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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

Cristiano Ronaldo The Rise of a Winner

Cristiano Ronaldo The Rise of a Winner at Amazon

Cristiano Ronaldo – Moments

Cristiano Ronaldo – Moments at Amazon

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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

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Biography of Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid Soccer Player

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Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (born February 5, 1985) is the quintessential footballer/soccer star. Possessing strength, pace, skill, and professionalism in abundance, Ronaldo’s many attributes leave him well-equipped for the modern game.

In an age where players have never been fitter or stronger, Ronaldo ensures that his outrageous natural talent is complemented by a bulging physique that makes him a tough competitor and a threat to any defense.

In 2009, his US$131 million move from Manchester United to Real Madrid made him the most expensive player in the world (since surpassed by Gareth Bale). And at the Bernabeu, he has thrilled the masses with high-caliber performances and an unreal number of goals.

Fast Facts: Cristano Ronaldo

• Nationality: Portuguese
• Date and Place of Birth: February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Portugal
• Position: Winger/Striker
• Current Club: Real Madrid (La Liga)
• Previous Clubs: Sporting Lisbon (2001-2003), Manchester United (2003-2009)
• International Career: 2003 to present

Early Career

Sporting Lisbon signed a 10-year-old Ronaldo after a three-day trial and he ultimately became the first player to turn out for the club with the Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, B-team, and first team in a single season.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson swooped to sign him as an 18-year-old after a devastating performance in a friendly against his side in 2003.

Rise to Prominence

Ferguson eased Ronaldo in gently, but from his early cameo performances, it was obvious the Scot had signed a player of immense natural ability.

Wearing the famous number seven shirt previously assigned to the likes of George Best and Eric Cantona, Ronaldo’s first season garnered 10 goals.

By the end of the 2006-07 season, the Portuguese star had registered 23 goals in 53 appearances for United and played a major role in the club winning their first title for four seasons.

The World's Best

The following campaign was to prove his best in a Red Devils shirt. Ronaldo scored a stunning total of 42 goals in 49 games as United won the Premier League and Champions League . He dovetailed beautifully with Wayne Rooney, while Carlos Tevez helped make the team’s attack one of the most prolific in the world game that season.

But rumors already started circulating about a move to Real Madrid. Manchester United stood firm that summer, retaining Ronaldo for one last season and at the turn of the year he won the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the first time.

Twenty-six goals in all competition helped United to another Premier League title and an appearance in the Champions League final where the English club was beaten 2-0 by Barcelona.

But it was no secret that Ronaldo was looking for pastures new and on June 26, 2009, Real Madrid confirmed that he would be joining them in a world record deal.

The Latest Galáctico

Florentino Perez was the man who brought Ronaldo to the Bernabeu as he begun a second spell as president. His Galácticos policy is world famous, and Ronaldo certainly fitted the mold, following in the footsteps of Luis Figo, David Beckham, and Zinedine Zidane.

Ronaldo was presented to 80,000 fans at the Bernabeu, as club legend Alfredo Di Stefano handed him the famous number nine shirt.

A devastating haul of 33 goals in 35 appearances—despite missing a month and a half through injury—rendered his first season in Spain a huge personal success, although no trophies were forthcoming as Barcelona continued their domestic dominance and Real Madrid again bowed out in the Champions League second round.

Under fellow countryman Jose Mourinho , Ronaldo helped Real Madrid to the Copa del Rey in the 2010/11 season, scoring the winning goal against Barcelona in the final.

He also beat the all-time record for goals in a single season in La Liga, turning on the afterburners (11 in the final four games) in the final weeks to take his tally to 40 for the season.

Another Personal Best

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi would exceed that tally the following season, but 2011/12 was also to be Ronaldo’s best to date. He netted 46 in the league and a sublime 63 in all competition as Real Madrid reclaimed the Liga title from Barcelona.

His goal against Barca in a 2-1 Liga win at Camp Nou all but ensured Real Madrid’s first title since 2008. Indeed, 2011/12 was the season Ronaldo started to match his performance in El Clasico with those against the league’s lesser lights.

Ronaldo has surpassed the 50-goal mark for Real Madrid in each of the seasons since and in the 2013/14 campaign he netted a record 17 in 11 Champions League matches as the club finally achieved La Decima —their 10th European Cup.

Another stunning season, of course, saw Ronaldo retain the FIFA Ballon d'Or which he has also won the previous year.

International Level

Ronaldo was first called up to the senior Portugal squad in August 2003, and made the final cut for Euro 2004, where he scored two goals. But on home turf, Portugal lost to Greece in the final.

Seven goals helped his country qualify for the 2006 World Cup, but at the big event in Germany, he could only muster a penalty against Iran as Portugal lost to France in the semi-finals.

Ronaldo again flourished in qualifying for Euro 2008, but was disappointing when the big event came around as Portugal went out in the quarter-finals.

Despite a scintillating first season in a Real Madrid shirt, Ronaldo again looked bereft at his next major tournament—the 2010 World Cup in South Africa . He netted in the 7-0 rout of North Korea, but like many of the tournament’s other major stars, failed to deliver and did little as Portugal bowed out to eventual winners Spain in the second round.

Ronaldo's three goals helped Portugal to the semi-finals of Euro 2012, after he had made a slow start to the tournament. The 2014 World Cup was a deep disappointment, though, as a knee tendonitis problem undermined his displays. He scored just once as Portugal bowed out in the group stage amid speculation that he did not believe in his teammates.

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Cristiano Ronaldo

2009 - 2018.

• Full name Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aveiro
• Place of birth Funchal (Portugal)
• Date of birth 05/02/1985

Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer

Position: Forward Competitive appearances: 438 Goals: 451 International caps with Portugal: 154 Cristiano Ronaldo is a part of Real Madrid's legacy and will forever be remember as one of the great icons throughout the club's history. He was unveiled at the Santiago Bernabéu on 6 July 2009, where he was joined by Eusebio and Alfredo Di Stéfano, and since that day, the goals just kept coming. He netted 451 times in 438 competitive appearances with Real Madrid (averaging over a goal a game). He registered in all of the competitions he featured in: 312 in LaLiga, 105 in the Champions League, 22 in the Copa del Rey, six in the Club World Cup, four in the Spanish Super Cup and two in the UEFA Super Cup. Nobody throughout the club's history has scored as many goals as the Portuguese attacker, who boasts an impressive trophy haul as a Real Madrid player: four Champions League crowns, three Club World Cups and UEFA Super Cups apiece, two LaLiga titles, a pair of Copas del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups. This list of honours is completed with four Ballons d'Or, three Golden Shoe awards, two The Best awards, whilst he was named UEFA Best Player in Europe three times and landed the Pichichi crown on three occasions. A spell full of records During the course of his nine seasons as a Real Madrid player, Ronaldo secured a number of impressive records: the club's all-time leading goalscorer, the leading marksmen in European Cup history (he scored 105 goals for Real Madrid in the Champions League); the all-time leading madridista goalscorer in LaLiga (312); highest number of games in which a player has scored three or more times in LaLiga history (34); and the most goals to have been scored by a Real Madrid player in a single season (61). During his time at the club, he also clinched the record for the most goals scored in a Champions League campaign (17) and ended the competition as the leading goalscorer on six occasions. Club president Florentino Pérez labelled him as "the heir to Alfredo Di Stéfano”, and just like Don Alfredo, he has left an indelible mark on the history of the best club in the world.

