Cristiano Ronaldo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo playing for Al Nassr in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth	(1985-02-05) 5 February 1985 (age 39)
Place of birth	Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Height	1.87 m
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Al Nassr
Number	7
Youth career
1992–1995	Andorinha
1995–1997	Nacional
1997–2002	Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2003	Sporting CP B	2	(0)
2002–2003	Sporting CP	25	(3)
2003–2009	Manchester United	196	(84)
2009–2018	Real Madrid	292	(311)
2018–2021	Juventus	98	(81)
2021–2022	Manchester United	40	(19)
2023–	Al Nassr	59	(59)
National team‡
2001	Portugal U15	9	(7)
2001–2002	Portugal U17	7	(5)
2003	Portugal U20	5	(1)
2002–2003	Portugal U21	10	(3)
2004	Portugal U23	3	(2)
2003–	Portugal	217	(135)
Honours Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European Championship Winner 2016 France Runner-up 2004 Portugal Bronze 2012 Poland-Ukraine UEFA Nations League Winner 2019 Portugal FIFA Confederations Cup Third 2017 Russia
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:00, 6 December 2024 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:40, 15 November 2024 (UTC)

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH ComM ( born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward.

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards and four European Golden Shoes, the most by a European player. He has won 33 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, and the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League. He is one of the few players to have made over over 1,200 professional career appearances, and has scored over 900 official senior career goals for club and country.

One of the world's most marketable and famous athletes, Ronaldo was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2016, 2017, 2023, and 2024 and the world's most famous athlete by ESPN from 2016 to 2019. Time included him on their list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014. He is the first footballer and the third sportsman to earn US$1 billion in his career.

Early life

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born in the São Pedro parish of Funchal, the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira. He grew up in the nearby parish of Santo António. He is the fourth and youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Viveiros da Aveiro, a cook, and José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener and part-time kit man. He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia "Katia". Ronaldo grew up in an impoverished Catholic Christian home, sharing a room with all his siblings.

As a child, Ronaldo played for Andorinha from 1992 to 1995, where his father was the kit man, and later spent two years with Nacional. In 1997, aged 12, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting CP, who signed him for a fee of £1,500. After that, he moved from Madeira to Alcochete, near Lisbon, to join Sporting's youth academy.

By age 14, Ronaldo believed he had the ability to play semi-professionally and agreed with his mother to cease his education to focus entirely on football. He was popular with other students at school, but had been expelled after throwing a chair at his teacher, who he said had "disrespected" him. One year later, he was diagnosed with tachycardia, a condition that could have forced him to give up playing football. Ronaldo underwent heart surgery. He was discharged from the hospital hours after the procedure and resumed training a few days later.

Club career

Sporting CP

Ronaldo memorabilia at Sporting CP's museum

Ronaldo began his senior career with Sporting CP, being promoted from Sporting's youth team by first-team manager László Bölöni. He became the first player to play for the club's under-16, under-17 and under-18 teams, the B team and the first team, all within a single season.

A year later, on 29 September 2002, Ronaldo made his debut in the Primeira Liga. He left the club in 2003, after signing with Manchester United. A decade after his departure from the club, in April 2013, Sporting honoured Ronaldo by selecting him to become their 100,000th member.

Manchester United

Ronaldo playing for Manchester United against Chelsea in the 2005–06 Premier League season

Ronaldo became the first Portuguese player to sign for the club.

His transfer fee made him, at the time, the most expensive teenager in English football history. Although he requested the number 28, his number at Sporting, he received the squad number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by such United players as George Best, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. Wearing the number 7 became an extra source of motivation for Ronaldo. A key element in his development during his time in England proved to be the MU coach Alex Ferguson, of whom he later said: "He's been my father in sport, one of the most important and influential factors in my career."

Ronaldo scored his first goal for Manchester United with a free-kick in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth on 1 November. He ended his first season in English football by scoring the opening goal in United's 3–0 win over Millwall in the 2004 FA Cup Final, earning his first trophy.

Ronaldo scored United's 1,000th Premier League goal on 29 October 2004, their only goal in a 4–1 loss to Middlesbrough. A few weeks later, he signed a new contract with the club that extended his previous deal by two years to 2010.

Ronaldo scored his first (and only till 2022) hat-trick for United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle United on 12 January 2008.

His 31 league goals earned him the Premier League Golden Boot, as well as the European Golden Shoe, which made him the first winger to win the latter award. He additionally received the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards for the second consecutive season.

