Who is Cristiano Ronaldo?

Cristiano Ronaldo is considered by many to be one of the best football players in history. The all-time highest Portuguese scorer, captains the national team in addition to playing forward for the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. Ronaldo’s blazing career has been lit with multiple honours, including five Ballon d’Or trophies, five UEFA Champions League championships, and more than thirty noteworthy awards.

His remarkable record of over 800 goals, blends with his national and international achievements to solidify his place in football history. Visit Waitakere United to learn more about clubs and players that forge prodigies into star players like Ronaldo.

Early Life and Upbringing

Ronaldo spent his childhood in the little village of Santo António, Madeira. This was the start of his football adventure. Ronaldo hailed from a relatively poor background. His parents José Aveiro, a part-time kit man for the local football team Andorinha, and Maria Dolores dos Santos a cook and cleaner, could barely afford his education. 

Ronaldo himself was not very interested in academics but found uttermost consolation and passion in football. Ronaldo was eight years old when he began playing for Andorinha, where his father worked. The latter might have been the earliest inspiration behind Ronaldo’s pursuit for a spot in the local squad.

His talent could not be denied as the lad dribbled his way to the hearts of Lisbon scouts who quickly noticed him at just 12 years of age. Ronaldo eventually moved to Lisbon to become part of Sporting CP’s youth academy.

A Rising Star: From Sporting CP to Man United

At just 16, Ronaldo made his debut for Sporting CP’s first team. He quickly caught the attention of Sporting’s first squad manager László Bölöni, who was intrigued by Ronaldo’s dribbling and promoted him from the youth team in August 2002.

In 2003, Sir Alex Ferguson recognized that Ronaldo’s talents would be a menace to English defenders and did not waste any time to bring him over to United for a record £12 million fee. This made Cristiano Ronaldo become the most expensive adolescent in British football history.

Ronaldo improved over the years, combining Ferguson’s managerial prowess with his technical skills to brighten the lanterns of Manchester United. At the height of his Premier League career, Ronaldo had become Man United’s all-time goal scorer.

Within three seasons, he won a UEFA Champions League trophy, three Premier League titles, and his first of five Ballon d’Ors. This propelled Christiano Ronaldo to international recognition as fans all over Europe brandished CR7 jerseys.

Ronaldo At Real Madrid

There was no small excitement in 2009 among Spanish football fans when the deal to bring over Ronaldo to the Bernabeu was settled, after a two-year chase for the United star player. Christiano moved to Madrid for a then world record transfer fee of £80 million.

His first season with Real Madrid finished without a trophy, even though he scored 33 goals in all competitions and helped the team earn 96 La Liga points. However, he scored 53 goals to help the team win the Copa del Rey, his first trophy as a Madrid player. He quickly adapted to the Spanish style of play and merged in his uniqueness.

Ronaldo became the club’s all-time top scorer with 451 goals in 438 appearances. He won four Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, and numerous other trophies. This was the height of his rivalry with Lionel Messi which added an extra layer of excitement to the world of football since both players were dominating in their clubs.

Christiano Ronaldo moved to Juventus in 2018, where he kept setting records and winning championships. Wherever he played, he set the highest transfer fee record. He joined the club for a record €100 million. After Juventus prevailed in the Coppa Italia final in 2021, Ronaldo achieved a first for players by winning every major domestic championship in England, Spain, and Italy.

Back To Manchester United, And unto Al Nassr

Christiano Ronaldo moved back to Manchester United in 2021 to the joy of English fans. He scored a brace in a 3-2 victory over Arsenal on December 2nd of the same year to bring his career tally to 800 goals.

However, he was not as successful this time around, going through a goal drought for two months and barely scoring a 2-0 victory over Brighton. It was not a big surprise when on November 15, 2022, he put an end to his contract, by mutual consent.

He was unhappy at the club, but most especially with manager Erik ten Hag. At the end of 2022, Ronaldo joined Saudi side Al Nassr for a three-year contract. Once again, he received the highest football salary ever at €200 million per year. Since then, Christiano Ronaldo has been leading the club through green pastures.

He scored the two goals that defeated rivals Al-Hilal in the final of the Arab Club Champions Cup on 12 August 2023. Ronaldo set the record for most goals scored in a single Saudi Pro League campaign with his 34th and 35th league goals in May 2024. This makes him the first football player to score the most goals in four different leagues.

Ronaldo’s Motivation and Determination

Ronaldo has a reputation for showing exceptional commitment to training and fitness. He is the type of player to come earlier than the rest for training sessions and leave last. The Portuguese is dubbed by many as a complete player due to his physique, technical prowess, and aerial ability. To become the kind of player he dreamed of Ronaldo had to get comfortable with pressure, mental toughness, and resilience.

Christiano Ronaldo was greatly influenced by key players like Luis Figo, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes. Luis Figo was a fellow Portuguese football legend, whose success and professionalism provided a model for Ronaldo to emulate, tailoring Ronaldo’s ambitions as a young player.

Career Stats and Uniqueness

Christiano Ronaldo is nothing short of a trophy hunter. His career statistics are simply insane with the most goals and assists in the UEFA Champions League including being the all-time goal scorer for Portugal.

Ronaldo has an incredible 890 official senior career goals to his tally. What the Al Nassr star has accomplished goes beyond setting personal bests. In total, Christiano has won 33 trophies including seven league crowns, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship, and the UEFA Nations League.

Ronaldo has inspired countless young players to pursue their football dreams. The former Parisian star player Kylian Mbappe who excels in the sports has repeatedly pointed to Ronaldo as his major source of inspiration.