With Real Madrid

• 4 European Cups
• 3 Club World Cups
• 3 UEFA Super Cups
• 2 LaLiga titles
• 2 Copas del Rey
• 2 Spanish Super Cups

With Portugal

• 1 European Championship with Portugal

Fotos y vídeos

Cristiano Ronaldo

• Born February 5 , 1985 · Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
• Birth name Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
• The Sultan Of The Stepover
• Pride of Portugal
• Height 6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
• Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on February 5, 1985, in Madeira, Portugal to Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Diniz Aveiro. Cristiano has an elder brother, Hugo and two elder sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia. His name was inspired by the former US-president, Ronald Reagan, whom his father was influenced by. The island of Madeira was also the place where Cristiano first learned to master his skills as a footballer. He spent his early years playing for his local team, Nacional, and by the time he turned 12 years old, he already made his name for himself as one of Madeira's top footballers . It wasn't long before he started to catch the attention of other big Portuguese clubs. Among Sporting was Benfica, a team Cristiano and his father followed as a young boy. However he eventually chose to play for Sporting which was a team his mother loved and followed as she was growing up, to play with the likes of Figo was the dream for her son. He was then spotted by former Liverpool manager, Gerard Houllier at the age of sixteen but Liverpool had no intentions to sign him at that time because they thought he was too young and he needed more time to develop his skills. However, in the summer of 2003, when Sporting played against Manchester United and defeated them, Cristiano caught the attention of Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player. Initially, he requested for the number 28 as his jersey number because he didn't feel that he could live up to the pressure of previous players such as George Best and David Beckham who wore the number 7 jersey. The year 2006 to 2008 proved to be a rather controversial year for the star. In the 2006 World Cup, Cristiano faced accusations regarding his sportsmanship. In a quarter-final match against England, he was heavily criticized for sending of his club team mate, Wayne Rooney who was playing for the England team. It wasn't too long until fans started accepting Cristiano again. In 2007, he won PFA Young Player of the Year, PFA Player of the Year, PFA Fans' Player of the Year, Portuguese Footballer of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year, Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and Manchester United's Players' Player of the Year. The year 2008 also saw him taking back the PFA Player Of The Year Award for the second time running. That same year, Ronaldo also had to deal with controversies regarding his club transfer to Spanish giants, Real Madrid. He eventually chose to stay with Manchester United and stressed to the public that he had no intentions of leaving the club. Cristiano now lives with his cousin, Nuno and his brother in law Ze. When he is not on the field, he is a very family oriented person. Growing up, when he was about to choose football as his career, he said that it was very difficult for him as that would mean lesser time with his family, especially his mother, whom he says play a major role in his life. During his free time, Cristiano enjoys cooking. He mentioned in an interview that he usually cooks before he leaves for his soccer practice. Because he is constantly training, Cristiano rarely has time to watch TV. If he does get the time to watch, he says he loves watching one of the local Portuguese game show which is mostly about trivia questions. Cristiano is an avid learner and he takes interest in learning new things everyday. Among Cristiano's biggest pet peeves are smoking, people who don't make an effort and dishonesty. When the tsunami hit South East Asia, Cristiano flew to Indonesia to help those in need. He auctioned off a few stuff to help raise funds for charity. He hopes to get involved in more charity projects in the future because he believes his star status will help him reach out to others for help. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Ezequiel De Castilla
• Children Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. Alana Martina dos Santos Aveiro Mateo Ronaldo Eva Maria Dos Santos Bella Esmeralda dos Santos Aveiro
• After playing against Manchester United in a pre-season friendly the Manchester United players urged the manager to sign Cristiano on the the plane back to Manchester.
• Was signed by Manchester United as a long term replacement for David Beckham .
• Became the most expensive teenager in Britain in 2003.
• Scored Manchester United Football Club's 1,000th league goal against Middlesbrough Football Club.
• Flew to Indonesia to visit the areas affected by the tsunami and raised over 1 billion rupiah by auctioning off his personal sports gear.
• I would be very proud if, one day, I'm held in the same esteem as George Best or Beckham. It's what I'm working hard towards.
• Lots of young players have triumphed at United, so why can't it happen to me? I'm not worried I'm young - it's an incentive to do the best I can.
• The No 7 shirt is an honor and a responsibility. I hope it brings me a lot of luck.
• There is no harm in dreaming of becoming the world's best player. It is all about trying to be the best. I will keep working hard to achieve it but it is within my capabilities.
• I've never tried to hide the fact that it is my intention to be the best

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Who Is Ronaldo?

Ronaldo established himself as an unstoppable scorer for European soccer teams in the mid-1990s. He bounced back from a disappointing finish to the 1998 World Cup and a series of knee injuries to lead Brazil to victory in the 2002 World Cup, and retired in 2011 as one of the game's all-time greats.

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima was born on September 18, 1976, in Itaguaí, Brazil. His parents, Nélio Nazário de Lima and Sônia dos Santos Barata, separated when he was 11, and Ronaldo dropped out of school shortly afterward to pursue a soccer career.

Ronaldo joined the Social Ramos indoor soccer team at the age of 12 before moving on to São Cristóvão, where he was discovered by his future agents, Reinaldo Pitta and Alexandre Martins. The two arranged for the sale of their new client's contract to Cruzeiro, a professional club in the city of Belo Horizonte.

Professional Soccer Player

Ronaldo showcased his impressive goal-scoring ability for Cruzeiro, helping the club to its first Brazil Cup championship in 1993. The talented 17-year-old was named to the Brazilian national team for the 1994 World Cup in the United States, though he watched from the bench as his countrymen won the Cup.

Ronaldo hit the ground running when his contract was sold to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands in 1994, averaging nearly a goal per game against top-notch European competition. Two years with PSV Eindhoven were followed by one with FC Barcelona and then a move to Inter Milan, a four-year period in which Ronaldo twice won FIFA World Player of the Year and carried his teams to victory in the Dutch and Spanish Super Cups.

During his peak, Ronaldo possessed an unstoppable combination of speed and power, equally capable of plowing through defenders as he was of nimbly sidestepping their attacks and accelerating away. Adding to his aura was an aversion to practicing and training hard, an attitude that did little to stem his dominance.

Big things were expected from Ronaldo and Brazil in the 1998 World Cup in France, but while he was named the Golden Ball winner as the Cup's best player, the tournament ended on a sour note when Ronaldo suffered a convulsive fit before the final and was ineffective in a 3-0 loss to the host country. Bigger setbacks followed when Ronaldo ruptured a knee tendon in November 1999 and reinjured the knee five months later, knocking him out of action for almost two years.

Ronaldo made a triumphant return in time for the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, netting eight goals to win the Golden Boot Award as the Cup's top scorer while leading Brazil its fifth world championship. Ronaldo transferred to Real Madrid that fall, winning the FIFA World Player of the Year Award a third time before leading his new club to La Liga and Spanish Super Cup championships in 2003.

Ronaldo appeared in one final World Cup for Brazil in 2006. Although Brazil was bounced in the quarterfinals by France, Ronaldo scored three times to set a record with 15 career goals in World Cup play.

Ronaldo transferred to AC Milan in 2007, but in 2008 he sustained another serious knee injury and his contract was not renewed after the season. The Brazilian legend returned to his home country in 2009 to play for Corinthians, helping them to victories in the Campeonato Paulista league and Brazil Cup that year, before announcing his retirement in February 2011.

Post-Career and Legacy

Ronaldo is recognized as one of the best soccer players in history. In 2004, he was named to the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest living players compiled by the legendary Pelé, and in 2010, he was deemed Goal.com's "Player of the Decade."

Often criticized for not training hard as a pro athlete, Ronaldo set himself up for an active post-playing career by founding 9ine, a sports marketing agency. He also joined the organizing committees for the Brazil-based 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, ensuring that he would remain an influential figure in Brazilian sports and international affairs for years to come.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima
• Birth Year: 1976
• Birth date: September 18, 1976
• Birth City: Itaguaí
• Birth Country: Brazil
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Soccer player Ronaldo starred for the Brazilian national team and several European clubs over the course of a career that spanned nearly two decades.
• Education and Academia
• Astrological Sign: Virgo
• Nacionalities

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Ronaldo Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/ronaldo
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: May 17, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
• You run, I don't. I score goals.

