?

How did cristiano ronaldo become world famous.

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Cristiano Ronaldo

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• Table Of Contents

When was Cristiano Ronaldo born?

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal , Madeira , Portugal .

What was Cristiano Ronaldo’s early life like?

Ronaldo joined Clube Desportivo Nacional of Madeira and then transferred to Sporting Clube de Portugal (known as Sporting Lisbon ), where he played for that club’s various youth football (soccer) teams before making his debut on Sporting’s first team in 2002. He signed with English powerhouse Manchester United in 2003.

An instant sensation, Ronaldo came to be regarded as one of football’s best forwards. His finest season with United came in 2007–08, when he scored 42 League and Cup goals and earned the Golden Shoe award as Europe ’s leading scorer, with 31 League goals. He is the all-time leading scorer for Spain ’s Real Madrid .

Ronaldo helped United to a Champions League title in May 2008 and captured Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Player of the Year honours for his stellar 2007–08 season. He was captain of Portugal’s national team in the 2014 and 2018 World Cup competitions and was the third person to earn a lifetime contract from the sportswear company Nike .

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Cristiano Ronaldo (born February 5, 1985, Funchal , Madeira , Portugal ) is a Portuguese football (soccer) forward who is one of the greatest players of his generation. The winner of five Ballon d’Or awards, he is among the sport’s top goal scorers.

Ronaldo’s father, José Dinis Aveiro, was the equipment manager for the local club Andorinha. (The name Ronaldo was added to Cristiano’s name in honor of his father’s favorite movie actor, Ronald Reagan , who was U.S. president at the time of Cristiano’s birth.) At age 15 Ronaldo was diagnosed with a heart condition that necessitated surgery, but he was sidelined only briefly and made a full recovery. He first played for Clube Desportivo Nacional of Madeira and then transferred to Sporting Clube de Portugal (known as Sporting Lisbon), where he played for that club’s various youth teams before making his debut on Sporting’s first team in 2002.

A tall player at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 meters), Ronaldo was a formidable athlete on the pitch. Originally a right-winger, he developed into a forward with a free-reined attacking style. He was able to mesmerize opponents with a sleight of foot that made sufficient space for openings in opposing defenses.

After a successful season with Sporting that brought the young player to the attention of Europe’s biggest football clubs, Ronaldo signed with English powerhouse Manchester United in 2003. He was an instant sensation and soon came to be regarded as one of the best forwards in the game. His finest season with United came in 2007–08, when he scored 42 League and Cup goals and earned the Golden Shoe award as Europe’s leading scorer, with 31 League goals. After helping United to a Champions League title in May 2008, Ronaldo captured Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Player of the Year honors for his stellar 2007–08 season. He also led United to an appearance in the 2009 Champions League final, which they lost to FC Barcelona .

Soon thereafter Ronaldo was sold to Spain’s Real Madrid —a club with which he had long been rumored to want to play—for a then record £80 million (about $131 million) transfer fee. His scoring prowess continued with his new team, and he netted the most goals (40) in La Liga history during the 2010–11 season (his record was broken the following season by his rival Lionel Messi of Barcelona). In 2011–12 Ronaldo helped Madrid capture a La Liga championship and scored a personal-best 46 goals during the League season. He scored a total of 66 goals in 56 appearances with Madrid and the Portuguese national team in 2013 to earn his second world player of the year award (the FIFA World Player of the Year was renamed the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2010).

In 2014 he scored 52 goals in 43 games and led Madrid to a Champions League title, which resulted in Ronaldo capturing another Ballon d’Or award. In 2014–15 he netted 48 goals to lead La Liga in scoring. Ronaldo netted his 324th goal as a member of Real in October 2015 to become the club’s all-time leading goal scorer. He scored 35 La Liga goals in 2015–16 and helped Real win its record 11th Champions League title, and in December 2016 he won a fourth career Ballon d’Or for his accomplishments. Ronaldo scored 42 goals for Real across all competitions in 2016–17 and led his team to La Liga and Champions League titles that season, which resulted in a fifth career Ballon d’Or award. In 2017–18 he scored 44 goals in 44 games, and Real won a third straight Champions League title.

