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Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is often regarded as one of the best footballers to have ever played the game and his performances over the better part of a decade have only helped in reinforcing that belief among football fans. Ronaldo grew up in Madeira, Portugal but after graduating from the youth set up at Sporting CP he was immediately snapped up by English club Manchester United after his talent as a winger was spotted by their legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Ronaldo spent six years at Manchester United and that was where he developed his game as a skillful, quick, lethal winger who could score goals and create opportunities for his team mates. He won plenty of trophies for Manchester United and also shone for the Portugual before he moved to Real Madrid as the world’s most expensive player. At Real Madrid he has broken some of the most important goal scoring record that had stood for many years and also led the club to important trophies. Ronaldo is also the captain of the Portuguese national team and led them to the semifinals of the European Championships in the year 2012. He has also won plenty of individual awards that have further cemented his status as one of the world’s premier footballers.
Childhood & Early Life
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Cristiano Ronaldo was born on 5 February 1985 in Madeira, Portugal, to Jose Dinis Aveiro and his wife Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro. His father was a gardener with the municipality while his mother worked as a cook. Ronaldo was the youngest child among four children; others being a son and two daughters.
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Ronaldo was expelled from the school after assaulted his teacher by throwing a chair at him. He had always been a keen footballer and by the time he was 14 years old he decided to concentrate on becoming a professional footballer. Ronaldo had been playing for Androrinha since he was eight.
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In 1995, Cristiano Ronaldo joined the club ‘Nacional’ located in his home town of Madeira and following his good show for them he joined one of the biggest clubs in Portugal, namely, ‘Sporting CP’ after clearing a trial.
Career
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During his time at the Sporting CP Cristiano Ronaldo played for all the levels, i.e., under-16, under-17, under-18, B-team, and the first team before finally graduating into the senior team in the year 2002. He scored two goals in his league debut and announced his arrival on the big scene. His exploits for Sporting CP brought him into prominence and some of the biggest clubs in England like Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United started courting him.
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Cristiano Ronaldo played in a UEFA Champions League against Manchester United, in 2003. The manager of the English club Sir Alex Ferguson was impressed by his performance and brought him to the club in the same year. In his first season at Machester United, Ronaldo scored three goals in the league and also scored in the FA Cup final to help the club win the trophy. A year after joining Manchester United, Ronaldo scored two goals in the European Championships for Portugal as the team ended runners up on home soil.
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Cristiano Ronaldo became one of Manchester United’s most important players during his six year stint at the club and during that time the club became one of the most successful clubs in Europe as it won three league titles on the trot as well as the UEFA Champions League in 2008. Ronaldo scored 84 goals for the club in 196 league games and became one of the best players in the world.
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At the 2006 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo was an integral part of the Portuguese national team as they reached the semifinal of the tournament; Ronaldo scored one goal in the tournament. The following year he was named the captain of the national team but in the European Championships that followed the next year he scored only one goal as the team crashed out in the quarter finals.
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In 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo became the most expensive player in the world after Spanish giant Real Madrid paid Manchester United £80 million to bring him to Madrid. He scored 33 goals in his very first season. In the following season he ended the Spanish league season with 40 goals, which became a record in the league’s history and helped Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey.
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Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal at the Football World Cup in South Africa in 2010 but he had a quiet tournament, scoring only one goal as the team was knocked out by Spain in the round of 16. In 2012, he was the main inspiration for the team as he scored three goals to lead the team to the semifinal of the European Championships but Portugal was knocked out by Spain yet again in a penalty shootout.
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In 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win the Spanish league title and it proved to be his first league title with the club. He scored 60 goals in all competitions in the season as Real Madrid cantered to the title with 100 points. He followed it up with a haul of 55 goals in all competitions the following season.
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The seasons that started in 2013 was a particularly special one for Ronaldo as he scored a staggering 51 goals in the season and at the same time helped Real Madrid win their coveted 10th UEFA Champions League title. In the Champions League, Ronaldo scored 17 goals that made him the highest scorer ever in a single season of the tournament. He has a total of 89 goals in the tournament overall.
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In the 2014 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo had a disappointing tournament as Portugal were knocked out in the first round with him scoring only one goal. He has scored 50 goals for Portugal in his career and that is the highest for any Portuguese player. In the league seasons that started that year, Ronaldo was in sublime form as he notched up 61 goals in total and also became the fastest player to reach the 200 goal milestone in the Spanish league. He reached it in 178 games.
Awards & Achievements
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Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon D’Or (later known as the FIFA World Player of the Year Award) in 2008, when he was a Manchester United player.
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In 2013, he won the FIFA World Player of the Year Award and won it again the following year.
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Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for being the highest scorer in the history of Real Madrid with 338 goals.
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Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest ever goal scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 89 career goals till date.
Personal Life & Legacy
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Cristiano Ronaldo has been in relationships with celebrities like Gemma Atkinson and Alice Goodwin, both models in England.
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Ronaldo’s son was born on 17 June 2010 and was named Cristiano. Ronaldo has not revealed the identity of his son’s mother.Ronaldo was in a romantic relationship with Russian super model Irina Shayk for five years from 2010 to 2015.
Net Worth
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Cristiano Ronaldo has an estimated net worth of $310 million
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