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The Transformation Of Cristiano Ronaldo From Childhood To 36

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the biggest names in soccer — ever. He revolutionized the sport in Portugal, which had seen a handful of successful players before but that has seen a boom in talent since Ronaldo inspired young boys on every corner. On the heels of Cristiano's decade-plus dominance, a new generation of Portuguese players are enchanting soccer fans in the big leagues, including the coveted Premier League of England and Spain's La Liga.

A boy of humble beginnings from the archipelago of Madeira, Ronaldo rose to fame quickly and worked hard to cement his name in the history of the world's most popular sport. He has won five Champions League titles with Real Madrid and Manchester United, and has been recognized as the world's best player a whopping total of five times, as  Football Transfers  listed. Throughout his career, Ronaldo has adapted his style of play when needed to remain at the top. "To maintain this level, you need to make sacrifices," he told the Mirror . At 36, he continues bringing in the titles and records. 

But Ronaldo's grip reaches way beyond the world of soccer. He's a global superstar, one of 2020's highest-paid celebrities , and a massive social media following that keeps fattening his wallet: As Goal noted, the star reportedly makes more than £310,000 per sponsored post. 

Ronaldo has already given us a lot and promises to give us more. Keep scrolling to check out his transformation from a lanky boy to one of the best players in soccer history.

Cristiano Ronaldo hails from a poor community in Portugal's Madeira

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Funchal, the capital of Madeira , an autonomous Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa. His mother, Dolores Aveiro, was a cook and his father, José Dinis Aveiro, a gardener for the city, according to Goal . In light of various hardships the family faced before Ronaldo was born, Dolores considered interrupting the pregnancy, but as she said in the 2015 documentary "Ronaldo" (via Mirror ), her Catholic faith prevented her from going through with it.

The neighborhood of Santo António looks vastly different today from when Ronaldo walked on its dirt roads in the late 1980s. Ever-changing but always humble, Santo António and its inhabitants hold onto Ronaldo as a symbol of hope, as Portugal's Diário de Notícias pointed out. "People forget that he is a kid with boundless will and grit, but he grew up too fast. His freedom of movement was brought to him by life's imposition," Ramiro, a childhood friend, told the publication in 2009.

Ronaldo and his three siblings shared a room growing up, and he is fond of his early childhood. "I'm incredibly close with my brother and sisters and we loved being together. For us it was ­normal, it was all we knew. Everyone around us lived the same way and we were happy," he told the Mirror .

Cristiano Ronaldo was named a U.S. president

José Dinis Aveiro loved American movies, and his favorite actor was Ronald Reagan, the star of classics such as "Dark Victory" and "Dark Row." Dinis's admiration of the Hollywood star only heightened when he ran and won the presidency of the United States in 1980, per  One Football . Dolores and Dinis Aveiro's fourth child was born on February 5, 1985, two weeks after Reagan's second inauguration. The couple had their minds made up and gave their newborn a second given name inspired by the president's first name, he told GQ in a 2016 interview. "My parents named me after him because they both liked this name and thought it sounded strong. I know that my father admired him," Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo's name became official at his baptism, though the ceremony almost didn't take place — a rather serious matter among Catholics. As was recounted to Goal , Dinis asked his friend Fernão Barros Sousa, a soccer player for the local CF Andorinha, to be Ronaldo's godfather at the baptism, commonly celebrated shortly after birth in the Catholic tradition. "That day, Andorinha were playing in Ribera Brava, so I was going there, Dinis as well, and we arrived much later at the baptism, so late that the priest didn't want to baptise him! We had to convince the priest to baptise him and that's what happened. It's a funny thing, it was all ready to start and we weren't there. It wasn't good!" Sousa said.

Cristiano Ronaldo's father also worked as a kitman for a local soccer club

José Dinis Aveiro's other gig would change his family's life forever. As Goal recounted, Cristiano Ronaldo's dad also happened to work as a kitman for CF Andorinha, the soccer team of Santo António in Funchal, and the young future sports star often tagged along. It was at Andorinha that Aveiro befriended player Fernão Barros Sousa, who was captain of the team at the time. "He had the bags with the footballs and Cristiano would be with his father, with a ball in hand and playing with the ball. He tried to dribble and obviously he copied the older players. He did that a lot," Sousa recalled. 

Sousa's influence proved vital on the young boy. After growing up watching his godfather play, Ronaldo himself started playing for Andorinhas in 1992, when he was just seven years old. Even at that age, Ronaldo's abilities were obvious, and as former teammate Ricardo Santos said in Goal, he went by "abelhinha," which is Portuguese for little bee. "[H]e was small and he was very quick, so we called him 'abelhinha,'" Santos told the outlet.

Soccer consumed most of Ronaldo's time. He even neglected school work to play, Sousa recalled. Rui, a groundsman for the club at the time, also remembers Ronaldo's fixation. "It wasn't easy to get the ball off him. He was very small, but he was always playing football. He never stopped. He was always playing, at home as well," he shared with Goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo was a sensitive kid whose nickname was 'crybaby'

While Cristiano Ronaldo might have a reputation for being standoffish and arrogant , he wasn't always that way. As Ricardo Santos, a former teammate at CF Andorinha, told  Goal , "What I remember about him is that he was a humble kid. And when he didn't have the ball, he cried. When the team-mates fought, he cried... Cristiano really liked winning. When that didn't happen, Ronaldo cried. So much so that he had the nickname 'crybaby.'"

That's also how Marques de Freitas, Madeira's former deputy attorney general, remembers him. "Contrary to what many people here in Madeira think, Cristiano Ronaldo is not a vain individual. He is modest and extremely shy," he said to Portugal's Diário de Notícias . That's why when he goes back to Madeira , he mainly stays in the hotel, Freitas said. He is proud of his roots and close to his family, who still lives on the island, as GQ noted. But when visits, he stays out of sight as much as possible. "He avoids multitudes," Freitas told the publication.

Ronaldo isn't afraid of the sensitive side in himself, he admitted on Spain's Punto Pelota (via Bleacher Report ). "I have many tears left... it's good to cry... I have cried a lot. People that know me or work with me know," he said.

Cristiano Ronaldo's godfather helped him transfer to Madeira's largest club

After showing off his skills at CF Andorinha, a neighborhood team, 10-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo went to CD Nacional, one of Madeira's two big teams, with the help of his godfather, Fernão Barros Sousa, per  Diário de Notícias . As Sousa explained to the outlet, Nacional owed money to Lisbon's Sporting CP, one of Portugal's main teams, and the latter "forgave the debt in exchange for Ronaldo." The team signed him for a fee of about $2,000. And so, at 11 years old, Ronaldo left Madeira and moved to the country's capital city, more than 600 miles from home. He shared a hostel room with Miguel Paixão, who went on to become Cristiano's lifelong friend, per The Sun .

His family didn't have much money, and scraping enough for three meals was often a challenge, he told Piers Morgan in 2019. After practice, he would sometimes stop by the McDonald's close to the stadium to ask whether they had any leftover hamburgers. He remembered three employees who helped him out during that time. 

"They were unbelievable," Ronaldo said, noting that he wanted to find them and thank them personally, but he was unable to track them down. "I want to find these girls," he shared. "To give something back because that period I appreciate so much. I never forgot that moment."

Cristiano Ronaldo dropped out of school at 14 to focus on his soccer career

After playing for the Sporting youth football academy for two years, Cristiano Ronaldo felt ready to play semi-professionally, he told the Mirror in 2014. While his dribbling skills and speed were impressing many, his abilities at school were not, even though he was popular among students. "I was not thick but I was not interested in school. I was expelled after I threw a chair at the teacher. Why? He disrespected me," Ronaldo said.