In July 2018 he reached a four-year contract worth €112 million (about $132 million) with the Italian powerhouse Juventus . He finished his Real career with 311 goals in 292 matches. He scored 28 goals in his first season with Juventus—his lowest domestic goal total since his last season with Manchester United—as the powerhouse club won its eighth straight Italian league title. In the 2019–20 season Ronaldo helped the club capture another league title, and Juventus later won the 2020 Supercoppa Italiana and the 2021 Coppa Italia Final. Several months after the latter match, he left Juventus and returned to Manchester United. His second stint with the club proved disappointing, however. Both Ronaldo and Manchester struggled, and he expressed growing dissatisfaction with the club. In November 2022 his contract was terminated by “mutual agreement.” The following month Ronaldo signed with the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.

On his home soil, after moving through the youth and under-21 ranks, Ronaldo had made his first appearance for Portugal’s full national team against Kazakhstan in August 2003 (four days after his debut for United). He was a key player in Portugal’s fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Cup and became the full-time captain of the national team in 2008. In 2012 his stellar play led Portugal to the semifinals of the European Championship , where his team was eliminated by rival Spain in a match that was decided by a penalty kick shoot-out. Ronaldo came into the 2014 World Cup hot off of his second world player of the year win, but his play at the tournament was spotty, and the entire Portugal team struggled during a group-stage elimination. In 2016 he helped Portugal win the European Championship, the country’s first major international tournament title, although he only played sparingly in the final because of a knee injury that he had sustained early in the match. Ronaldo played brilliantly at the 2018 World Cup, scoring four goals in four games as Portugal advanced to the knockout round only to lose its first match of that stage to a strong defensive Uruguay side. Four years later Ronaldo became the first male player to score at five different World Cups. However, he was not part of the starting lineup for several games, and Portugal’s 2022 World Cup ended with a loss in the quarterfinals.

Ronaldo was one of the most well-known sports stars off the field, and numerous studies of athletes’ popularity showed that he was the most-beloved athlete in the world during his playing peak. His extreme popularity made Ronaldo one of the highest-paid endorsers in sports history, and in November 2016 he became the third person (after basketball superstars Michael Jordan and LeBron James ) to earn a “lifetime” contract from the sportswear company Nike . Moreover, he established his own successful “CR7” brand of products that included shoes, underwear, and fragrances. Ronaldo’s immense marketability was at the center of a legal issue that arose in June 2017. That month prosecutors filed a lawsuit that accused Ronaldo of defrauding the Spanish government of €14.7 million ($16.5 million) by hiding his image-rights income in Spain from 2011 to 2014. He was accused of having underestimated the income he earned from the sale and licensing of his image rights and the accompanying tax obligations, but Ronaldo denied all allegations. However, in June 2018 he accepted a suspended two-year prison sentence and agreed to pay €18.8 million ($21.8 million) to the Spanish government to settle the case.

Biography Online

Biography Cristiano Ronaldo

Short Biography Cristiano Ronaldo

His second name ‘Ronaldo’ was named after his father’s favourite American actor – Ronald Reagan.

From an early age, he loved playing football. His talent, enthusiasm and love for the game soon became apparent. By the age of ten, his talent was becoming well known in Portugal and he was signed for Nacional, a Portuguese side from Madeira. He later signed for Sporting Lisbon – one of the biggest clubs in Portugal.

His first international exposure came when representing Portugal under 17s at the UEFA championships. His performance caused him to be marked by leading European football managers. In 2003, he played against Manchester United when Sporting beat them 3-1 in a friendly.

At Manchester United, his career steadily progressed. In the 2006/07 season, Ronaldo was a key figure in Manchester’s successful league campaign. Ronaldo scored over 20 goals, as he won his first championship. In March 2007, his prowess helped him to gain a record-breaking £120,000 a week five-year contract. He also won PFA player of the year award.

The 2007-08 season was even better, with Cristiano Ronaldo being named the player of the tournament, as Manchester United won the coveted Champions League trophy. The most prestigious club competition in the world. Sir Alex Ferguson said of Ronaldo:

“We’ve had some great players at this club in my 20 years, but he’s up with the best.”

Real Madrid

However, despite the success, Ronaldo expressed a desire to leave the club, and move to Real Madrid. In 2009, Manchester United accepted an offer of £80 million from Real Madrid, making Ronaldo the most expensive player in the world.

