Synopsis
Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira,
Portugal. Manchester United paid £12 million to sign him in 2003—a
record fee for a player of his age. In the 2004 FA Cup final, he scored
Manchester's first three goals and helped them capture the championship.
In 2008, he set a franchise record for goals scored. In 2009, Real
Madrid paid a record $131 million for his services.
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| Cristiano Ronaldo |
Early Life
Born Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro on February 5, 1985, in
Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, a small island off the western coast of the
country, Ronaldo is the youngest of four children born to Maria Dolores
dos Santos and Jose Dinis Aveiro. He was named after Ronald Reagan, a favorite actor of his father's.
Ronaldo grew up in a largely working class neighborhood, his home a
small tin roofed shack that overlooked the ocean. His early life was
shaped by hardship; his father, a gardener, often drank too much, and
eventually died from kidney problems in 2005. To help keep the children
fed, and maintain some financial stability, Ronaldo's mother worked as a
cook and cleaning person.
Intro to Soccer
It was through his dad's work as an equipment manager at a boy's club
that Ronaldo was first introduced to the game of soccer. By the time he
was 10 years old, he was already recognized as a phenomenon—a kid who
ate, slept and drank the game. "All he wanted to do as a boy was play
football," his godfather, Fernao Sousa, recalled for British reporters,
adding, "He loved the game so much he'd miss meals or escape out of his
bedroom window with a ball when he was supposed to be doing his
homework."
By his early teens, Ronaldo's talent and legend had grown considerably.
After a stint with Nacional da liha da Madeira, he signed with Sporting
Portugal in 2001. That same year, at the tender age of 16, Ronaldo
turned heads with a mesmerizing performance against Manchester United,
wowing even his opponents with his footwork and deft skill. He made such
an impression that a number of United players asked their manager to
try and sign the young player. It wasn't long before the club paid
Ronaldo's team more than £12 million for his services - a record fee for
a player of his age.
Success With Manchester United
Ronaldo, however, did not disappoint. He showed his promise early on in
the 2004 FA Cup final, scoring the team's first three goals and helping
them capture the championship. In 2008, a year after signing a
five-year, £31 million contract, Ronaldo again justified the high tab
when he put together one of the club's finest seasons in history,
setting a franchise record for goals scored (42), and earning himself
the FIFA World of the Year honor. In all, Ronaldo helped steer
Manchester United to three premier league titles.
But Ronaldo's time in England was marred by his mother's 2007 struggle
with breast cancer as well as his father's death from alcohol-related
illness. The latter was especially hard for Ronaldo as the two had been
close, and the young athlete had often pushed for his father to enter
rehab and address his drinking.
His father, however, never accepted the offer.Departure to Real Madrid
As lauded as Ronaldo was on the field for Manchester United, his
commitment to the club came under constant question. Speculation swirled
that he wanted to play elsewhere. So in 2009, when Spanish soccer club
Real Madrid agreed to pay United a record $131 million for the chance to
sign him, nobody was all that surprised to see Ronaldo leave United.
"I know that they are going to demand a lot of me to be successful at
the club and I know that I'm going to have much more pressure than at
Manchester United because I was there for many years," Ronaldo told
reporters. "But it means a new challenge and is going to help me be the
best footballer."
In addition to his FIFA World Player of the year award, Ronaldo has
also won the coveted Ballon d'OR, the Golden Boot, and been named the
UEFA Club Forward of the Year, among other honors during the course of
his career.