He didn't want to look for another school at that point. He pleaded his case with his mother, Dolores Aveiro, who agreed that he should interrupt his studies to focus exclusively on his soccer career, according to the Mirror. Aveiro worried about her son's behavior at school and considered that soccer would likely open more doors for her son in the future, the report detailed. When the interviewer asked him what he would've ended up doing for a living had soccer not worked out, he said, "I don't know... a waiter?"

In Lisbon, he wasn't seen as the handsome, popular boy he had been in Madeira. Per the Manchester Evening News , local boys made fun of Ronaldo for his island accent and Ronaldo couldn't help but miss home and his family. So Aveiro began to fly into town more often to help her son settle in. His mother remains his rock to this day.

Cristiano Ronaldo underwent heart surgery at 15 while playing at Sporting

When he was 15, Cristiano Ronaldo was diagnosed with having an irregular heartbeat, which could have prevented him from playing. "His heart raced a lot when he wasn't running," his mother, Dolores Aveiro, told the Daily Mail , adding, "Before we knew exactly what he had, I was worried because there was the possibility of him giving up playing [soccer]. Sporting's medical team performed a series of thorough examinations and decided that the best course of action was for him to undergo heart surgery. "The people in charge at Sporting alerted me and I went to Portugal where I had to sign some papers and authorise him being treated in hospital," she said, according to The Telegraph .

Doctors cauterized the area with a laser, she explained. "[T]he treatment went well and after some days he was back at training again. Cristiano wasn't very worried — he didn't take the situation very seriously — but I got a big fright. It seems the treatment allowed him to run even faster!" Aveiro said according to the Daily Mail.

After the procedure, Ronaldo never developed any side effects or had any relapse that could have brought into question the strength of his formidable health, according to Sportskeeda . In fact, he went on to become one of the most athletic names in the sport's history, Goal pointed out.

Cristiano Ronaldo made history at Sporting

When Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Sporting, he wasn't seen as the otherworldly talent that would bring glory to Portugal, a country passionate about soccer but that hadn't managed to shine as brightly as its neighbors. The promising star then was another teenager, just one year older than Ronaldo: Ricardo Quaresma (pictured here with Ronaldo in 2001),  The Guardian noted. Quaresma came out of the club's youth ranks and was promoted for the first time at 17.

Despite early speculation, Ronaldo is the one who made history at Sporting. His rise was fast and unrelenting as he didn't need a lot of time to start writing his name in Portugal's history. At 16, he only needed one season to become Sporting's first player to star in all its divisions — under-16, under-17, under-18, B team and first team, per the Manchester Evening News . And thus, at 17, he debuted in Portugal's Primeira Liga, the country's top division league, alongside Quaresma. The two players didn't spend much time on the field together, The Guardian detailed, but they became close friends who went on to share Portugal's first international title a decade and a half later, in 2016.

According to a May 2021 report by Italian website Calcio Mercato  (via Sports Bible ), Ronaldo wants to retire at Sporting. The rumor is unconfirmed, but Ronaldo's family certainly holds the team close to their heart, as seen on a  Twitter  post that shows them with Sporting jerseys featuring "Cristiano" on the back.

At 18, Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive teenaged player in U.K. history

As it turns out, Portuguese soccer fans were hardly the only ones with an eye on Cristiano Ronaldo's insane dribbling skills. Right before the 2003-04 season, Manchester United paid a £12.24 million fee, almost $20 million, to sign Ronaldo. He was only 18 at the time, which made him the most expensive teenaged player in U.K. history at the time, according to The Telegraph . Ronaldo also became the first Portuguese player to ever be signed by the Red Devils, as Republic World pointed out. As of 2021, the list includes a total of six Portugal natives, according to  MUFC Info .

Ronaldo was given the squad No. 7, a number worn by none other than David Beckham as recently as the previous summer, when the soccer legend transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid, Forbes noted. "After I joined the manager asked me what number I'd like. I said 28. But Ferguson said 'no, you're going to have No.7' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation," he told the Mirror in a 2014 interview. 

The number has become an integral part of Ronaldo's brand, which he has trademarked as CR7, meaning his initials and his jersey number. He has admittedly disbursed "thousands of pounds" to have CR7 engraved on his home in Madrid as well as his furniture and china, he told the Mirror in 2016. "It is ­probably the most extravagant thing I've done," he admitted.

Cristiano Ronaldo's father died of alcoholism

Cristiano Ronaldo lost his father, José Dinis Aveiro, to a liver condition linked to alcoholism in 2005. Because his father had been such a vital part in Ronaldo's early exposure to soccer, the star regrets he didn't live long enough to see his son become successful. "My father was an alcoholic. He died of alcoholism. He would never have known what I was to go on to do. Of course, he knew I was talented but you get many good players who go to England," he told the Mirror . 

According to a 2019 Mirror report, Dinis developed the illness after his government, a military dictatorship until the Carnation Revolution of 1974, shipped him off to fight an unpopular war to prevent Angola from gaining independence, which lasted between 1961 and 1974. Out on the sweltering Savannah, the young Portuguese soldiers turned to beer to avoid drinking the untreated water, José Manuel Coelho, one of Dinis's fellow soldiers, told ESPN in 2016. "Beer was our best friend. They had Angolan beer: Cuca. The water was pulled from the river into a reservoir, but it wasn't treated. We didn't drink it. We drank beer instead," Coelho said.

Dinis continued to drink upon his return to Madeira. Ronaldo's mother, Dolores Aveiro, noted that Dinis often took out his pain and frustration on her, per the Mirror. "Although he never mistreated his children, I became his victim," she said. Ronaldo doesn't drink any alcohol . 

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website .

Cristiano Ronaldo's relationship with Manchester United fans was rocky

Cristiano Ronaldo is definitely a force to be reckoned with. With his hypnotic dribbling skills , he arguably produced some of the most exhilarating soccer the Premier League had ever witnessed, as Bleacher Report noted. But his six-year stint at Manchester United wasn't all fun and games. 

In his third season playing for the club, his cocky behavior was a source of acrimony between him and fans. Ronaldo sparked particular outrage in the country during the 2006 World Cup when he, along with other Portuguese players, successfully persuaded the referee to give a red card to English player Wayne Rooney (who was Ronaldo's teammate at Manchester United and is pictured with him here in 2008). Moments later, Ronaldo was filmed winking at the Portuguese players sitting on the bench. As a result, Ronaldo returned to a country that was furious with him and was booed the entire season following the popular soccer event. Ronaldo went as far as to ask for a transfer, arguing he lacked support at Manchester United, The Guardian reported then.

Instead, the reaction of English fans appeared to motivate Ronaldo, who played his best season up to that point, winning his first Premier League title. As it turns out, 2006 was the year he became the phenomenon we know today, as Four By Four argued. Two years later, still at Manchester United, Ronaldo's place at the top of the sport was confirmed with his first Ballon D'Or.

Cristiano Ronaldo start at Real Madrid was relatively slow

In July 2009, Real Madrid paid £80 million, more than $110 million, to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the Spanish league, making him the sports' most expensive player at the time, per  The Telegraph . After his first year playing for the Merengues, Ronaldo scored 30 goals in 49 games and lost the 2009 Ballon D'Or to Barcelona's Lionel Messi, ESPN noted. While impressive, the numbers fell short of the potential known to be associated with Ronaldo, who ended the season with no trophies. His second year was also lean in numbers, considering all the hype. 