With his 2008 Ballon d'Or and 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, Ronaldo became United's first Ballon d'Or winner since Best in 1968, and the first Premier League player to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year.

Ronaldo in 2009 with Manchester United playing in a Premier League game against Liverpool

Ahead of the 2008–09 season, on 7 July, Ronaldo underwent ankle surgery, which kept him out of action for 10 weeks. Following his return, he scored his 100th goal in all competitions for United with the first of two free kicks in a 5–0 win against Stoke City on 15 November, which meant he had now scored against all 19 opposition teams in the Premier League at the time. At the close of 2008, Ronaldo helped United win the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.

Ronaldo ended his time in England with nine trophies. His final goal for United came on 10 May 2009 with a free kick in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

Real Madrid

As his usual number 7 was unavailable, Ronaldo wore number 9 during his debut season at Madrid. After Raúl departed the club, Ronaldo was handed the number 7 shirt before the 2010–11 season.

Ahead of the 2009–10 season, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee at the time of £80 million (€94 million). His contract, which ran until 2015, was worth €11 million per year and contained a €1 billion buy-out clause. At least 80,000 fans attended his presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu, surpassing the 25-year record of 75,000 fans who had welcomed Diego Maradona at Napoli.

Since club captain Raúl already wore the number 7 (the number Ronaldo wore at United), Ronaldo received the number 9 shirt, which was presented to him by former Madrid player Alfredo Di Stéfano.

Following Raúl's departure, Ronaldo was given the number 7 shirt for Madrid before the 2010–11 season. For the first time in his career, he scored four goals in a single match during a 6–1 rout against Racing Santander on 23 October. Despite his performances, he did not make the top three in the inaugural 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or.

During a historic series of four Clásicos against rivals Barcelona in April 2011, Ronaldo scored twice to equal his personal record of 42 goals in all competitions. His two goals in the last match of the season against Almería made him the first player in La Liga to score 40 goals. In addition to the Pichichi Trophy, Ronaldo won the European Golden Shoe for a second time, becoming the first player to win the award in different leagues.

Ronaldo scored 46 league goals during the La Liga championship success in his third season in Spain.

During the following season, Ronaldo achieved a new personal best of 60 goals in all competitions. He finished as runner-up to Messi for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or. Ronaldo helped Madrid win their first league title in four years with a record 100 points. His final league goal of the season, against Mallorca, took his total to 46 goals, four short of the new record set by Messi, though he became the first player to score against all 19 opposition teams in a single La Liga season.

Ronaldo began the 2012–13 season by lifting the 2012 Supercopa de España, his third trophy in Spain.

Following the 2012–13 winter break, Ronaldo captained Madrid for the first time in an official match. He became the first non-Spanish player in 60 years to captain Madrid in El Clasico on 30 January, a match which also marked his 500th club appearance.

Ronaldo scored a record 17 UEFA Champions League goals during the 2013–14 season en route to La Décima.

At the start of the 2013–14 season, Ronaldo signed a new contract that extended his stay by three years to 2018, with a salary of €17 million net, making him briefly the highest-paid player in football.

He was joined at the club by winger Gareth Bale, whose world record transfer fee of €100 million surpassed the fee Madrid had paid for Ronaldo four years prior. Together with striker Karim Benzema, they formed an attacking trio popularly dubbed "BBC", an acronym of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano, and a play on the name of the British public service broadcaster, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). He ended 2013 with 69 goals in 59 appearances, his highest year-end goal tally. He received the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or, an amalgamation of the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, for the first time in his career.

Concurrently with his individual achievements, Ronaldo enjoyed his greatest team success in Spain to date, as he helped Madrid win La Décima, their tenth European Cup.

During the 2014–15 season Ronaldo scored a personal best of 61 goals in all competitions.

During the 2014–15 season, Ronaldo set a new personal best of 61 goals. After winning the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, Ronaldo received the 2014 Ballon d'Or, joining Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten as a three-time recipient.

At the start of his seventh season at Madrid, the 2015–16 campaign, Ronaldo became the club's all-time top scorer, first in the league and then in all competitions. For his efforts during the season, he received the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award for a second time.

By March 2016, Ronaldo had scored 252 goals in 228 matches in La Liga to become the competition's second-highest goalscorer.

