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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

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13 Comments

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

• February 10, 2022 5:23 PM

Christiano is the best player in the whole world

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

cr7 is the best player in worldwide

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

Join the Discussion Cancel reply

Cristiano Ronaldo Biography Facts, Childhood, Career, Life

Cristiano Ronaldo, popularly known by his nickname ‘CR7’ is a Portuguese professional football player.

He plays forward for Juventus (Italian club) and the Portugal National Team. Among the greatest of all time to have graced the football pitch, entertaining us with a unique style of play, outstanding dribbles, sensational goals and electrifying speed, Cristiano Ronaldo stands out.

The ace skipper has a penchant for scoring incredible goals while inspiring his team to victory. Ronaldo emboldens the perfect definition of winning.

We take a close look into the life of this football star who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time on the planet in our Cristiano Ronaldo biography facts, childhood, career and personal life.

Table of Contents

Cristiano Ronaldo Childhood & Early Life

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985. He was the fourth child born to his mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and his father, Jose Dinis Aveiro in Funchal, an island of Madeira, Portugal.

His father worked as a metropolitan gardener while his mother was a cook. Ronaldo was named after then-US President Ronald Reagen.

Ronaldo has an elder brother, Hugo and older sisters, Elma and Liliana. While growing up, he and all his siblings shared a room.

Ronaldo was raised as a Catholic. He played for an amateur team, Andorinha, before being signed by Sporting CP for 1,500 Euros after a three-day trial.

Ronaldo stopped attending school so as to focus on his football career. Prior to that decision, he was expelled after throwing a chair at his teacher.

His football dreams were threatened by a racing heart condition, but after undergoing surgery he resumed playing.

Cristiano Ronaldo Club Career

Sporting cp (2002–2003).

Ronaldo earned his place in the youth team of Sporting CP at the age of 16, after he was promoted by the first-team manager.

Ronaldo became the first sporting CP player to play in the under-16, under-17, under-18, B-team and first team in a season.

Ronaldo’s representative spoke with then-Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier and Barcelona president, Joan Laporta on signing him.

Arsenal Manager also met with Ronaldo to discuss a possible transfer. Alex Ferguson was impressed by Ronaldo’s performance in a 3-1 defeat of Manchester United in August 2003.

Ferguson was further pressurized to sign him permanently after United plan to sign him for a year before loaning him back to Sporting CP. Sporting was paid 12.24 million pounds in exchange for him.

Manchester United (2003–2009)

Ronaldo who was the first Portuguese signing by Manchester United had the most expensive signing for a teenager in the 2003–2004 season.

He proved his worth as he became one of the best players in Europe. While Ronaldo played in England, he became the first player to break the 20-goal barrier and helped United claim their first League title in four years.

His achievements didn’t go unnoticed as he received Professional Footballer’s Association’s Player, Young Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, making him the first player to receive four major PFA and FWA award for two consecutive seasons.

He also won the Premier League Golden Boot for his 31 goals and European Golden Shoe, the first winger to achieve the feat.

In the Champions League, Ronaldo inspired United to clinch Europe’s prestigious tournament which earned him the UEFA club footballer of the Year Award.

Ronaldo rounded off his time with United with the Ballon d’Or award, becoming the first Premier League Player to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year.

He also received the FIFA Puskas Award for best goal as well as winning the Premier League with United for the third time. Ronaldo claimed a total of nine trophies while at Manchester United.

Real Madrid (2009–2018)

Ronaldo secured a move to Real Madrid before the start of the 2009–2010 season, in a world-record transfer of 94 million Euros, with a 1 billion Euros buyout clause with His contract which was set to expire in 2015.

The attendance of 80,000 fans at his presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu broke the 25-year record of 75,000 attendances at Diego Maradona’s Napoli presentation.

His first season with Madrid still saw him as a Ballon d’Or contender as he emerged second in the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year behind Lionel Messi despite failing to win any trophy.