Still, Ronaldo scored in every single game of the Champions League knockout round and helped Madrid reach the final. His side, however, was defeated by Lionel Messi's Barcelona, helping the Argentine star take home his first Ballon D'Or and sparking a professional rivalry that is set to outlive both players, as Goal pointed out. The 2010 season wasn't much different. With his rise to stardom, Ronaldo was Portugal's hope during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Despite his effort, Portugal left the competition early, losing to Spain in the round of 16.

But Ronaldo isn't famous for his hard work and dedication for nothing. As the BBC noted, the player always "crammed in thousands and thousands of hours of graft to turn himself into the perfect player," Manchester United's former power development coach Mike Glegg said. And so he powered through and the results soon came.

Cristiano Ronaldo welcomed a son shortly after meeting Irina Shayk

In 2010, Cristiano Ronaldo became a father to his first child, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., who features prominently on his Instagram page. In June of that year, he announced the news on Facebook , noting that the boy's mother was an American woman whose identity would remain private, per an agreement he made with her. The news raised some eyebrows at the time because Ronaldo had been romantically linked to Russian supermodel Irina Shayk , whom he supposedly met shortly before Junior's birth, according to  The Sun . The birth appeared not to bother Shayk, as she and Ronaldo remained together for five years, breaking up in early 2015. Shayk was also very affectionate with Junior, with Ronaldo sharing several photos featuring them together on his Instagram and referring to the pack as a "family."

Speaking with Spain's EFE (via Hello! magazine), Ronaldo said he wanted to have a child at a young age. "It's been incredible. I never imagined that my life would change so much. It was always my dream to have a child young, when I was 25. He's changed the way I think, he's always with me, supporting me," Ronaldo said. According to Hello!, Ronaldo raised his son on his own with the help of his mother, Dolores Aveiro. In 2015, Ronaldo said on " The Jonathan Ross Show " that he isn't concerned about Junior growing up without a mother. "Many kids don't have moms; don't have dads," he said, emphasizing that the matter is personal. 

After 2011, Cristiano Ronaldo became a goal scoring machine

Cristiano Ronaldo knows a thing or two about raking in points. As BeSoccer recounted after he made his 700th goal in 2019, "CR7's most prolific years were from 2011 to 2014 when he scored in excess of 60 goals per season." He went on to bring home his second UEFA Champions League trophy in 2014 and helped Real Madrid win three consecutive championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Of every competition he has shined in, the Champions League is where he's shined brightest. Ronaldo is nearing the end of his career having broken a series of UEFA Champions League records , including for most goals and most assists.

Ronaldo also led Portugal to its first-ever international title during the Euros in 2016. He also holds a series of records for Portugal, including most goals and most games, per Times Now News . He was named the best player in Portugal's history,  Bleacher Report  noted. He's earned a total of five Ballon D'Or trophies , one fewer than Lionel Messi.

After transferring to Juventus in 2018, Ronaldo continued to win titles and score goals, breaking new records along the way. In 2021, he became the only player to have won every major national trophy in England, Spain and Italy, countries with some of the world's most competitive leagues , and the only to finish as a top scorer in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, per  ESPN .

Cristiano Ronaldo has a rather unique family structure

After raising Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. on his own terms for many years, Cristiano Ronaldo became a father again in June 2017, when he welcomed twins Eva and Mateo. Once again, the identity of the mother was shrouded in secrecy, with many media outlets claiming Ronaldo used a surrogate. In July 2017, the  Daily Mail reportedly looked at legal papers in California — like Junior, the twins were born in the States — to confirm that was indeed the case. 

When the twins were born, his girlfriend of less than a year, Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez, was five months pregnant. Rodriguez and  Ronaldo welcomed a daughter, Alana Martina , in November 2017,  People reported. "Becoming a parent and raising my family is honestly the greatest privilege I've had. I'm enjoying every second of it. It's taught me things about love I never knew existed. It has softened me and given me new perspective on what is really important in my life," he said in Hello (via the New York Post ).

Speaking on " The Jonathan Ross Show ," Ronaldo emphasized his need for privacy, while adding he will share the truth with Cristiano Jr. when he is ready. "When Cristiano is going to grow up, I am always going to say the truth to him because he deserves it, because he is my son, but I am not going to say because people want me to say."

Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram

Cristiano Ronaldo's name and image have become so much more than soccer. His status as a sex symbol and soccer star has seen his popularity soar above that of pop stars, with no signs of receding. As Piers Morgan asked in a preview for his  ITV interview with Ronaldo , "Who is the biggest star on planet Earth? It's not a pop star. It's not a movie star. It's not even a Kardashian. It's this guy." 

With a whopping 322 million Instagram followers, as of August 2021, he is the most followed person — yes, person, not just athlete — on the platform, and has been for many years. And he leads by a lot. At the time of writing,  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson ranks second with 259 million followers. We're talking about a gap of over 60 million followers. Going down the list,  Ariana Grande has 256 million and Kylie Jenner  is at 255 million. 

His online presence is just as strong across all social media apps. In February 2021, he became the first person to surpass 500 million followers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, according to Bleacher Report Football . Ronaldo uses his platform to promote his partnerships and soccer appearances, both with Juventus and the Portugal national team. But Ronaldo still finds enough room amid his professional content to gush over his four children and girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez. And the likes keep flying in, like a ball headed straight to the goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo's evolution as a player: From making it in Manchester to Madrid and Juve goal machine

Cristiano Ronaldo has been a prolific scorer and dominant force in England, Spain and Italy during his illustrious career. But how has his playing style altered as he has achieved success with Manchester United , Real Madrid and Juventus ? Gab Marcotti dug into the data. (For his look at Lionel Messi 's career, click here .)

Note: Statistics and data measured per 90 minutes via Opta and StatsBomb and based upon games played before the coronavirus-enforced shutdown of European football in March.

Jump to: Early years | Taking over | Peak Cristiano | Birth of a centre-forward | Life as a 30-something

The early years (2002-06)

Cristiano Ronaldo made his professional debut for Sporting at 17 years of age, coming on at half-time of a home defeat to Partizan in the UEFA Cup. You could tell he was not fully developed physically; he was tall and thin with a shirt billowing, and not just because that was the style at the time.

Sporting knew they had something special on their hands, but as often happens with young players, there was a fear of mental burnout. Plus, perhaps, a lack of clarity on how to best use him.

The focus was on Ronaldo's most obvious skills: speed in open spaces, long limbs pumping and an ability to beat opponents one-on-one. The rest was all to be discovered; he had played more centrally at times at youth level, but was used almost exclusively wide in the first team, as often happens with players breaking through.

Give him space. Let him breathe. Let him find who he is.

Most know the story about how Sir Alex Ferguson became determined to sign Ronaldo after he starred in an August 2003 preseason friendly between Manchester United and Sporting, but United had been tracking him for some time, and as best we can tell, that game didn't persuade Ferguson to sign the 18-year-old as much as it persuaded him to take Ronaldo to Old Trafford straightaway rather than leave him for a season on loan at Sporting.

United got his signature ahead of several other European clubs who had been hot on his tail, including Arsenal , Valencia , Barcelona -- yes, there's a parallel universe in which Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are teammates and monopolise the sport for 15 years -- and Parma , who had a verbal agreement with Sporting.

- Stream Ronaldo's Serie A games LIVE on ESPN+ (U.S. only) - Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only) - Marcotti: Lionel Messi's evolution as a player

The Ronaldo who arrived in England -- and inherited United's No. 7 shirt from Real Madrid-bound David Beckham -- was a close relative of the Sporting version. He was a piece of clay, yet to be molded but hungry to experiment. He was encouraged to express himself, and that usually meant one thing: dribbling and beating opponents.

