Biography of Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo – Football Player

Full name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro

Date of birth: 5 February 1985 (age 31)

Place of birth: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)

Playing position: Forward

Children: Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.

Early Life

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. He 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 team mates. He won plenty of trophies for Manchester United and also shone for the Portugual 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 record 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 the semifinals of the European Championships in the year 2012. He has also won plenty of individual awards that have further cemented his status as one of the world’s premier footballers.

Often ranked the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time, Ronaldo was named the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation, during its 100th anniversary celebrations in 2015. He is the only player to win four European Golden Shoe awards. One of the most marketable athletes in sport, in 2016 Forbes named Ronaldo the world’s best paid athlete. In June 2016, ESPN ranked him the world’s most famous athlete.

Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal in August 2003, at the age of 18. He is Portugal’s most capped player of all time with over 130 caps, and has participated in seven major tournaments: four UEFA European Championships (2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016) and three FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010 and 2014). He is the first Portuguese player to reach 50 international goals, making him Portugal’s all-time top goalscorer. He scored his first international goal in Euro 2004 and helped Portugal reach the final. He took over captaincy in July 2008, and he led Portugal to the semi-finals at Euro 2012, finishing the competition as joint-top scorer. In November 2014, Ronaldo became the all-time top scorer in the UEFA European Championship (including qualifying) with 23 goals. At Euro 2016, he became the most capped player of all-time in the tournament, the first player to score at four consecutive European Championship finals, and also equalled Michel Platini’s all-time record for most goals scored in the competition. Ronaldo lifted the trophy after Portugal defeated France in the final, and he received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer of the tournament.

As his reputation grew from his time at Manchester United, Ronaldo signed many sponsorship deals for consumer products, including e.g. sportswear (he wears Nike Mercurial Vapor CR7 boots), soft drinks, clothing, automotive lubricants, financial services, electronics, computer video games, and much more.

Childhood and Personal Life

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro 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 Jose Dinis Aveiro. He was named after Ronald Reagan, one of his father’s favorite actors. His father was a gardener with the municipality while his mother worked as a cook.

Ronaldo was expelled from the school after assaulted his teacher by throwing a chair at him. He had always been a keen footballer and by the time he was 14 years old he decided to concentrate on becoming a professional footballer. Ronaldo had been playing for Androrinha since he was eight.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been in relationships with celebrities like Gemma Atkinson and Alice Goodwin, both models in England.

Ronaldo’s son was born on 17 June 2010 and was named Cristiano. Ronaldo has not revealed the identity of his son’s mother.

Ronaldo was in a romantic relationship with Russian super model Irina Shayk for five years from 2010 to 2015.

Playing Career

Ronaldo began his club career playing for Sporting CP, before signing with Manchester United at age 18 in 2003. During his time at the Sporting CP Cristiano Ronaldo played for all the levels, i.e., under-16, under-17, under-18, B-team, and the first team before finally graduating into the senior team in the year 2002. He scored two goals in his league debut and announced his arrival on the big scene. His exploits for Sporting CP brought him into prominence and some of the biggest clubs in England like Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United started courting him.

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 2008, a year after signing a five-year, £31 million contract, 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 of the Year honor. In all, Ronaldo helped steer Manchester United to three premier league titles.

Cristiano Ronaldo became one of Manchester United’s most important players during his six year stint at the club and during that time the club became one of the most successful clubs in Europe as it won three league titles on the trot as well as the UEFA Champions League in 2008. Ronaldo scored 84 goals for the club in 196 league games and became one of the best players in the world.

But Ronaldo’s time in England was marred by his mother’s 2007 struggle with breast cancer as well as his father’s death from alcohol-related illness. The latter was especially hard for Ronaldo as the two had been close, and the young athlete had often pushed for his father to enter rehab and address his drinking. His father, however, never accepted the offer.

He won the Professional Footballers’ Association’s Player’s Player, Fans’ Player, and Young Player of the Year awards, as well as the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year award, becoming the first player to win all four main PFA and FWA honours. His club wages were concurrently upgraded to £120,000 a week (£31 million total) as part of a five-year contract extension with United.

Ronaldo scored a total of 42 goals in all competitions during the 2007–08 season, his most prolific campaign during his time in England.

At the close of 2008, Ronaldo helped United win the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, assisting the final-winning goal against Liga de Quito and winning the Silver Ball in the process. He subsequently became United’s first Ballon d’Or winner since George Best in 1968, and the first Premier League player to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year.