Ronaldo missed Madrid's first three matches of the 2016–17 season. On 15 December, Ronaldo scored his 500th club career goal in the 2–0 win over Club América in the semi-finals of the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup. He won the 2016 Ballon d'Or, his fourth, and the inaugural 2016 The Best FIFA Men's Player, a revival of the former FIFA World Player of the Year, largely owing to his success with Portugal in winning Euro 2016.

Ronaldo with Cristina Cifuentes, President of the Community of Madrid, during the 2016 Champions League title celebrations in Madrid

On 23 October 2017, his performances throughout the year saw him awarded The Best FIFA Men's Player award for the second consecutive year. On 7 December, Ronaldo won the 2017 Ballon d'Or, receiving his fifth-time award on the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

On 16 December, he scored a free kick winner, as Madrid won their second Club World Cup in a row by beating Grêmio in the final. On 3 March 2018, he scored two goals in a 3–1 home win over Getafe, his first being his 300th La Liga goal in his 286th appearance, making him the fastest player to reach this landmark and only the second player to do so after Messi. On 18 March, he reached his 50th career hat-trick, scoring four goals in a 6–3 win against Girona.

Ronaldo left Madeid for Italian club Juventus in July 2018.

Ronaldo in the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final, his final game for Real Madrid

Juventus

On 10 July 2018, Ronaldo signed a four-year contract with Italian club Juventus after completing a €100 million transfer, which included an additional €12 million in other fees and solidarity contributions to Ronaldo's youth clubs. The transfer was the highest ever for a player over 30 years old, and the highest paid by an Italian club. Upon signing, Ronaldo cited his need for a new challenge as his rationale for departing Madrid, but later attributed the transfer to the lack of support he felt was shown by club president Florentino Pérez.

Ronaldo won his first trophy with the club on 16 January 2019, the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana, after he scored the only goal from a header against AC Milan. On 27 April 2019, he scored his 600th club goal, the equaliser in a 1–1 away draw against Derby d'Italia rivals Inter Milan. Ending his first Serie A campaign with 21 goals and 8 assists, Ronaldo won the inaugural Serie A award for Most Valuable Player.

Ronaldo playing for Juventus against Torino during the 2019–20 season

On 22 February, Ronaldo played in his 1,000th senior professional game, a 2–1 away win against SPAL.

On 4 July, he scored his 25th league goal of the season from a free kick in a 4–1 home win over rivals Torino, becoming the first Juventus player to achieve this milestone since Omar Sívori in 1961. He also reached 30 league goals for the season, becoming just the third player (after Felice Borel in 1934 and John Hansen in 1952) in Juventus's history to reach that milestone in a season. Moreover, he became the oldest player, at the age of 35 years and 166 days, to score over 30 goals in one of the five top European leagues since Ronnie Rooke with Arsenal in 1948.

Ronaldo played his 100th match in all competitions for Juventus on 13 December 2020. With Juventus's victory in the 2021 Coppa Italia Final on 19 May, Ronaldo became the first player in history to win every major domestic trophy in England, Spain and Italy. Ronaldo ended the season with 29 league goals, winning the Capocannoniere award for highest goalscorer and becoming the first footballer to finish as top scorer in the English, Spanish and Italian leagues.

On 26 August, it was confirmed that City's rivals Manchester United, Ronaldo's former club, were in advanced talks to sign him.

Return to Manchester United

On 27 August 2021, Manchester United announced they had reached an agreement with Juventus to re-sign Ronaldo. The transfer was for an initial £12.85 million, with a two-year contract plus an optional year, and was confirmed on 31 August. Ronaldo was given the number 7 shirt after Edinson Cavani agreed to switch to 21. The first 24 hours of Ronaldo's shirt sales was reported to have broken the all-time record following a transfer, overtaking Messi after his move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Ronaldo in a Premier League match against Southampton in February 2022

On 11 September, Ronaldo made his second debut at Old Trafford, scoring the opening two goals in a 4–1 league victory against Newcastle United.

On 16 April 2022, Ronaldo scored his 50th club hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Norwich City. On 23 April, he scored his 100th Premier League goal in a 3–1 defeat to Arsenal. After scoring in the following matches against Chelsea and Brentford, he was named the Premier League Player of the Month for April.

He finished the season with 24 goals in all competitions, being named in the Premier League Team of the Year and the winner of Manchester United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, given to the club's best player from the previous season; however, with United finishing in a disappointing sixth place and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League, Ronaldo went trophyless for the first time since 2010.