His mazy runs usually started wide and took him all over the pitch, but his head was often down, and this meant he would miss the runs of teammates or fail to spot the moment to shoot. In fact, Guillem Balague notes in his biography of Ronaldo that when he was playing as a traditional winger, other United players were sometimes left frustrated: "Why doesn't he just bollock it!?!" Gary Neville used to think each time he would see Ronaldo take an extra touch and pass up the opportunity to shoot.

Centre-forward Ruud van Nistelrooy was among the most irritated, running into space for through balls that never arrived and losing defenders for crosses that never came. Going from Beckham to that version of Ronaldo was not easy when you were a supply-dependent striker.

Ronaldo's Premier League statistics from that period are limited to goals and assists, but they corroborate the idea that he was a work in progress. H e averaged 0.2 assists and 0.26 non-penalty goals, which are not bad numbers for his age, but they did not offer many clues to what would happen in the next stage of his development.

We do have more detailed statistics -- albeit with a smaller sample size -- for his performance at Euro 2004, where he was a 19-year-old who parachuted into the final years of Portugal 's Golden Generation. Ronaldo attempted more dribbles (7.79) than anybody else at the tournament and ranked among the leaders in shots on goal with 4.1.

Tellingly, and unlike most of his later career, he was also among the tournament leaders in possession-adjusted tackles and interceptions (3.29). Being on the big stage, with the pressure of playing for a host nation, perhaps gave him more freedom than he found at United, where he joined a veteran side coming off years of success.

Taking over (2006-09)

In the summer of 2006, United made what would turn out to be a fateful decision, selling Van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid and clearing the way for the further development not just of Ronaldo but also of Wayne Rooney , another young attacker born in 1985.

Van Nistelrooy, who had just turned 30, had notched 150 goals in all competitions during five seasons, but rather than replacing him directly, Ferguson went into the 2006-07 season with an attacking corps, the members of which all had questions to answer.

There was Rooney and Ronaldo, respectively just 20 and 21, plus 33-year-old Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who had not started a league game for two years, and Louis Saha, no stranger to the treatment table himself and scorer of just 24 goals in two and a half years at the club. Alan Smith was also there, but had suffered a bad injury the previous February and was not exactly a scoring machine, as evidenced by one goal in his previous 33 outings.

United had failed to win the league in each of the three previous seasons -- the club's longest drought in 15 years -- and had finished an average of 14 points outside first place in that time. Their only new signing ahead of the 2006-07 campaign was Michael Carrick, a deep-lying midfielder; essentially, Ferguson was handing the keys of the team to Ronaldo and Rooney.

Ronaldo became the focal point of the attack, or, rather, because Rooney was also an unorthodox striker rather than a traditional centre-forward, the pair were the hub of a fluid offense, each reacting to the other's movement. Ronaldo began to exploit his aerial ability, scoring eight league goals over three seasons with his head and vastly outperforming expected goals -- xG -- which amounted to 3.03 in that time.

He usually lined up on the right, but occasionally played through the middle or on the left, but in some ways where he started mattered less than where he ended up: all over the pitch, creating mismatches and wreaking havoc. As he took on more attacking responsibility, he started taking more shots and averaged more than five a game, a figure he would stay above through the rest of his United career.

Not only that but, to use Neville's term, he started "bollocking it" from distance. Of the 527 shots Ronaldo took in those three seasons, nearly 60% came from more than 21 yards out. That would remain a hallmark throughout his career, although his effectiveness from distance has waned over time. So too has his dead-ball prowess; in this period, he scored nine free kick goals in the league.

To accommodate Ronaldo's freedom, Ferguson added attacking players in 2007 ( Carlos Tevez ) and 2008 (Dimitar Berbatov). While both helped share the load, crucially neither was a traditional centre-forward who might clog the middle or get in Ronaldo's way. Tevez, a bit like the Rooney of the time, was a hardworking, unselfish force of nature, and Berbatov, while offering less in terms of work rate, liked to find space deeper and often prioritized finding teammates over scoring himself.

United won three consecutive league titles and, just as important, excelled in the Champions League, reaching a semifinal and two finals (winning it all in 2007-08). Over the past 50 years, the club have reached the final four of the Champions League or European Cup on only five occasions: three of them came in this period, with Ronaldo running rampant.

While this piece is mostly about his individual statistics and how he has changed and evolved, you cannot forget that football is a team game. And it is not a coincidence that his last three years at United, when he was tasked with carrying the team, coincided with arguably the best three-year period in club history.

Peak Cristiano (2009-14)

But for Ferguson's veto and a gentleman's agreement, Ronaldo would have moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2008. Instead, he made the switch a year later as part of perhaps the biggest (and most expensive) overhaul in history. In addition to his world-record fee of €94 million ($102m at the time), Kaka, Karim Benzema , Xabi Alonso and Raul Albiol also moved to the Bernabeu as part of a quarter-billion-Euro spending spree for new manager Manuel Pellegrini.

Florentino Perez's return as president heralded a new "Galactico Era," following that of Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and the original Ronaldo, but the learning curve was steep. Cramming so many stars, plus a number of illustrious holdovers, into a coherent XI was not easy for Pellegrini, and the task was made harder by the fact they were up against Pep Guardiola's Barcelona.

Real Madrid finished second in 2009-10 but were a disjointed side that crashed out of the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage. That they ranked last in La Liga for shot quality, with an xG/shot of 0.06, tells you this was more a bunch of individuals than a team.

Ronaldo took responsibility, as he had done at United. He led the team in shots and dribbles attempted, and his time was divided quite equally along the attacking front: left, right and centre. He finished the campaign with 33 goals; 26 of them were scored in La Liga, which saw him one behind Gonzalo Higuain .

Things changed when Jose Mourinho replaced Pellegrini. The relationship between the Portuguese pair would go through highs and lows, but the "Special One" quickly found Ronaldo a clear position as a left-sided wide forward, with plenty of licence to come inside. He still took plenty of shots (averaging 6.91 over Mourinho's three seasons), but took them from better positions (his xG/shot doubled to 0.12).

Mourinho's approach was less possession-based than that of Pellegrini, and Ronaldo thrived with greater reliance on quick transitions and playing into space, while quickly adapting to Higuain and Benzema, who alternated at centre-forward.

Higuain was more of a penalty-area striker, but had the technique and vision to set up wingers and midfielders for shots. Benzema, a bit like Tevez and Rooney at United, covered huge areas of the attacking front, running tirelessly and allowing Ronaldo to pick his spots. The two would form a devastating tandem for most of the next decade.

Ronaldo was still very much in the limelight, but an outsized personality like Mourinho, who would often willingly act as a lightning rod for the media, shifted some attention away. Ronaldo's personal life was more settled too: He was in a stable relationship and lived with his mother and children. As he entered midcareer, he became more preoccupied with preserving his body and getting the best out of it.

Working with Valter Di Salvo, Madrid's fitness coach, Ronaldo developed and embraced an all-encompassing program that covered not just conditioning but also nutrition and sleep. Everything was tracked, from crumbs of food to minutes of recovery. It was during this period that he also bulked up, adding muscle to his frame.

His game became more essential, more direct, more functional. His attempted dribbles declined annually, from 6.26 in 2009-10, to 3.93 in 2012-13, Mourinho's final season. By contrast, his scoring really picked up: Ronaldo averaged 30 goals from open play in the league during Mourinho's three seasons.

The 2012-13 campaign was also telling in terms of his role as a leader. A stressed Mourinho went to war with media, players and opposing clubs as Madrid finished 15 points behind Barcelona, and Ronaldo, who had previously led mostly by example, became an important voice in the dressing room. He stood up for his teammates and had no qualms about confronting his manager, which was not something to be taken lightly, given they shared the same agent, Jorge Mendes.