As lauded as Ronaldo was on the field for Manchester United, his commitment to the club came under constant question. Speculation swirled that he wanted to play elsewhere. So in 2009, when Spanish soccer club Real Madrid agreed to pay United a record $131 million for the chance to sign him, nobody was all that surprised to see Ronaldo leave United.

In 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win the Spanish league title and it proved to be his first league title with the club. He scored 60 goals in all competitions in the season as Real Madrid cantered to the title with 100 points. He followed it up with a haul of 55 goals in all competitions the following season.

The seasons that started in 2013 was a particularly special one for Ronaldo as he scored a staggering 51 goals in the season and at the same time helped Real Madrid win their coveted 10th UEFA Champions League title. In the Champions League, Ronaldo scored 17 goals that made him the highest scorer ever in a single season of the tournament. He has a total of 89 goals in the tournament overall.

His contract, which ran until 2015, was worth €11 million per year and contained a €1 billion buy-out clause. At least 80,000 fans attended his presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu, surpassing the 25-year record of 75,000 fans who had welcomed Diego Maradona at Napoli. Since club captain Raúl already wore the number 7, Ronaldo received the number 9 shirt, which was presented to him by the former Madrid player Alfredo Di Stéfano.

At the 2006 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo was an integral part of the Portuguese national team as they reached the semifinal of the tournament; Ronaldo scored one goal in the tournament. The following year he was named the captain of the national team but in the European Championships that followed the next year he scored only one goal as the team crashed out in the quarter finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal at the Football World Cup in South Africa in 2010 but he had a quiet tournament, scoring only one goal as the team was knocked out by Spain in the round of 16. In 2012, he was the main inspiration for the team as he scored three goals to lead the team to the semifinal of the European Championships but Portugal was knocked out by Spain yet again in a penalty shootout.

In the 2014 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo had a disappointing tournament as Portugal were knocked out in the first round with him scoring only one goal. He has scored 50 goals for Portugal in his career and that is the highest for any Portuguese player. In the league seasons that started that year, Ronaldo was in sublime form as he notched up 61 goals in total and also became the fastest player to reach the 200 goal milestone in the Spanish league. He reached it in 178 games.

On July 10, 2016, Ronaldo added another emotional victory to his accolades, leading Portugal to the European Championship final against France as his national team’s captain. 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,’” full-back Cedric Soares said after Portugal’s victory.

In January 2017, Ronaldo won FIFA’s 2016 best player of the year for the fourth time, beating out 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, according to USA Today. In his acceptance speech, Ronaldo said: “2016 was the best year of my career.”

Awards and Honours

Club

Manchester United

Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
FA Cup: 2003–04
Football League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09
FA Community Shield: 2007
UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Real Madrid

La Liga: 2011–12
Copa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14
Supercopa de España: 2012
UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16
UEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2016
FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016

Country

Portugal

UEFA European Championship: 2016

Individual

Ballon d’Or: 2008, 2016
FIFA Ballon d’Or: 2013, 2014
FIFA World Player of the Year: 2008
FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2008
The Best FIFA Men’s Player: 2016
UEFA Best Player in Europe Award: 2014, 2016
World Soccer Player of the Year: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016
GSA Best Player of the Year: 2011, 2014, 2016
Onze d’Or: 2008
Onze d’Argent: 2007, 2009, 2011–12
Onze de Bronze: 2010–11
Bravo Award: 2004
CNID Best Portuguese Athlete Abroad: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
European Golden Shoe: 2007–08, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15
IFFHS World’s Best Top Goal Scorer: 2013, 2014, 2016
IFFHS World’s Best Top Division Scorer: 2014, 2015
FIFA Puskás Award: 2009
FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
UEFA Team of the Year: 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year
ESM Team of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
FIFA Club World Cup Golden Boot: 2016
FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2016
FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2008, 2014
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007–08
UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2007–08
UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
UEFA Champions League Team of the Group Stage: 2015–16
UEFA Champions League top scorer: 2007–08, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2004, 2012, 2016
UEFA European Championship Silver Boot: 2016
UEFA Euro All Time XI
UEFA European Championship Co-top scorer: 2012
Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08
Manchester United Players’ Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
Manchester United Goal of the Season: 2008–09
PFA Young Player of the Year: 2006–07
PFA Players’ Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
FWA Footballer of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
Barclays Player of the Year 2006–07, 2007–08
Premier League Player of the Month: November 2006, December 2006, January 2008, March 2008
PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
Premier League Golden Boot: 2007–08
Premier League 20 Seasons Awards Fantasy Team – Public
Premier League 20 Seasons Awards Fantasy Team – Experts
La Liga Most Valuable Player: 2012–13
La Liga Best Player: 2013–14
La Liga Best Forward: 2013–14
La Liga Best Goal: 2013–14
La Liga Fans 5 Star Player: 2014–15
Trofeo EFE Best Ibero-American Soccer Player of the Spanish League: 2012–13
Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
La Liga Player of the Month: November 2013, May 2015
La Liga Team of the Season: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
La Liga top scorer: 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15
Copa del Rey top goalscorer: 2010–11
BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: 2014
ESPY Awards Best International Athlete: 2014, 2016
GSA Best Media Attraction: 2011
GSA Greatest Media Attraction: 2011
GSA Fans Favorite Player: 2013
Facebook FA La Liga Player of the Year: 2016
Facebook FA La Liga Best Striker: 2016
Eurosport World star of the year: 2016