The following season saw him also emerged as a runner-up behind Lionel Messi in the FIFA Ballon d’Or awards. But this time inspiring Madrid to the La Liga title, their first in four years.

During his time at Madrid, he forged an attacking trio, known as the BBC, an acronym for Bale, Benzema and Cristiano with his fellow teammates. He enjoyed a successful run, which made him admit he was in the best form of his career.

Ronaldo won the FIFA Ballon d’Or an amalgamation of the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d’Or. Ronaldo also helped the Madrid to their tenth European championship, La Decima and as well as their 12thLa Duodecima.

Ronaldo particularly achieved more in his final days with Madrid becoming Madrid first Player to score a total of 5,900 goals.

He also became the first player to score 100 goals in a UEFA club competition. Ronaldo emerged the top scorer of the UEFA Champions League for a fifth consecutive season. He led Madrid to their twelveth European title, La Duodecima earning him his fifth Player of the Year award.

Ronaldo received the Ballon d’Or award a day after winning the FIFA Best Men Player Award. The highest point of his last days with Madrid was his bicycle kick goal in a 3-0 away win over Juventus which was lauded by the opposition fans.

The goal was labelled as a “Playstation goal” by Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli.

Juventus (2018 – 2021)

After rumours of an imminent move from Real Madrid, Ronaldo secured a 100 million Euros transfer to Juventus which also included an additional 12 million euros in fee and contributions to Ronaldo’s youth club.

His transfer was the highest for a player above 30 years old. Ronaldo attributed his move to Juventus to the need for a new challenge, but later said he opted for a transfer due to a lack of support from the club president.

He debuted for Juventus in a Serie A goal against Chievo on August 18, 2018. In his first champions league appearance for Juventus, he was sent off due to violent conduct.

Manchester United (2021 – present)

Ronaldo returned to his youth team Manchester United in August 2021. It was no shock that the first day of his return to Manchester United his T shirt sales have broken every club record, ever.

As this stage evolves we will update this page with his achievements that are honestly too much to keep track at this stage. Breaking league records every year, it is clear that even at his age which is considered ” old” he still has the ability to be at the top of his game.

Cristiano Ronaldo National Team Career

After beginning his national team career in 2001, Ronaldo became a regular face in the Portuguese National team squad, appearing in the 2002 URFA European Under-17 Football Championship, the 2004 summer Olympic as well as in the under-15, under-17, under-20, under-21 and under-23 national teams, before debuting for the senior team at age 18.

After a series of trials at the Euros, Ronaldo finally led Portugal to the Euros success in 2016. He last featured for the Portuguese side in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia where he had a spectacular performance.

Cristiano Ronaldo Family and Personal Life

Ronaldo gave birth to his first child in 2010, the identity of the child’s mother is unknown. It is unclear if he was involved in a relationship or if the child was given birth to via surrogacy. In 2017, he became a father to twins.

Ronaldo is known to be a philanthropist. In 2004, he visited Indonesia to raise funds for rehabilitation and reconstruction after TV footage showed a boy whose parent had been killed in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and had been stranded for 19 days.

In 2012 he and his agent paid for the treatment of a nine-year-old Canarian boy with terminal cancer. He sold his 2011 golden boot for 1.5 million euros to fund schools in Gaza.

In August 2016, he launched the CR7Selfie app, a selfie app for charity to aid Saving of children.

Ronaldo and a man were accused of rape. One of the women involved withdrew her allegation. Subsequently, Scotland Yard issued a statement that there was not enough evidence to file a case.

In 2017, German newspaper Der Spiegel published an article which alleged a rape accusation against Ronaldo.

The rape was said to have taken place in 2009 and was subject to legal persecution before a non-disclosure agreement was signed, which made the charges to be dropped. In September 2018, the German newspaper revealed the name of the woman as Kathryn Mayorga. Ronaldo dismissed the allegation as fake news.