His prolific goal-scoring record has lead to frequent comparison with Barcelona’s exceptional Lionel Messi. Sometimes, Ronaldo played up the rivalry, but at other times played it down.

“It’s part of my life now. People are bound to compare us. He tries to do his best for his club and for his national team, as I do, and there is a degree of rivalry with both of us trying to do the best for the teams we represent.”

– Cristiano Ronaldo

On 10 July 2018, Ronaldo was signed by Italian club Juventus for a €100 transfer fee (plus additional €12 million in other fees. In his first season, he helped Juventus to another Serie A title, and Ronaldo became the first player to win national titles in the big three leagues of England, Spain and Italy.

World Cup and international career.

Style of Play

There is widespread admiration for the athleticism, speed, talent and technical ability of Ronaldo. He has the capacity to dribble and beat players, and score a spectacular array of goals from overhead bicycle kicks to free-kicks and headers. Over the years, he has worked on both his physical strength and technical ability. He plays with tremendous confidence and often makes use of feints, dummies and step-overs, his skill and reputation make him a feared opponent. His self-confidence is a defining feature of his game and personality. Interviewed in 2018, he replied

“In my mind, I’m always the best. I don’t care what people think, what they say. In my mind, not just this year but always, I’m always the best.”

Cristiano Ronaldo BBC Sport ( 5 November 2015 ).

Ronaldo has a strong work ethic, and has been able to maintain a consistently high standard of play for several seasons:

“I am not a perfectionist, but I like to feel that things are done well. More important than that, I feel an endless need to learn, to improve, to evolve, not only to please the coach and the fans, but also to feel satisfied with myself. It is my conviction that there are no limits to learning, and that it can never stop, no matter what our age.”

– Cristiano Ronaldo.

He has sometimes been accused of having a petulant side. For example at the 2010 World Cup, he winked after getting David Beckham sent off.

Outside of football

Outside of football, he is often photographed with his model girlfriends and in his many sports car. Perhaps unfairly, he is characterised as the ultimate ‘playboy’ footballer, with his styled hair, and expensive clothes. In 2009, he was involved in a crash whilst driving his Ferrari. However, after reacting to newspaper claims he was involved in drinking in England, he replied,

“I don’t smoke or drink, and I’m not a big spender. I live in a rural part of Cheshire and my nearest neighbours are squirrels, birds and cows. Much of my time is spent at home with friends and family. I enjoy being peaceful and often sit by the candlelight to relax. Tranquillity is important to me.”

Ronaldo says he does not drink alcohol, which may be related to the early death of his father in 2005, aged 52 from alcohol-related liver damage.

He has also been involved in numerous philanthropy initiatives and has given parts of his salary to charitable relief efforts. He serves as a Save the Children Global artist ambassador.

Family life

He has three children via a surrogate mother and one daughter with a former girlfriend, Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez.

The legendary George Best said of Ronaldo:

“There have been a few players described as the new George Best over the years, but this is the first time it’s been a compliment to me.”

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Cristiano Ronaldo”, Oxford, UK. www.biographyonline.net Last updated 18 March 2020.

Career Achievements

• Ronaldo is the only player to win the unique combination of the league title, domestic cup, domestic Supercup, Champions League, Club World Cup, League player of the year, Golden Shoe and Ballon d’Or at two clubs (Manchester United and Real Madrid)
• Most goals scored in a single calendar year for club and country: 63 goals (2012)
• Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League: 128 goals (2020)
• Winner of five FIFA Ballon d’Or awards (given to world’s best player)
• Only player to win national titles in England, Spain and Italy.
• Five times winner of UEFA Champions League (4 with Real Madrid, 1 with Man Utd)
• Four times winner of FIFA club world cup.
• At the time (2009) The most expensive footballer in history £80 million – Man Utd to Real Madrid
• Only player in history to have scored 60 or more goals in a calendar year four times (consecutively from 2011 to 2014)
• The only player to score 50 goals or more in seven consecutive seasons (2011-17)
• Real Madrid all-time top goalscorer: 450 goals
• Most goals scored in a season in all competitions: 60 goals
• Most goals scored in a single La Liga season: 46 goals
• Most goals scored in a single UEFA Champions League season: 17 goals
• Most hat-tricks in a La Liga career (25)
• Most international goals scored in a calendar year: 32 (2017)
• First player to score in ten consecutive international tournaments (2004-19)
• Portugal’s most capped player of all time: 164 caps
• Portugal’s all-time top goalscorer: 99 goals