In 2022, after growing dissatisfaction with the club's management, Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes began negotiating with various clubs for a transfer on loan or on a free transfer. However, due to his age, overall cost of a transfer and high wages demands, multiple European clubs rejected the opportunity to sign him.

Ronaldo in a Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion in August 2022

Having failed to secure a transfer, Ronaldo lost his place in the starting lineup to Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, only featuring in Europa League matches. On 14 November, an interview with Piers Morgan was published, where Ronaldo said that he felt "betrayed" by the club managers. Ronaldo stated there was "no evolution" in the club itself since the departure of former manager Alex Ferguson in 2013, despite expecting changes in "technology, infrastructure".

Following the interview, which aired in two-parts on 16 and 17 November, United began seeking legal action over whether Ronaldo had breached his contract, and were looking to terminate his contract. On 22 November, Ronaldo's contract was terminated by mutual agreement with immediate effect.

Al Nassr (2023–present)

On 30 December 2022, Saudi club Al-Nassr reached an agreement for Ronaldo to join the club, signing a contract until 2025. Ronaldo received the highest football salary ever, at €200 million per year, including a guaranteed football salary of €90 million, with commercial and sponsorship deals bringing his total annual salary to €200 million.

Ronaldo with Al-Nassr in September 2023

He made his debut for Al Nassr on 22 January 2023, as club captain, playing the full 90 minutes of a 1–0 win over Al-Ettifaq, and scored his first goal in a 2–2 draw against Al-Fateh by converting a last-minute penalty. On 9 February, Ronaldo scored all four goals in a 4–0 win over Al Wehda, his first goal of the match being his 500th career league goal. According to the BBC, Ronaldo's transfer to Al-Nassr led a "revolution" in Asian football, with many players from other leagues, particularly those in Europe, transferring to Saudi Pro League clubs for the 2023–24 season.

In the final of the Arab Club Champions Cup on 12 August, Ronaldo scored both goals as they defeated rivals Al-Hilal 2–1 after extra time. Ronaldo scored six goals in the competition. At the close of the year, Ronaldo scored 54 goals in all competitions for Al-Nassr and Portugal, making him the outright top scorer in 2023, reaching the same goalscoring record as in 2016. On 27 May 2024, in Al Nassr's home fixture against Al-Ittihad, Ronaldo scored his 34th and 35th league goals of the campaign, surpassing Abderrazak Hamdallah's record for the most goals scored in a single Saudi Pro League season. He also became the first footballer to finish as top scorer in four different leagues, the English, Spanish, Italian and Saudi leagues. On 31 May, in a 5–4 penalty shoot-out defeat to Al-Hilal in the 2024 King Cup final following a 1–1 draw after extra-time (in which he scored his side's second spot kick), he equalled Rogério Ceni's record for most top-level matches by a male professional footballer (1,225).

International career

Ronaldo (bottom left) playing for Portugal during their semi-final match against the Netherlands at Euro 2004

At the age of 18, Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal as a substitute against Kazakhstan on 20 August 2003. At UEFA Euro 2004, he scored his first international goal in a 2–1 group stage loss to Greece in his eighth international appearance. Despite Portugal losing to Greece again in the final, Ronaldo made the team of the tournament, with two assists and two goals. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, at the age of 21 years and 132 days, Ronaldo became the youngest ever goalscorer for Portugal at a World Cup finals. Portugal reached the semi-finals, where Portugal lost to France, with Ronaldo being booed during their defeat, due to an incident that occurred in the quarter-finals against England. FIFA's Technical Study Group overlooked him for the tournament's Best Young Player award and handed it to Germany's Lukas Podolski, citing his behaviour as a factor in the decision.

Ronaldo, pictured playing against Germany at Euro 2012, was made captain for Portugal in 2008.

On 6 February 2007, Cristiano captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly against Brazil. He wore the number 7 shirt ahead of UEFA Euro 2008. Despite scoring eight goals in qualifications, the second-highest tally, he scored just one goal in the finals, netting the second goal of Portugal's 3–1 win in the group stage game against the Czech Republic. Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 3–2 loss to Germany.

