Cristiano Ronaldo

A Comprehensive Biography:Babyhood and Upbringing (1985-2001)
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a native of Funchal, the capital of the Madeira Island in Portugal. He was born on February 5, 1985, and was the last of four children born to his parents. They resided in a low-income family. His father, José Dinis Aveiro, worked as a garbageman for the municipality and his mother, Maria Dolores dos Santos, was employed as a chef.

It was not easy for Ronaldo’s family in his early years. They occupied a tiny modest house, and they were often in want. Even so, Ronaldo adored football from an early age. Before he was eight years old he was already playing for Andorinha, a local team where his dad was a kit man. He enjoyed his game and was soon transferred to Nacional, another local club, before relocating to the mainland of Portugal to join Sporting CP’s youth academy at the age of 12.

The Road to Sporting CP: Year 2001 to 2003
Not even a teenager yet, in a twist of fate quite unimaginable for a twelve-year-old boy, Ronaldo Foto departs from his family and goes to the busy conurbation of Lisbon with the intention of joining one of the most formidable football clubs in Portugal, Sporting CP, which also houses a developmental team for younger football stars. It was not an easy period for that little boy, who was at odds with acceptability in the capital and was increasingly nostalgic of home. But his love for the game never diminished.

When it comes to Sporting’s youth system, Ronaldo was a phenomenal athlete who terrorized other defenders with his quick pace and dribbling as well as goal scoring abilities, earning the right to be called up to the firsts at all levels very fast. It was in 2002, when he was seventeen years of age, that Ronaldo made his first team debut for Sporting CP. Such was the impression of his game that most of the big European clubs came to know him including Manchester United.

Manchester United (2003-2009)
In 2003, following a brilliant display in a friendly match against Manchester United, a club which was keen on signing him shortly after, Sir Alex Ferguson decided to make a move for the sporting prodigy – Ronaldo.

From the very beginning, Ronaldo’s adventure with Manchester United was a thrilling and promising experience. He first came under severe criticism, as most players as young as he overdid every play with excessive dribbles and tricks, but anyone could see the effort he put towards improvement. With Ferguson as his coach, Ronaldo started to become a more rounded player, one whose game was no longer about fancy footwork but about the right choices and putting the ball in the back of the net.

During his six-year tenure in Manchester United, Ronaldo won three Premier League titles (2007, 2008, and 2009), the UEFA Champions League (2008), and many other awards for himself. His outstanding run of 2007-08 in which he netted 42 goals in all competitions makes him win the Ballon d’Or award for the first time in 2008, and thus ranks him among the world’s elite players.

Real Madrid (2009-2018) – The Galactico Era
In 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo made a staggering €94 million transfer to Real Madrid which was the most expensive transfer fee in football records at that time. His arrival in Madrid signified the dawn of a golden era for the Portuguese professional’s career. He became arguably the most outstanding performer to have ever played for Real Madrid, second to none.

In Madrid, however, Ronaldo flourished since he had a fierce rivalry with Lionel Messi of Barcelona which for the most part dominated the world of football for ten years. From 2009 to 2018, Ronaldo has been successful to win the Uefa Champions League Cup four times while playing for Real Madrid (2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018) and is also known for helping the team win two La Liga titles (2012 and 2017). His goal scoring record was astonishing – 450 goals in 438 matches played for the club, making him the club’s highest official goalscorer in history.

During these years, he won another four Ballon d’Or awards in the years (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017) further entrenching his place in the history books of the greatest football players/Messis. In addition to that, he possessed incredible scoring skills which embraced every possible range or technique, right from scoring goals off the ground to trouncing headers and taking free kicks.

Juventus (2018-2021)
After spending almost a decade at Real Madrid, Ronaldo made another significant landmark decision and moved to Italy in 2018 to join Juventus for €100 million. While At Juventus, Ronaldo continued to break records, playing at the highest level of soccer despite being in his mid-thirties. He helped Juventus win two Serie A titles in 2019 and 2020, while also finishing as the club’s highest goal scorer in all of his seasons there.

Ronaldo’s spell in Juventus also highlighted his professionalism and how he was able to adjust to different circumstances. He was still an important player though the league was more defensive and tactical as compared to Spain. He had a great work ethic and was able to focus on his fitness so as to be able to operate at the top tier and he was scoring goals in plenty.

Return to Manchester United (2021-2022)
In the summer of 2021, Ronaldo made a sensational comeback and joined Manchester United once more, 12 years after he had left the club. The return was whole heartedly welcomed by the fans. In his second debut for the club, he netted two goals in a 4-1 win against Newcastle United, which was proof that, even at an older age, he could still perform in the greatest stage of it all.

Despite Manchester United’s poor performance in his second stint, he still excelled individually and ended the season as the team’s top scorer. It was however unfortunate that his stay at United came to an end on a high and a low, because of growing friction between him and the club which culminated in him being released in the course of the year 2022.

Carreira Internacional com Portugal
A carreira internacional de Ronaldo em Portugal também não deixa nada a desejar. Ele fez sua estreia na seleção em 2003 e desde então tornou-se também o maior artilheiro da história do futebol português e o jogador com mais partidas pela Seleção.

Um dos momentos de maior glória para Ronaldo foi, sem dúvida, o ano de 2016, quando Portugal conquistou o UEFA Euro, a primeira maior competição em que Ronaldo captained the national team. Though early in the final match with France, he got an injury, led his team to victory 1-0 from the bench. This glory was followed, in turn, by another trophy on the global stage in 2019, when he brought Portugal as a captain in the first-ever UEFA Nations League.

As of 2022, Ronaldo has featured in five FIFA World Cups, an unbelievable feat, and remains very much an important player for Portugal.

Off the Field: Investments and Charity Work
Aside from football, Ronaldo has managed to achieve a significant business empire more so under CR7. This is in estimation of fashion wear, shoes, fragrances, finest hotels and even fitness. One of the sources has indicated a lifetime deal for Ronaldo to endorse Nike worth $1 billion which places the sportsman among other top earning sportsperson ever.

Philanthropy is another aspect of his life as well. He has given out lots of money towards programs including building the children’s hospitals, cancer centers, or helping with the earthquake. Also, he has paid for medical procedures to save children and he does so every now and then with other causes.

Personal Life
Ronaldo is a father of five children. He fathered his first son, Cristiano Jr., in 2010, with the mother’s identity remaining a secret until today. Ronaldinho, in 2017, gave birth to Mateo and Eva, twins, through a surrogate. His partner Georgina Rodríguez later that year bore their daughter,