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13 Comments

Imagine saying pepsi(messi) is better than the goat (Ronaldo)

• February 10, 2022 5:23 PM

Christiano is the best player in the whole world

• January 07, 2022 11:34 AM
• By Adebisi adeyinka

cr7 is the best player in worldwide

• December 28, 2021 7:50 AM
• By akindejoye tayo

Join the Discussion Cancel reply

Cristiano Ronaldo Biography

Birthday: February 5 , 1985 ( Aquarius )

Born In: Funchal, Portugal

Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is often regarded as one of the best footballers to have ever played the game and his performances over the better part of a decade have only helped in reinforcing that belief among football fans. Ronaldo grew up in Madeira, Portugal but after graduating from the youth set up at Sporting CP he was immediately snapped up by English club Manchester United after his talent as a winger was spotted by their legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson . Ronaldo spent six years at Manchester United and that was where he developed his game as a skillful, quick, lethal winger who could score goals and create opportunities for his teammates. He won plenty of trophies for Manchester United and also shone for Portugal before he moved to Real Madrid as the world’s most expensive player. At Real Madrid, he has broken some of the most important goal-scoring records that had stood for many years and also led the club to important trophies. Ronaldo is also the captain of the Portuguese national team and led them to victory in Euro 2016—their first-ever triumph in a major tournament. He has also won several individual awards that have further cemented his status as one of the world’s premier footballers. With over 598 million followers, Cristiano Ronaldo is the most-followed individual on Instagram.

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Nick Name: The Sultan Of The Stepover

Girlfriend: Georgina Rodríguez , Irina Shayk (2010–2015)

Also Known As: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro

Age: 39 Years , 39 Year Old Males

father: José Dinis Aveiro

mother: Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro

siblings: Elma Aveiro, Hugo Aveiro, Liliana Catia Aveiro

children: Alana Martina dos Santos Aveiro , Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. , Eva Maria Dos Santos , Mateo Ronaldo

Born Country: Portugal

Quotes By Cristiano Ronaldo Football Players

Height: 6'2" (188 cm ), 6'2" Males

Ancestry: Cape Verdean Portuguese

awards: Ballon d'Or - 2008 European Golden Shoe - 2015-2011-2008 FIFA World Player of the Year - 2009

Pichichi Trophy - 2015-2014-2011 FIFA Puskás Award - 2009 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award - 2014 FIFA FIFPro World XI - 2012-2011-2010 UEFA Team of the Year - 2012-2011-2010 PFA Players' Player of the Year - 2007-2006 Premier League Player of the Month - 2008-2008-2006 Premier League Golden Boot - 2007 Best International Athlete ESPY Award - 2014 PFA Young Player of the Year - 2006 Premier League Player of the Season - 2007-2006 Onze d'Or - 2008 FWA Footballer of the Year - 2007-2006 PFA Fans' Player of the Year - 2007-2006 Goal 50 - 2012-2008 Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano - 2011 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year - 2007 World Soccer Player of the Year - 2008 UEFA Champions League Top Goalscorer - 2015-2014-2013 Bravo Award - 2004 PFA Team of the Year - 2008-2007-2006 La Liga Player of the Month - 2013 Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year - 2007-2006-2003 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year - 2014 LFP Most Valuable Player - 2013 Milliyet Sports Award for World Athlete of the Year - 2014 FifPro Special Young Player of the Year - 2005-2004 IFFHS World's Best Top Division Goal Scorer - 2013 UEFA Club Forward of the Year - 2007 FIFA Ballon d'Or - 2015-2014

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Cristiano Ronaldo: The Award-Winning Biography Fully Updated (Guillem Balague's Books) Paperback – 2 May 2024

