The Portuguese superstar turns 39 today, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most celebrated and admired footballers in the world, having achieved countless feats and accolades in his illustrious career. The Manchester United forward, who is also the captain and the top scorer of Portugal, has been breaking records and setting new standards in the sport for almost two decades. As he celebrates his 39th birthday today, here are 15 stunning facts about the football icon:
1. He was named after Ronald Reagan
Ronaldo’s full name is Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, and he was named after former US president Ronald Reagan, who was his father’s favourite actor. Ronaldo’s father, José Dinis Aveiro, was a municipal gardener and a part-time kit man for a local club. He died in 2005 due to alcoholism.
2. He was expelled from school at 14
Ronaldo was not a keen student and he was expelled from school at the age of 14 after he threw a chair at his teacher, who he said disrespected him. He then focused on his football career and joined Sporting Lisbon’s youth academy.
3. He underwent heart surgery at 15
Ronaldo had a racing heart condition when he was 15, which could have ended his football career. He underwent a laser operation to cauterize the affected area of his heart, and he recovered fully in a few days.
4. He was scouted by Manchester United at 18
Ronaldo impressed Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson when he played against them for Sporting Lisbon in a friendly match in 2003. Ferguson decided to sign him for £12.24 million, making him the most expensive teenager in English football history at the time.
5. He wore the number 7 shirt at United
Ronaldo initially wanted to wear the number 28 shirt at United, which he wore at Sporting, but Ferguson persuaded him to take the number 7 shirt, which had been worn by legends such as George Best, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. Ronaldo accepted the challenge and went on to make the number 7 shirt his own.
6. He won his first Ballon d’Or at 23
Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or, the award for the best player in the world, in 2008, after he scored 42 goals in all competitions and helped United win the Premier League and the Champions League. He became the first United player since George Best in 1968 to win the award.
7. He became the world’s most expensive player at 24
Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid in 2009 for a world record fee of £80 million, which was more than double the previous record of £37.5 million paid by Real Madrid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001. Ronaldo spent nine seasons at Real Madrid, where he became the club’s all-time top scorer with 450 goals in 438 games.
8. He scored more than 50 goals in six consecutive seasons
Ronaldo achieved an incredible feat of scoring more than 50 goals in six consecutive seasons for Real Madrid, from 2010-11 to 2015-16. He is the only player in history to do so, and he also scored more than 60 goals in three of those seasons.
9. He won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid
Ronaldo won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid, in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. He is the only player to win the trophy five times in the modern era, having also won it with United in 2008. He is also the all-time top scorer in the competition with 134 goals.
10. He is the most followed person on Instagram
Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram, with over 375 million followers as of February 2024. He is also the most followed athlete on Facebook and Twitter, with over 150 million and 100 million followers respectively.
11. He has a museum dedicated to him
Ronaldo has a museum dedicated to him in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. The museum, called Museu CR7, displays his trophies, medals, shirts, boots and other memorabilia. It also features a bronze statue of Ronaldo, which was unveiled in 2014.
12. He has four children
Ronaldo has four children: Cristiano Jr, who was born in 2010; twins Eva and Mateo, who were born in 2017 via a surrogate mother; and Alana Martina, who was born in 2017 to his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez. Ronaldo has not revealed the identity of Cristiano Jr’s mother.
13. He is a philanthropist and a humanitarian
Ronaldo is known for his charitable and humanitarian work, having donated millions of pounds to various causes and organisations. He has also supported campaigns against poverty, hunger, AIDS, cancer, malaria and natural disasters. He was named the most charitable athlete in the world by DoSomething.org in 2015.
14. He has a lifetime contract with Nike
Ronaldo signed a lifetime contract with Nike in 2016, which is reportedly worth over £760 million. He is one of only three athletes to have a lifetime deal with the sportswear giant, along with Michael Jordan and LeBron James. He also has endorsement deals with other brands such as Armani, Tag Heuer, Herbalife and CR7.
15. He is the captain and the top scorer of Portugal
Ronaldo is the captain and the top scorer of the Portugal national team, with 111 goals in 180 appearances. He has also won two major trophies with Portugal: the Euro 2016 and the Nations League 2019. He is the only player to score in four different Euros and four different World Cups.
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