World

The most expensive footballer in history: 2009–2013
Most international goals in a calendar year: 25 (in 2013, shared with Vivian Woodward and Lionel Messi)
First footballer to reach 40 goals in a professional league for two consecutive seasons
Only player to score in every minute of an official football game
Only player to win 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 different clubs (Manchester United and Real Madrid)
Most appearances in the FIFPro World XI: 9 times (2007–2015) (shared with Lionel Messi)
First and only player to appear in the FIFPro World XI for two different clubs.
Only player to have won more than one FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball.
Guinness World Record for Most Liked Person on Facebook: 2015
Only player in the world who has scored in the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 editions of the European Championship; and in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 editions of the World Cup.

Europe

Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League: 95 goals
Most goals scored in a UEFA Champions League/European Cup season: 17 goals in 2013–14
Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League group stage: 11 goals in 2015–16
Most goals scored in UEFA Champions League knockout phase: 42 goals
Most UEFA Champions League goals scored in a calendar year: 15 goals in 2013
Only player to score 15 or more UEFA Champions League goals in two different seasons: in 2013–14 and 2015–16
The first player in the history of UEFA Champions League to score three hat-tricks in a single season: in 2015–16
First footballer to have won the European Golden Shoe in two different leagues: English Premier League (2007–08) and Spanish La Liga (2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15)
Most goals scored in the UEFA European Championship, including qualifying: 29 goals, for Portugal
Most career goals at UEFA European Championship finals: 9 goals, for Portugal (tied with Michel Platini)
Only player to have scored at four UEFA European Championship finals: 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016
Only player to have scored three or above (goals) at more than one UEFA European Championship finals: 3 goals in 2012 and in 2016
Most headed goals at UEFA European Championship finals: 5
Highest appearance-maker at UEFA European Championship finals: 20 appearances
First player to appear in three UEFA European Championship semi-finals: 2004, 2012, 2016 (Germany’s Bastian Schweinsteiger featured in his third last-four clash 24 hours later)
First player to ever score 10 goals in four consecutive UEFA Champions League seasons: 2011–12 to 2014–15
Only player to score for two different winning teams in the European Cup: Manchester United (2007–08) and Real Madrid (2013–14)
Most away goals scored in Champions League history: 42 goals
Most consecutive UEFA Champions League away games scored in: 12
Most wins in the UEFA Champions League Knockout phase: 29 wins
Most braces scored in the UEFA Champions League: 20
Most European Golden Shoe awards: 4
Most UEFA Team of the Year appearances: 10 times
Most consecutive appearances in the UEFA Team of the Year: 9 (2007–2015)
Only player to appear in more than position in the UEFA Team of the Year.
Only player to be among the finalists for all the editions of the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award: 2010–11 to 2015–16
Fastest player to score 350 goals for one club (335 games)
Most UEFA Best Player in Europe awards: 3 (2008, 2014, 2016) (shared with Lionel Messi)

Spain

Most hat-tricks in La Liga history: 30
Fastest La Liga player to score 150 league goals (140 games)
Fastest La Liga player to score 200 league goals (178 games)
Fastest player to reach 300 official club goals
Most goals scored in Madrid Derby matches: 18
Most consecutive Clásico matches scored in: 6 matches
Best scoring start in a Spanish league season: 15 goals in eight rounds
Fastest footballer to score 20 league goals: 12 games (missed one game due to injury)
Only player to reach 30 goals in six consecutive La Liga seasons
Most teams scored against in a season (2012–13): 19 (shared with Ronaldo and Lionel Messi)
Most La Liga hat-tricks in a season: 8 hat-tricks (shared with Lionel Messi)
Most hat-tricks scored in all competitions: 36