The definitive award-winning biography of Cristiano Ronaldo - fully updated to include the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo's explosive exit from Manchester United and his record-breaking transfer to Al-Nassr As the Qatar World Cup opened to worldwide jubilation, Cristiano Ronaldo's second spell at Manchester United reached an abrupt conclusion. It was not to be the fairy tale ending to a glittering career. Instead, over the two seasons, it had snowballed into a toxic standoff between himself, the board and newly appointed manager, Erik ten Hag. The Theatre's dream was over. On 22 November 2022, Ronaldo's contract was terminated. In this compelling account, Guillem Balagué draws on impeccable sources, first-hand interviews and unprecedented access, taking us on a journey from Madeira to Manchester, and onto Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia. From Ronaldo's tutelage under Sir Alex Ferguson to becoming the biggest galáctico of them all at Real Madrid, and captaining Portugal to the first silverware in their history at the UEFA Euro 2016, Guillem chronicles Ronaldo's career in its entirety. This is nothing less than the definitive portrait of a true icon of modern football, who has reached the very heights of the beautiful game and cemented his place as one of the greatest players of all time.

• Print length 528 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Seven Dials
• Publication date 2 May 2024
• Dimensions 10.16 x 2.95 x 17.78 cm
• ISBN-10 1399619195
• ISBN-13 978-1399619196
• See all details

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Guillem Balagué is an award-winning football author, journalist and presenter who works regularly for BBC Radio 5 Live, LaLiga TV and the American network CBS. In his previous role at Sky Sports, he was a key fixture of their Spanish football coverage for over twenty years, known for his regular appearances on Sky Sports News, 'Revista de LaLiga', his punditry work and being the go-to man for anything relating to the Spanish transfer market. He has his own YouTube channel, 1.2m+ followers on social media, his own podcast (Pure Football) and gives Master Classes in journalism at UCFB University in Wembley (London) and the Etihad stadium in Manchester. He wrote the bestselling A Season on the Brink , an insider's account of Liverpool's 2004-05 Champions' League winning campaign. In November 2012, he published the first international biography of Pep Guardiola, based on conversations with him, shortlisted for Football Book of the Year, as were his following four books. The following year, he published Messi: The Definitive Biography , the first complete biography of the Argentinian star. As well as two ebooks (diaries of the 2012 European Championships and the 2014 World Cup), he published the Official History of FC Barcelona in the autumn of 2014. In November 2015, he wrote Cristiano Ronaldo: the Biography which won the Football Book of the Year Award at the British Sports Book Awards and the Best Football Book of 2016 in Poland. His latest books Brave New World - Inside Pochettino's Spurs and Maradona were Sunday Times bestsellers in the UK. He is also chairman of non-league Biggleswade FC. Follow Guillem at: - www.guillembalague.com - www.facebook.com/guillembalague - www.instagram.com/guillembalague - www.twitter.com/GuillemBalague

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Seven Dials (2 May 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1399619195
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1399619196
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.16 x 2.95 x 17.78 cm
• 11 in Spanish Historical Biographies
• 16 in Arsenal FC
• 35 in Middle Eastern Historical Biographies

About the author

Guillem balagué.

Guillem Balague is the author of Messi, Barça, Pep Guardiola, A Season on the Brink, and Cristiano Ronaldo. A key fixture of Sky Sports' coverage of Spanish football, he appears regularly both on live match coverage and on the weekly round-up show, Revista de la Liga. He is also the UK Correspondent for AS, the Madrid-based Spanish sports newspaper, and El Larguero, Spain's most popular sports radio show. His work appears regularly in The Times and in Champions magazine, where he writes a regular column on international football.

http://www.guillembalague.com/en/home

https://twitter.com/GuillemBalague

https://www.facebook.com/guillembalague

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Customers find the book excellent, with fast delivery and good quality.

" Great read and insight into CR7" Read more

" Great book to read if your a fan of Ronaldo, his up bringing and rise to becoming the superstar he is...." Read more

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Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography Paperback – September 24, 2019

• Print length 464 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Weidenfeld & Nicolson
• Publication date September 24, 2019
• Dimensions 5 x 1.13 x 7.75 inches
• ISBN-10 1474611567
• ISBN-13 978-1474611565
• See all details

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About the author, product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Weidenfeld & Nicolson (September 24, 2019)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1474611567
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1474611565
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.9 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.13 x 7.75 inches
• #284 in Soccer Biographies (Books)
• #664 in Soccer (Books)
• #1,058 in Football (Books)

About the author

Guillem balagué.

