Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, born on February 5th, 1985, is a Portuguese professional footballer who excels as a forward.
He currently serves as the captain for the Saudi Professional League team, Al Nassr, as well as the Portugal national team.
Ronaldo is regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time.
He has achieved five Ballon d’Or awards and four European Golden Shoes, the highest among all European players.
He has won 32 trophies throughout his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship, and the UEFA Nations League.
Ronaldo holds multiple records, including the most appearances (183), goals (140), and assists (42) in the Champions League.
The most goals in the European Championship (14), the highest number of men’s international goals (122), and the most men’s international appearances (198).
He has made over 1,100 professional career appearances and has scored over 800 official senior career goals for both his club and his country.
Early life and Education
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born in the Portuguese island of Madeira on February 5, 1985.
He was the youngest child of cook Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and municipal gardener José Dinis Aveiro.
Ronaldo’s family was struggling financially, and his upbringing was difficult.
Ronaldo began playing soccer at an early age and rapidly established himself as a skilled player.
At the age of eight, he joined the local Andorinha squad, where he refined his abilities and began to build a name for himself in the soccer world.
Ronaldo joined the Nacional squad, a second-division Portuguese team, in his early teens before being noticed by the famed soccer club Sporting CP.
He relocated to Lisbon when he was 12 years old to attend Sporting CP’s youth program, where he continued to hone his soccer abilities.
Ronaldo excelled as a soccer player but suffered academically.
He dropped out of school at the age of 14 to devote his whole attention to his soccer career.
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Career
Club career
Ronaldo began his professional career at Sporting CP before joining Manchester United in 2003, where he won the FA Cup in his first season.
He went on to win three consecutive Premier League titles, the Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup before winning his first Ballon d’Or at the age of 23.
When Ronaldo moved for Real Madrid in 2009 for €94 million (£80 million), he was the subject of the then-most expensive association football transfer.
He became a vital player and created an attacking three with Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
That was instrumental in the team winning four Champions League titles from 2014 to 2018, including La Décima.
During this time, he won back-to-back Ballons d’Or in 2013 and 2014.
As well as in 2016 and 2017, and was runner-up three times behind Lionel Messi, his apparent career nemesis.
He also became the club’s all-time leading striker and top scorer in the Champions League.
Finishing as the competition’s top scorer for six consecutive seasons between 2012 and 2018.
With Real Madrid, Ronaldo won two La Liga crowns, two Copas del Rey, four Champions Leagues, three UEFA Super Cups, and three Club World Cups.
In 2018, he joined Juventus in a €100 million (£88 million) transfer, the most expensive for an Italian team and a player over 30 years old.
Before returning to Manchester United in 2021, he won two Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana trophies, and a Coppa Italia, was named the inaugural Serie A Most Valuable Player.
And became the first footballer to finish as top scorer in the English, Spanish, and Italian leagues.
He left after his contract with the club expired in 2022. Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in 2023.
International Career
Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal at the age of 18 in 2003 and has since won over 190 caps, earning him the country’s most-capped player.
He is also the all-time leading international striker with almost 100 goals.
Ronaldo has appeared in and scored in 11 major tournaments; he scored his first international goal at Euro 2004, where he helped Portugal reach the final.
In July 2008, he was appointed captain of the national team.
Ronaldo was crowned the finest Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation in 2015.
The following year, he led Portugal to their first major tournament championship at Euro 2016, winning the Silver Boot as the tournament’s second-highest goalscorer.
This achievement would earn him his fourth Ballon d’Or.
He also guided them to third place in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and triumph in the first UEFA Nations League in 2019.
Receiving the best scorer award in the finals and then receiving the Golden Boot as the top scorer of Euro 2020.
Personal Life
Ronaldo is the father of five children.
He first became a father to a son on June 17, 2010, in the United States.
He has full custody of the child and has agreed not to expose the mother’s identify publicly.
Ronaldo’s five-year romance with Russian model Irina Shayk terminated in January 2015.
Ronaldo became a father to twins via surrogacy on June 8, 2017 in the United States.
He is currently married to Georgina Rodrguez, an Argentine-born Spanish model who gave birth to a daughter on November 12, 2017.
The couple planned to have their second set of twins in 2022.
During birthing, the male twin died, while the female twin survived.
When Ronaldo was 20, his father, José, died of alcoholism-related liver disease at the age of 52 in September 2005.
