Cristiano Ronaldo lived a life of turbulence, one of the biggest in football history. Setbacks, awards to even losing the most important person in his life, Ronaldo had to go through all of this to get to the top.
Overcoming those hurdles, he became one of the greatest footballers in history with his number CR7. he worked very hard, and deserves everything he has. He stands as a living example for everyone chasing their dream. It’s so crazy because, at the beginning, it all could have never happened!
1985, A Champ Is Born
Cristiano Ronaldo was born on the 5th of February 1985 in Madeira, Portugal, which is the place where first learned to hone his skills as a footballer. His full name is Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro and his parents are Jose Dinis Aveiro, who was a municipal gardener and also worked part-time as the kitman for the local football club Andorinha. His mother Maria Dolores had a difficult childhood. He is the youngest of the four children in his family.
Jose was deployed for ten months in Africa turned him into a drunken mess upon his return. The alcoholism soon led to dire financial conditions for the family of six.
Later, in a shocking revelation in her 2014 autobiography titled “Mar Coragem”, we find that she had chosen to abort Ronaldo when she got pregnant with him. Their dwindling cash flow and her husband’s hopelessness prompted her to visit the doctor, but, fatefully, she was refused.
Little did she know, that the child that she didn’t want to raise in poverty would grow up to uplift them on such a massive scale.
Cristiano Joins Football Club At Age Eight
When his father worked for Andorinha, Ronaldo would accompany him. Fernao Barros Sousa was a player in the club and godfather to Ronaldo. He noted the little boy’s love for football at a young age. According to Fernao, Ronaldo would always have a ball in his hand, while his father would continue with his job.
He would dribble and try to imitate the older players. Soon, he officially began playing for the club when he was around eight years old. His former teammates in Andorinha remember him being a great player. Even though they were very young and just starting, Ronaldo was faster than most and good at securing goals.
An endearing fact about him, during this early phase, is that he was very sensitive. He would cry if he didn’t have the balls or when his teammates fought. At the age of ten, he would transfer to the best club on the island of Madeira, Clube Desportivo Nacional.
Cristiano Ronaldo Impressed Sir Ferguson in Historic 2003 Match
Cristiano joined Sporting CP, a Lisbon-based club. He had to move to the Portuguese capital at the tender age of 12 and faced bullying due to his Madeirian accent. At one point, he even came back to Madeira because he had become sad and unmotivated and Sporting didn’t want that. But after a lot of convincing on both sides, he finally returned and settled himself down to take the pitch. He started to hone his skills in one of the best European football academies.
In the year 2003, a friendly match was set up between Sir Ferguson’s Manchester United and Sporting FC in the inauguration of the brand-new Alvalade stadium. And this is where Ronaldo set himself up for success without scoring a SINGLE goal! At half-time, they were already shouting the name of this teen football star. Ronaldo claims that as he didn’t score a goal, only 50 clubs wanted him because if he’d scored even one, there would’ve been hundreds.
Sporting FC won that game 3-1. Fergusson won the CR7 and the rest is a prominent history of this prolific player and his way to five Ballon d’Or trophies.
The Five Ballon d’Or Timeline
While Argentine legend Lionel Messi may hold the most Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo was the most nominated with 18 nominations and five wins. Here is the timeline of his trophies and his respective clubs during that time.
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Manchester United
- 2008 – He was with the club Manchester United. They won the Premier League (2007/08) and Champions League (2007/08)
2. Real Madrid:
- 2013
- 2014 – He transferred to his most widely associated club. With them, he won Copa del Rey (2013/14), Champions League (2013/14), UEFA Super Cup 2014, FIFA Club World Cup 2014.
- 2016 – Champions League (2015/16), FIFA Club World Cup (2016)
- 2017 – La Liga (2016/17), Supercopa de Esapna 2017, Champions League (2016/17), UEFA Super Cup 2017, FIFA Club World Cup 2017.
Partner and Children
Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez, 30, have been together since 2017. Both of them co-parent five of their children.
The oldest is Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., born on June 17, 2010. The identity of his mother is unknown. Similarly, Cristiano also has twins Eva and Mateo via an undisclosed surrogate. They were born on June 8, 2017. Alana Martina, the first child of the couple, was born on 12 Nov 2017. Belle Esmeralda is the youngest child of Cristiano and Martina. She was born as a twin on April 18, 2022, but sadly, the male twin passed away during childbirth.
Net Worth
The Portuguese legend, who is now 39, is now playing for the Saudi Arabian football club, Al-NAssr, and moving to Saudi widened his already limitless fortune. Reports suggest that the contract is valued at $75 million per year.
Excluding his club earnings, he is also involved in sponsorships, brand deals, and investments. As of 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo’s net worth is approximately $500 million.