Ronaldo was charged with tax evasion in July 2017. He was said to have evaded about 15 million euros in tax between 2011 and 2014. He was reportedly sentenced to two years in jail and fined about 18.8 million euros in a deal with the Spanish Authorities.

The fine was reduced by 2 million euros. The sentence could be served under probation without jail time.

Cristiano Ronaldo Achievements and Awards

Tournaments won.

• Premier League (2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009)
• FA Cup (2003-2004), Football League Cup (2005-2006, 2008-2009)
• FA Community Shield (2007)
• La Liga (2011-2012, 2016-2017)
• Copa del Rey (2010-2011, 2013-2014)
• Supercopa de Espana (2012, 2017)
• UEFA Champions League (2007-2008, 2013-2014, 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018)
• UEFA Super Cup (2014, 2017)
• FIFA Club World Cup (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017)
• UEFA European Championship (2016)
• UEFA Euros (2016)

Individual Awards

• FIFA Ballon d’Or (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017)
• UEFA Men’s Player of the Year (2013-2014, 2015-2016, 2016-2017)
• Champions League Forward of the Season (2017-2018)
• UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (2008)
• Barclays Player of the Year (2006-2007, 2007-2008)
• PFA Young Player of the Year (2006-2007)
• PFA Player of the Year (2006-2007, 2007-2008)
• La Liga Best Player (2013-2014)
• La Liga Best Forward (2013-2014)
• La Liga Most Valuable Player (2012-2013)

Cristiano Ronaldo Biography Facts, Nickname, Occupation, Current Teams, Education, Parents, Siblings, Wife/Girlfriend, Children, Zodiac Sign

SEE ALSO: 10 Reasons Cristiano Ronaldo Is The Greatest Footballer Of All Time

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Cristiano Ronaldo: Top 10 iconic moments from his career

31 August 2021 31 August 2021 . From the section Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo is back at Manchester United.

Having scored a sack full of goals and amassed a load of trophies since leaving Old Trafford, the Portugal forward has made a sensational return back to the Red Devils.

BBC Sport takes a look at the Ronaldo's top 10 iconic moments and you can rank your favourites in order at the bottom of this page.

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• 'Fairytale return for Ronaldo but Solskjaer must now deliver
• How Ronaldo has changed since he was last at Man Utd

Wins first Premier League title (2007)

"At the start, no one had even heard of Ronaldo, but by the end, everyone knew about him."

That was the view of former United defender Mikael Silvestre, external-link who played against Sporting Lisbon in a pre-season friendly before the start of the 2003-04 season.

Ronaldo was persuaded to join the club by Sir Alex Ferguson after a dazzling performance in that friendly - and went on to play 292 games for United, winning the first of his three Premier League titles in 2007, as well as the Champions League, one FA Cup and two League Cups.

Puskas award-winning goal (2009)

Ronaldo scored 118 goals for Manchester United, including a sensational screamer against Porto in the Champions League, picking the ball 40 yards out before rocketing a shot into the top corner.

The effort won the inaugural Fifa Puskas award for goal of the year.

United reached their second successive Champions League final, but were beaten by Barcelona in Ronaldo's last match before he sealed an £80m move to Real Madrid that summer.

Scores winner in Copa del Rey final (2011)

Ronaldo started to pay off the world record fee when he scored the winning goal for Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final against bitter rivals Barcelona.

Ronaldo rose at the far post to power in a trademark header from Angel di Maria's cross and deliver his first trophy for the club.

Becomes Real's all-time leading scorer (2015)

Ronaldo's goalscoring record during his nine seasons at Real was astonishing, with 450 goals in just 438 games.

He became the club's all-time leading scorer with a goal against Levante in October 2015, surpassing Raul who had scored 323 times.

The previous 2014-15 campaign had been the most prolific of his club career, scoring 61 times in 54 games at an incredible rate of, an average, a goal every 76 minutes.

