From a boy born into a poor family on the island of Madeira, Portugal, Ronaldo at the age of 36 has won most of the highest honors in a player’s life.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on February 5, 1985 in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal and is the fourth son in a poor family. Ronaldo’s mother is a chef at a school while his father is a seasonal gardener
Ronaldo started playing football at the age of eight in the youth team of Clube Futebol Andorinha de Santo António, one of the poorest neighborhoods on the island and where his father washed uniforms. The talent revealed early on helped Ronaldo move to Clube Desportivo Nacional, the largest club on Nacional Island only 2 years later.
Ronaldo’s slender body is a cause for concern for coaches. They even had to force this kid to keep eating after training
Neighbors in the neighborhood did not like Cristiano Ronaldo’s family because his parents always allowed him to make noise on the street until late to play football. Teachers also frequently complain about CR7’s academic performance at school
In August 1997, Cristiano Ronaldo set off to Lisbon to fulfill his great dream when he joined one of the great football teams of this country, Sporting Lisbon.
When he first arrived in Lisbon, Cristiano Ronaldo was arranged to stay in a dormitory inside the old Alvalade stadium. A roommate at the time told Sabado that the only thing the player had in his closet was a family photo.
During his early months at Sporting, Ronaldo was often bullied because of his Madeira accent and poor background. Despite this, Ronaldo’s parents never allowed their child to return to his home island as he was the family’s only hope.
As a teenager, CR7 even picked up balls in first team games to earn some money. Ronaldo is also responsible for taking the trash off the pitch and this is why he often becomes the focus of other players’ jokes.
Dolores Aveiro has always been an unconditional advocate for her son. The success of Cristiano Ronaldo as a player also changed her life completely. In January 2019, Mrs. Dolores launched her own line of wines and oils with her own name
Ronaldo’s mother has had cancer since 2017 and is still struggling to overcome it, the same way she overcame to raise a family of four and battle alcoholism from her late husband.
Former Portuguese coach Felipe Scolari does not spare praise when it comes to Ronaldo. In an interview with Zero Zero, he said: “Cristiano is one of the hardest and most passionate football players I’ve ever met in my life.”
Coach Felipe Scolari summoned Cristiano Ronaldo to the team in the match against Russia on September 6, 2005, the same night that the superstar now on the payroll of MU received news that his father had just died. In the deepest pain, Ronaldo still wants to play from the beginning
Cristiano Ronaldo won his first Champions League title in 2008 while at Manchester United. CR7 is also the first player in England to win the top 4 awards of the British Professional Footballers Association (PFA) and the Football Journalists Association (FWA).
In 2009, CR7 moved to Real Madrid for a record transfer fee of 94 million euros at that time
At the Spanish Royal team, Cristiano Ronaldo became the all-time top scorer with 461 goals and broke nearly 30 records.
Until leaving the white shirt, CR7 helped Real Madrid win a total of 15 titles
His obsession with being the best has made Ronaldo one of the brightest stars in sports. By 2015, the Portuguese superstar was the richest football player in the world with an estimated net worth of $260 million.
During his career, Ronaldo has won more than 50 awards. The most prominent of which are 5 Golden Balls in 2013, 2014, 2008, 2016 and 2017. The Portuguese striker also received the UEFA Best Player award for the 2016/2017 season.
In 2014, Madeira’s hometown officially inaugurated a bronze statue of Ronaldo. Right from the time it was inaugurated, visitors have been eager to take funny pictures with this statue of the idol
The Portuguese star is also famous for being active and regularly donating large amounts of money to charity activities. Ronaldo also helped build schools for children in Palestine and aided hunger in Africa. In addition, CR7 also donated a decent amount of money to repair damage caused by the fire in Madeira Island in 2016.