Guillem Balague is the author of Messi, Barça, Pep Guardiola, A Season on the Brink, and Cristiano Ronaldo. A key fixture of Sky Sports' coverage of Spanish football, he appears regularly both on live match coverage and on the weekly round-up show, Revista de la Liga. He is also the UK Correspondent for AS, the Madrid-based Spanish sports newspaper, and El Larguero, Spain's most popular sports radio show. His work appears regularly in The Times and in Champions magazine, where he writes a regular column on international football.

http://www.guillembalague.com/en/home

https://twitter.com/GuillemBalague

https://www.facebook.com/guillembalague

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Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is a professional soccer player who has set records while playing for the Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus clubs, as well as the Portuguese national team.

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1985-present

Who Is Cristiano Ronaldo?

In the 2004 FA Cup final, Ronaldo scored Manchester's first three goals and helped them capture the championship. He set a franchise record for goals scored in 2008, before Real Madrid paid a record $131 million for his services the following year.

Among his many accomplishments, he has won a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards for player of the year, and led Portugal to an emotional victory in the 2016 European Championship. In July 2018, Ronaldo embarked on a new phase of his career by signing with Italian Serie A club Juventus .

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Cristiano Ronaldo BORN: February 5, 1985 BIRTHPLACE: Funchal, Portugal CHILDREN: 4 ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aquarius

Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, a small island off the western coast of the country. Ronaldo is the youngest of four children born to Maria Dolores dos Santos and José Dinis Aveiro. He was named after Ronald Reagan , one of his father's favorite actors.

Ronaldo grew up in a largely working class neighborhood in a small tin-roofed home that overlooked the ocean. Ronaldo was introduced to the game of soccer through his dad, who worked as an equipment manager at a boy's club.

His early life was shaped by hardship, as his father often drank too much. To help keep the children fed and maintain some financial stability, Ronaldo's mother worked as a cook and cleaning person.

In 2005, when Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United, his father died from alcohol-related kidney problems; in 2007, his mother struggled with breast cancer. The former was especially hard for Ronaldo since he and his dad had been close.

The young athlete had often pushed for his father to enter rehab and address his drinking. His father, however, never accepted the offer.

By the time he was 10 years old, Ronaldo was already recognized as a phenomenon — a kid who ate, slept and drank soccer. "All he wanted to do as a boy was play football," his godfather, Fernao Sousa, recalled for British reporters, adding, "He loved the game so much he'd miss meals or escape out of his bedroom window with a ball when he was supposed to be doing his homework."

By his early teens, Ronaldo's talent and legend had grown considerably. After a stint with Nacional da liha da Madeira, he signed with Sporting Portugal in 2001.

Soccer Career

Manchester united.

In 2001, when Ronaldo was just 16 years old, Manchester United paid more than £12 million to sign him — a record fee for a player of his age.

Ronaldo had turned heads with a mesmerizing performance with Portugal against Manchester, wowing even his opponents with his footwork and deft skill. He made such an impression that a number of United players asked their manager to try and sign the young player, which the team soon did.

Ronaldo did not disappoint the soccer world: He showed his promise early on in the 2004 FA Cup final, scoring the team's first three goals and helping them capture the championship. In 2007, Ronaldo signed a five-year, £31 million contract.

A year later, Ronaldo again justified his high salary when he put together one of the club's finest seasons in history, setting a franchise record for goals scored (42), and earning himself the FIFA World Player of the Year honor for 2008. In all, Ronaldo helped steer Manchester United to three premier league titles.

Real Madrid

In 2009, the Spanish soccer club Real Madrid agreed to pay Manchester United a record $131 million for the chance to sign Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s commitment to Manchester United had come under constant question, and speculation swirled that he wanted to play elsewhere, so nobody was all that surprised to see Ronaldo leave.

"I know that they are going to demand a lot of me to be successful at the club and I know that I'm going to have much more pressure than at Manchester United because I was there for many years," Ronaldo told reporters. "But it means a new challenge and is going to help me be the best footballer."

Ronaldo went on to compile an impressive list of individual honors and team trophies. In December 2016, he won his fourth Ballon d'Or award as the sport's player of the year, beating out FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi .

Ronaldo’s 2016 wins included the European Championship, Champions League and Club World Cup, plus individual awards from UEFA and France Football magazine. The following year, he claimed a fifth Ballon d'Or to tie the mark held by his longtime rival, Messi.

