Cristiano Ronaldo has become a household name in contemporary society. Sports enthusiasts and non-sports lovers know him as one of the greatest players in football history. However, there are so many exciting things you probably don’t know about the Portuguese-born professional football legend and five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Profile Summary
| Full name | Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro |
| Nickname | CR7 |
| Date of birth | February 5, 1985 |
| Age | 39 years old |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Place of birth | Funchal, Madeira Portugal |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Religion | Christian (Roman Catholic) |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 6’0″,(176 lbs) |
| Mother | Maria Dolores dos Santos |
| Father | José Dinis Aveiro |
| Relationship status | Engaged |
| Girlfriend | Georgina Rodríguez |
| Educational Qualification | Didn’t complete high school, No formal education ( Attended Football Academies) |
| Profession | Footballer |
| @christiano | |
| Net worth | $903 million estimated |
Who is Cristiano Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo is a professional Portuguese football (soccer) star who currently plays for the Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and the Portuguese national team. He plays as a forward for both teams and is also the captain of both teams.
Ronaldo is regarded as one of the most successful and skilful football icons in history. He has achieved many incredible feats in his career, including winning the Ballon d’Or five times. In the present soccer world, he is often considered the number one best player, while others argue that he is next to Lionel Messi. Either way, he is a household name in football and a formidable force to be reckoned with.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Early Life
Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, to a working-class family in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. He is the fourth and youngest child of his parent, José Dinis Aveiro and Maria Dolores Aveiro. His father worked with a local club, Andorinha, as an equipment manager. His Mother was a cleaner and worked in the hospitality industry. The name “Ronaldo” was added to Christiano’s name by his father to honour his favourite movie star, Ronald Reagan, who was the incumbent president of the United States at the time Christiano was born.
Ronaldo was diagnosed with a heart condition when he was 15 years old and needed mandatory surgery. However, he managed to pull through without going through the surgery again. He began his football career early, which made him unable to acquire a formal education as he prioritised his football career over academic pursuit.
It was alleged that Ronaldo once threw a chair at his teacher when he was 14, necessitating his dismissal from school. Other reports suggested that Ronaldo’s parents could not afford to sponsor his education as he was from a low-income family.
However, Ronaldo knew what he wanted right from his tendered years and had worked towards achieving it against all odds, making him one of the world’s best footballers ever.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Football Career
A report states that Ronaldo began playing football at birth. Growing up, he had nothing in mind but to become a professional footballer. This is one of the primary reasons he shunned formal education and every other vocation right from his tendered age.
The first club he played for as a young boy was Clube Desportivo Nacional of Madeira. He later transferred to Sporting Clube de Portugal (known as Sporting Lisbon), where he played for their various youth teams before making his official debut on Sporting’s first team in 2002. He initially played as a right-winger before upskilling to become one of the world’s most famous Forwards.
Cristiano Ronaldo began attracting big English clubs after his fantastic performance at the Sporting Club. The Liverpool Football Club was very interested in signing him but could not proceed because they considered his age and deemed him unfit to play for them. While they were waiting for the now-legend to become more mature and upskill himself, one of the most prominent English clubs at that time, Manchester United, under the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson, showed up for him in 2003.
He quickly gained popularity due to his incredible performances as a leading forward for the club. In the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Ronaldo became a shining star and one of the most talked-about football players in the world. He scored 42 League and Cup goals and won the Golden Boot award as a leading goal scorer in Europe, with 31 League goals. He also helped Manchester United win the League title in May 2008. He also spearheaded the team’s overwhelming performances in the Champions League in 2009, which they eventually lost to FC Barcelona.
Subsequently, Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid, one of his dream clubs. It was earlier rumoured that Ronaldo had been longing to play for the Spanish club. In 2010, the dream turned into reality.
Ronaldo’s goal-scoring expertise increased when he joined Real Madrid. In the 2010 and 2011 seasons, he broke a record as the top goal scorer in La Liga’s history, scoring over 40 goals. He helped Real Madrid clinch the La Liga Championship in 2011 and 2012. Ronaldo scored his 324th goal as a player of Real Madrid in October 2015 to claim the honour of the club’s all-time leading goal scorer.
Ronaldo’s exploits didn’t end in Real Madrid; he joined the Italian powerhouse Juventus in 2018 and finished his career there with 311 goals in 292 matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Al Nassr, a Saudi Arabian club, in January 2023. Sources revealed that he had disclosed that he would be retiring at 40, approximately when his contract with the Saudi club would be terminated. Recall also that after losing out in the 2024 Europa League, the Portuguese captain disclosed that it marked his last match in their national team.
How many Ballon d’Or have Cristiano Ronaldo won?
Among the most extraordinary feats achieved by the legendary Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo is winning multiple Ballon d’Or. He has been nominated eight times and has won five times.
| 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
| 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 | 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018 | 2019 |
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Net Worth
Cristiano Ronaldo is said to have an estimated net worth of over $550 million to $650 million in 2024.
His income manifests from various sources, the primary income source being his football contracts with huge salaries. Ronaldo is one of the most expensive and highest-paid players in football history. His recent contract with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League reportedly pays him a whopping sum of $200 million annually.
Who is Cristiano Ronaldo’s Girlfriend?
Ronaldo is undoubtedly a very media-friendly person, as his whole life is not hidden from the public. However, his relationship life has almost remained obscure to most of his fans. He has dated several ladies and even had children with a few. However, the Portuguese captain is still not considered a legitimately married man yet, even though he’ll be 40 by February 2025. Though Ronaldo may not have had a legal wedding, it has become obvious who he is considering his wife and that he would possibly spend a lifetime with her.
Ronaldo’s current partner is a Spanish model, Georgina Rodriguez, who has been with the Al Nassr star since 2016 and has so far had four children for him, though one is deceased. Georgina came into Ronaldo’s life shortly after he broke up with his then-girlfriend, the Russian model Irina Shayk, who he dated for over five years before they cut ties.