The summer of 2013 saw the arrival of Gareth Bale , whose fee was slightly higher than that of Ronaldo, although the club made it part of his contract for that not to be made public. Ronaldo remained the team's centrepiece, with Bale adapting to the opposite wing. New manager Carlo Ancelotti, as per his modus operandi, tried to retain parts of Mourinho's setup while adding his own tweaks.

The idea was to give Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo -- the trio would soon be known as "BBC" -- even more freedom. Mesut Ozil , who had been one of Ronaldo's regular assisters when operating in the hole, was sold to Arsenal, while Higuain went to Napoli , turning Benzema into the full-time centre-forward.

Ronaldo became even more of a fixture in the box -- for the first time in his career, he shot more from inside 21 yards than outside -- and his attempted dribbles increased. The BBC were supported by a hardworking midfield of Luka Modric , Angel Di Maria and Alonso, and that combination helped, in May 2015, lead Madrid to a long-awaited Decima , the club's 10th European Cup.

Birth of a centre-forward (2014-16)

Ronaldo was arguably enjoying the best season of his career in 2013-14 -- by the midpoint of the Liga season he had scored 22 goals, plus another nine in the Champions League -- but patellar tendinitis in his knee flared up again and would not go away. He missed several weeks in February and April, plus another three in May, before rushing back for the Champions League final.

He insisted upon playing through injury and his production remained consistent, but he was struggling and would continue to do so at the World Cup, where he scored just once as Portugal went out in the group stage.

As he worked his way back in 2014-15 -- very much a "playing rehab" as he missed very few games -- his body began to change again. The chiseled features remained, but he started to shed weight, turning leaner. Part of that was to give his knee some relief, part of it was to best exploit some of the mismatches coming his way.

Ronaldo gradually became a de facto centre-forward, too physically strong for most full-backs but still quick enough against most central defenders. It was not an overnight process, by any stretch. In 2014-15, he attempted just 3.62 dribbles, the lowest total of his career, and was successful less than half the time (1.8).

The knee, evidently, was still bothering him, and this could also be seen in his work off the ball. He had never been the most hardworking when out of possession, but in 2014-15 he recorded 0.34 possession-adjusted tackles-plus-interceptions every 90 minutes, ranking dead last in La Liga.

But he moved very much like a centre-forward when Madrid had the ball. Remember how nearly 60% of his shots came from beyond 21 yards during his later United days? Now the proportion was reversed and nearly 60% came from inside the area. His finishing ability and knack for anticipating defenders made all the difference, and he ended up with a monstrous 48 league goals (61 overall) in 2014-15, of which a career-best 38 came from open play.

The trend continued the next season under Rafa Benitez, with whom he clashed and of whom he was harshly critical after Benitez was sacked in January 2016. They clearly did not see eye to eye, but that did not stop Ronaldo putting together another impressive season statistically, in part because he was finally fully fit.

He scored 29 league goals from open play, while maintaining his shot volume of nearly six and logging shot quality of 0.14 xG/shot. He had refined his movements in the box, further developing an already keen sense of where the ball was going to go.

Ronaldo continued to dribble less relative to earlier seasons, mainly because he was operating so close to goal. He scored 16 times in Europe, and after Zidane replaced Benitez, Madrid won the Champions League in May 2016. It looked as if Ronaldo's purple patch was set to continue.

Life as a 30-something (2016-present)

Ronaldo finally won a major international tournament when Portugal upset France in the final of Euro 2016, but he was forced off after 25 minutes with injury, and the aggravated knee issues caused him to miss not only the preseason but the opening weeks of the club campaign.

The next two seasons at Madrid felt as if the club was intent on winning while the window of opportunity was still open, and with a mostly unchanged cast, they reached and won two more Champions League finals to make it three European Cups in a row, while also finishing top of La Liga in 2016-17.

By this stage, Ronaldo was in his early 30s and, along with many of his teammates, relied on guile, technique and experience more than athleticism. As a team, it often felt as if they were on cruise control, simply raising their game when they needed to. Which is what you expect from a veteran side.

Ronaldo fit this new ecosystem. In 2016-17, he scored 19 league goals from open play, his lowest total since arriving at the Bernabeu; the next year he had 23, his third-lowest mark. His shots went down to 5.88 over the two years, lower than in any season since joining Real Madrid.

Moreover, he rarely dribbled (2.39 attempts) and, when he did, was not particularly effective (successful just 0.99 times). Similarly, he rarely shot from distance, with an average of 43.5 attempts per season, fewer than in any single campaign over the previous decade. He was ineffective when he did let fly, scoring just three times.

It was not necessarily a decline, especially looking at the overall numbers and his ability to perform when it counts. The 86 goals in all competitions over those two years was a total second only to Messi's, and his leadership remained unquestioned and he regularly popped up at crucial times.

Witness his performances in the 2016-17 Champions League knockout phase: five goals over two legs against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, a hat trick against Atletico Madrid in the semis and two against Juventus in the final. That year, he also scored five goals in Real's last five Liga games, all of them wins that saw Madrid bounce back from defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico to win the title by a nose.

The next year, he scored five times in the Champions League knockout rounds, with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus among his victims. At the World Cup, his opening-game hat trick against Spain served as another reminder of what he could do on his day.

Portugal went out at the last-16 stage, after which Ronaldo moved to Juventus. He was 33, and with hindsight it is hard to overstate the transition he had to make after nine seasons with the same club. It was not just about adapting to Serie A but also about fitting into a team that had been very successful domestically, playing in a way that was not necessarily suited to his skill set.

Real Madrid under Zidane and Juventus under Max Allegri in 2017-18 were very different animals. Madrid took 4.2 more shots per game; their xG was 30% higher; they pressed far more and created more chances off the press. Allegri was tasked with making Juventus' style fit Ronaldo while also delivering results.

It was far from straightforward, so perhaps it should not come as a surprise that many of his numbers declined further, a trend that has continued in the current season. Maurizio Sarri replaced Allegri and in theory -- as a more attacking manager willing to commit more players forward -- should have been a better fit for Ronaldo.

However, after five years under Allegri, the entire team found the transition difficult, and Sarri struggled to get his new squad consistently playing the way he wanted. In hindsight, announcing early in the season that Ronaldo "didn't need to worry" about tactical instructions but rather the rest of the team would work for him, might not have been a great idea by The Old Lady's new boss.

That combination -- an unsettled team, managerial change, a philosophy that deviated from the Real Madrid ethos -- has not been easy for Ronaldo to navigate.

Ahead of Serie A's shutdown in March, his non-penalty goals (0.50 last year, 0.60 this season) were down to levels not seen since his final year at Old Trafford; his shot totals dropped (5.36 and 5.44); and his xG (0.60 and 0.48) dipped to levels not seen since his first season in Spain. His proportion of shots from distance was in line with the previous five seasons (37.7%) but he scored very infrequently from range: one goal in 112 attempts for Juve came from beyond 21 yards.

His touches in the box, on the other hand, are way up (8.44 last season, 13.43 this year, which is higher than ever for him, bar one year at Madrid). That suggests his teammates are determined to find him but, perhaps, do not necessarily get him the ball where he can hurt opponents as often as in the past.

It is difficult to divorce Juventus' style of play, upheaval in personnel and managerial change from Ronaldo's own performances, and there is no question that this is a different player who, perhaps understandably as he ages, is not hitting the superhuman levels of past seasons.

The question is how he will adapt to this "new normal" and whether, when (if?) Juventus have their upturn, he will click back to something close to what he was in his guise as a right-sided centre-forward or will reinvent himself again or whether, in his mid-30s, Father Time is finally catching up with him.