After dropping hints that his time with Real was coming to an end, Ronaldo confirmed the rumors in July 2018 by signing with Italian Serie A club Juventus, which paid a $140 million transfer fee to his old Spanish club.

Ronaldo paid tribute to Real fans in an open letter on the club's website, writing: "These years at Real Madrid and in this city of Madrid have quite possibly been the happiest years of my life. I only have feelings of great gratitude to this club, to the fans and to the city. I can only give thanks to all of them for the love and affection that I have received."

By most measures, Ronaldo's debut season with Juventus was a successful one. He scored 10 times in his first 14 games, and headed home the lone goal in a win over AC Milan for the Supercoppa Italiana trophy. After leading his club to its eighth consecutive Serie A title, he was named the league's MVP in May 2019.

Return to Manchester United

On August 27, 2021, it was announced that Ronaldo would return to Manchester United.

Portugal National Team

On July 10, 2016, Ronaldo added an emotional victory to his collection. As his national team's captain, Ronaldo led Portugal to the European Championship final against France.

Although he was sidelined after suffering a knee injury 25 minutes into the match, Portugal went on to win the championship title 1-0, their first international trophy. Ronaldo's teammates said that he motivated them as team captain from the sidelines.

"He gave us a lot of confidence and he said, 'Listen people, I'm sure we will win this Euro so stay together and fight for it,’” fullback Cedric Soares said after Portugal’s victory.

"This is one of the happiest moments in my career,” Ronaldo commented. ”I’ve always said I wanted to win a trophy with the national team and make history. And I did it. Thank God, things went well for us."

Ronaldo got off to a tremendous start at the 2018 World Cup, blasting home three goals in an opening draw vs. Spain, before adding another vs. Morocco to set a European record with his 85th international goal.

However, he was held scoreless in a 2-1 loss to Uruguay in the knockout stage, after which he declined to comment on his future with the national team.

Personal Life

Ronaldo is dating the Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez; the couple was first seen together publicly around November 2016.

In June 2017, the couple welcomed twins, a boy and a girl, via a surrogate. In November 2017, Rodriguez added to their family with the birth of another girl.

Ronaldo’s first child, Cristiano Jr., was born to a former girlfriend in June 2010.

Statue at the Madeira Airport

In March 2017, self-taught sculptor Emanuel Santos unveiled a bronze bust of Ronaldo at the airport in Ronaldo’s hometown of Madeira, Portugal. The statue was ridiculed for its sinister smile and apparent lack of likeness to its subject, though Santos didn't seem to understand the uproar.

"I asked [Ronaldo] what he thought of the result and he said he liked it," said Santos. "He only asked for some wrinkles that give him a certain expression to his face when he laughs to be changed. He said it made him look older and asked for it to be thinned out a bit to make it smoother and more jovial."

In the wake of the negative publicity, the sports site Bleacher Report commissioned Santos to fashion another sculpture of Ronaldo. This one, unveiled in March 2018, earned praise for more closely resembling the soccer great, though its creator continued to defend his original work.

"I liked the result [of the first bust] and was really proud of it," he told Bleacher Report. "And if I had to do it again, I would make everything exactly the same."

Sexual Assault Investigation

In 2018, police in Las Vegas, Nevada, reopened a 9-year old investigation into claims that Ronaldo had raped a woman in his hotel room. The accuser also filed a civil lawsuit against the star athlete.

The following summer, the district attorney for Clark County, Nevada, announced that he had reviewed the case and would not be pursuing criminal charges against Ronaldo.

• Many people look at me and think they know me, but they don’t at all.
• My father always taught me that when you help other people, then God will give you double.
• Listen, I’m not going to change the world. You’re not going to change the world. But we can help, we can all help.
• When I was younger I couldn’t understand the meaning of true friendship. Now I have more experience and I know who loves me without wanting anything.
• I want to win all the trophies possible!
• I don’t like to do things by halves. It has to be done well.
• Either you like me or not. There is nothing in between.
• I look at the ball, I look at the net and I say to myself, “Take the kick, Ronaldo,” then I shoot.
• The goals I have scored are a consequence of the confidence I have.
• I keep to my word, my promise and dreams. I’ll never close any door to any club.

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Cristiano Ronaldo

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