Wins Euros with Portugal (2016)

Ronaldo finally tasted success on the international stage with Portugal, winning the 2016 European Championship with victory over France in the final in Paris.

But it was a bittersweet occasion for the captain as he was carried off injured in tears after just 25 minutes, but he came on to lift the trophy.

Wins fifth Ballon d'Or (2017)

In 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017, Ronaldo claimed the Ballon d'Or award as the best player in the world.

The latter came after a stellar 2016-17 season in which he spearheaded Real to the La Liga title and victory in the Champions League final, where he scored twice in a 4-1 win over Juventus.

A century of Champions League goals (2018)

Ronaldo became the first player to become a member of the Champions League's 100 club, later joined by old rival Lionel Messi.

His two goals against Paris St-Germain in the last 16 took him past the century mark and he remains the competition's all-time top scorer, with 134 goals in 176 games.

Bicycle kick against Juventus (2018)

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane's reaction said it all.

Hand to his head, a look of disbelief on his face at what he had just seen, he turned and bellowed his approval. Ronaldo had leapt into the air before acrobatically firing into the corner of the net with an incredible bicycle kick.

The goal in the Champions League quarter-final was so good that even Juventus fans stood up to applaud the player, who would later go on to join their club.

First player to claim five Champions League triumphs (2018)

Ronaldo won two La Liga titles and two Copa del Rey trophies at Real Madrid, but it was in Europe's elite club competition where he became a true legend.

He had already won the Champions League in 2008 with United, but went on to win it four more times with Real. The first was in 2014 before a remarkable three times in a row in 2016, 2017 and 2018 to become the first player to win the competition five times.

Equals men's international goals record (2021)

Ronaldo reached another famous landmark earlier this year when his two penalties in Portugal's 2-2 European Championship draw with France took him to 109 international goals.

That figure is a joint world record for men's football held with Ali Daei, who scored 109 goals for Iran between 1993 and 2006.

Reaching the landmark further helped cement the 36-year-old's standing as an all-time great.

Rank Ronaldo's most iconic moments

Rank Cristiano Ronaldo's most iconic career moments

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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

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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Cristiano Ronaldo aims to defy age, continue at 'high level'

• Adriana Garcia

Cristiano Ronaldo has said he has no plans of slowing down at the age of 39 and added that he is motivated to carry on competing with the "young lions" that are coming through in the game.

"I feel proud to have this age and still compete at the highest level," Ronaldo said on the Whoop Podcast on Wednesday, "It's great and it gives me motivation to carry on.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

"If you look at my career for the last 20 years, my level is high. If you are top for 20 years, it's unbelievable.

"I do that and I continue to do that. For me it's a big achievement."

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has scored 891 goals in his career and is the all-time leading scorer in men's international football with 128 goals.

Ronaldo has maintained that level of performance this season and netted 42 goals in 41 appearances for Al Nassr across all competitions.

"My biggest motivation is to carry on," he said.

"It's not easy to be at this level. To still push, to still motivate, to carry on, to score goals, to be in good shape, to compete with the young lions that are coming and that when they play against me, they want to show me that they are stronger and faster than me. You have to prepare very well not just physically but mentally, too. This is the challenge."

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner said he believes that besides talent and work ethic, the key to a long career is consistency.

"Talent without work is nothing and work without talent is nothing," he said.

"They have to work together at the same time. I have both. I can't say that I have more of one than the other.

"Small details will make the difference. Consistency is the most difficult thing.

"Are you willing to do that? That's the main point because everyone wants to be Cristiano, but doing it is difficult. Discipline is the most difficult thing.

"I fight against my mind sometimes, we are all human beings. Of course, I don't like going to the gym every day, no one does, but you have to do it."

On Thursday, Ronaldo topped Forbes' list of highest-paid athletes for the fourth time. Forbes said his estimated total earnings were in the region of $260 million, an all-time high for a soccer player.