Cristiano Ronaldo Height, Age, Girlfriend, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Cristiano Ronaldo

• Cristiano Ronaldo is considered the all-time leading male goalscorer in international football. He is known for his exceptional dribbling skills, incredible speed, and his exceptional goalscoring ability. He is often ranked as the best player in the world.
• He was named after Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, as his mother was a huge fan of Reagan. His father considered Reagan his favourite actor. Ronaldo was born just a month after the actor-turned-politician Reagan had been sworn in for his second term in the White House.
• Ronaldo’s great-grandmother on his father’s side, Isabel da Piedade, was an African woman, who was born in the island of São Vicente.
• In an interview, Ronaldo said that he grew up in poverty and shared a single room with his siblings.

A childhood photo of Cristiano Ronaldo with his mother

• In an interview, his mother said that had Ronaldo not become a footballer, he would be a bricklayer (a craftsperson and tradesperson who lays bricks to construct brickwork).
• His mother has become so popular in Portugal that she has featured in advertising campaigns for many popular brands such as Maggi, MultiOpticas, and Pingo Doce.
• On 2 July 1993, he joined the local amateur team Andorinha at the age of eight; his father was the kit man for the team.
• On 2 June 1995, he joined the local club Nacional, where his coach discovered his talent and trained him to become a great football player.

Cristiano Ronaldo during the initial years of his football career

• He was expelled from the school at the age of 14 after he threw a chair at a teacher in 1999.
• When he was 15 years old, he was diagnosed with a heart condition, tachycardia, which causes heart racing even when resting. Due to this condition, there was a possibility of premature retirement. He had to undergo heart surgery to save his career.

Laszlo Boloni, the coach who gave Cristiano Ronaldo his pro debut

• On 14 August 2002, he played his first official match for Sporting CP’s senior team at the age of 17. It was a UEFA Champions League qualifying round against Inter Milan.
• On 7 October 2002, Ronaldo made his debut in the Primeira Liga in which he scored two goals for Sporting in a 3-0 win over Moreirenes.

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.” George Best (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo

• He became Manchester United’s first-ever Portuguese player when he signed during the 2003-2004 season and the most expensive player (with a transfer fee of 12.24 million euros) in English Soccer history.
• For Manchester United, Ronaldo scored his first goal with a free-kick.

I was petrified as I knew Beckham wore that shirt. But I took on the challenge and since then it has been my lucky number. I have won everything in football with that shirt.”

He’s been my father in sport.” Cristiano Ronaldo with Alex Ferguson

• On 20 August 2003, he debuted for Portugal’s national team.
• His first international goal was in Euro 2004. While playing for Portugal in the UEFA Euro, he scored a goal in the tournament opener.
• He played for Portugal in the 2004 Summer Olympics; however, Portugal was eliminated in the group stage.

Cristiano Ronaldo with his father

• He sued the Daily Mirror for an article in which it was reported that Ronaldo drank heavily in a nightclub while recovering from an injury in July 2008; Ronaldo received libel damages against the story.
• On 7 February 2007, he became the captain of Portugal for the first time in a friendly match against Brazil; he was 22 years old at the time.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s autobiography, moments

• On 12 January 2008, Ronaldo scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United against Newcastle United.
• on 7 July 2008, he underwent ankle surgery and remained out of action for 10 weeks.
• When he scored a 40-yard strike goal against Porto in 2009, he called it the “best goal he had ever scored.”

• On 10 May 2009, he scored his final goal for Manchester United with a free-kick.
• In the same year, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid and spent nine seasons with the club during which he won four Ballon d’Or awards, four Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, and numerous other titles and awards.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s waxwork at the Madrid Wax Museum

• On 3 July 2010, Ronaldo announced that he had become a father but never revealed the identity of his son’s mother.
• While playing for Real Madrid against Manchester United for the first time, he did not celebrate scoring as a mark of respect against his former club.

A poster of the television film Ronaldo Tested to the Limit

• In December 2011, RockLive, an American online social network and games developer, launched an iPhone game, Heads Up with Cristiano.
• On 6 September 2013, he scored his first international hat-trick against Northern Ireland.
• In December 2013, Ronaldo launched Viva Ronaldo, a dedicated social networking website and app.

CR7 museum and hotel in Funchal, Madeira

• On 6 January 2014, he scored his 400th career goal.
• On 20 January 2014, he was named Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry.
• On 5 March 2014, he became Portugal’s all-time top scorer after scoring two goals against Cameroon.

Cristiano Ronaldo The World at His Feet

• On 17 October 2015, he became Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer in the club’s 3-0 victory over Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

A poster of the documentary film Ronaldo

• In the same year, a galaxy, Cosmos Redshift 7 Galaxy or CR7 Galaxy, was named after him.
• In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo met Georgina at the Gucci store in Madrid, where she was working as a shop assistant.

Madeira International Airport is named after Cristiano Ronaldo

• On 8 November 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo signed a “lifetime” endorsement deal with Nike.

Way this sh*t set up I live like Ronaldo, but I never been in Madrid.”

• On 10 July 2018, he left Real Madrid and joined Juventus on a four-year contract with a reported $117 million transfer fee.
• On 20 April 2019, after Juventus defeated Fiorentina 2-1 to claim the Italian championship Serie A title, Ronaldo became the first player ever to win titles in the Premier League (with Manchester United), La Liga (with Real Madrid), and Serie A (with Juventus).
• In 2020, he became the first soccer player billionaire after he surpassed $1 billion in career earnings.
• In January 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo became the most-followed athlete on Instagram; the followers crossed the 200 million mark.
• On 13 October 2020, he was tested positive for coronavirus.
• On 31 August 2021, he left Juventus and joined Manchester United for the second time.
• In September 2021, with a speed of 32.51 km/h, Ronaldo became the fastest football player, in any game, in a game against West Ham.

36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo clocked a speed of 32.51 km/h against West Ham, the fastest of any player in the match 😎⚡ pic.twitter.com/DrJGgHRWns — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 21, 2021

• On 12 October 2021, he scored his tenth international hat-trick, breaking the record previously set by Sven Rydell.
• On 22 November 2022, after a week he gave an explosive TV interview about his frustrations at Manchester United, the club announced that Ronaldo was leaving the club with immediate effect.
• The media often quotes about his rivalry with Lionel Messi, arguing who is the best player in modern football or the history of the game. The media often portrays Ronaldo as an arrogant and theatrical showoff and Messi as a shy, humble character.

I eat a high protein diet, with lots of wholegrain carbs, fruit and vegetables, and avoid sugary foods.”

• He is known for his charity work and has served as an ambassador for various organizations including Save the Children, UNICEF, and World Vision. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he donated $1.08 million to three hospitals in Portugal.
• He once paid for the brain surgery of a 10-month-old boy. Among his other charity works are raising money for survivors of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami and paying for treatment for a 9-year-old cancer patient.
• In January 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo became the most charitable sportsperson in the world after he donated nearly $8 million to help the global charity Save the Children carry out its earthquake-relief efforts in Nepal.
• Ronaldo doesn’t have any tattoos as he wants to be free to give blood whenever he can. He once donated blood to the son of Portuguese teammate Carlos Martins who was diagnosed with a very rare blood disease.
• Cristiano Ronaldo is the only player to win four European Golden Shoe awards.
• He often advocates for drinking water. On 14 June 2021, the popular soft drink company Coca-Cola’s share price dropped by 1.6% after Cristiano Ronaldo removed two Coca-Cola bottles during a press conference at the European Championship; the event coincided with a $4bn fall in the share price of Coca-Cola.

Cristiano Ronaldo after joining the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr

The watch gifted by Cristiano Ronaldo to Georgina Rodriguez

• His shirts have always been in high demand among his fans. In 2008, his number 7 Manchester United shirt was the best-selling Premier League sports product. In 2018, his number 7 Juventus shirts generated $62.4 million in one day within 24 hours of its release.

Cristiano Ronaldo with his CR7 eyewear brand

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