Ronaldo failed to score in 2010 World Cup qualifying. He scored only one goal in the 2010 World Cup finals; despite this, he was named man of the match in all three group stage matches, against Ivory Coast, North Korea and Brazil. His only goal of the tournament came in their 7–0 demolishing of North Korea, which was his first international goal in 16 months. Two years later, in UEFA Euro 2012, Ronaldo was joint top scorer with three goals, enough for him to be included in the team of the tournament. During qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo scored eight goals. Despite this, Portugal did not qualify directly; Ronaldo scored all four goals against Sweden in the play-off to qualify. At the tournament in Brazil, Ronaldo assisted a last-minute 2–2 equaliser against the United States, and scored an 80th-minute winner in a 2–1 win over Ghana.

Ronaldo leaps in the air in Portugal's Euro 2016 quarter-final match against Poland.

In 2016, Ronaldo led Portugal to their first-ever trophy at the UEFA Euro 2016, although he was subbed off in the 25th minute in the final against hosts France. He received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer, which gave him his fourth Ballon d'Or later that year. With the win, Portugal qualified and made its only appearance in the FIFA Confederations Cup held in Russia, where they finished in third place, with Ronaldo being named man of the match in all three of Portugal's group stage matches.

In the 2018 World Cup, Ronaldo became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match, in a 3–3 draw against Spain. The following match, Ronaldo scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Morocco, breaking Puskás' record as the highest European goalscorer of all time, with 85 international goals. For his performances in the tournament, Ronaldo was named in the World Cup Dream Team.

Ronaldo led Portugal to victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019, receiving the top scorer award in the finals, and received the Golden Boot as top scorer of Euro 2020. Ronaldo also became the first player to score at five European Championships. On 23 June 2021, Ronaldo scored two goals in the Euro 2020 match against France, breaking the men's goalscoring record previously held by Ali Daei.

Ronaldo during a group stage game against Uruguay at the 2022 World Cup

On 9 October, he scored the opening goal in a 3–0 friendly win over Qatar at the Estádio Algarve; with his 181st international appearance, he also overtook Sergio Ramos's record for the most international caps received by a European player. In the following match against Luxembourg on 12 October, also played at the Estádio Algarve, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 win for Portugal, thus becoming the first player to score 10 hat-tricks in men's international football.

In the 2022 World Cup, on 24 November, Ronaldo became the first player to score at five World Cups, netting a penalty against Ghana. Following a dispute with manager Fernando Santos, after their last group game against South Korea, he was dropped from the starting line-up for Portugal's last 16 match, marking the first time since Euro 2008 that he had not started a game for Portugal in a major international tournament, and the first time Portugal had started a knockout game without Ronaldo in the starting line-up at an international tournament since Euro 2000.

On 23 March 2023, Ronaldo scored a brace against Liechtenstein as he earned his 197th overall cap to become the most capped male footballer of all time. On 20 June, Ronaldo made his 200th appearance for his national team, scoring the only goal of an away win over Iceland, in the Euro qualifiers, as he became the first player in the history of men's international football to make 200 appearances for his country. On 16 October, Portugal secured first place in their qualifying group, following a 5–0 away victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Ronaldo scoring twice. The landmark goals saw him score in more than 100 goals in each of the last three decades (2000s, 2010s, 2020s).

With his start in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2024 opener against the Czech Republic, Ronaldo became the first player to feature in six European Championships, having previously been the first player to appear in five. Later that year, on 5 September, he scored his 900th career goal in a 2–1 victory over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League.

Player profile

Ronaldo is capable of playing on either wing as well as through the centre of the pitch. He is very strong with both feet. Ronaldo became noted for his dribbling and an array of tricks and feints, such as the step overs and so-called 'chops' that became his trademark; he has also been known to use the flip–flap.

Ronaldo controlling the ball on his chest during a 2010–11 La Liga game against Almería. At his peak, he was known for his exceptional speed and athleticism.

He has also increasingly played a creative role, often dropping deep to pick up the ball, participate in the build-up of plays and create chances for his teammates, courtesy of his vision and passing ability.

Goal celebrations

Ronaldo has adopted several goal celebrations throughout his career, including one particular celebration which gained widespread coverage in the media, when he squatted and stared directly into a camera on the sidelines of the pitch with his hand on his chin. After scoring a goal, he usually celebrates with a "storming jump" and "turn", before "landing in spread-eagled fashion" into his "signature power stance", while usually simultaneously exclaiming "Sí" (Spanish and Italian for "yes"). This trademark celebration has been dubbed the "Siu" in the media.

Rivalry with Lionel Messi

Ronaldo with Lionel Messi before an international friendly between Portugal and Argentina in 2011

Both players have scored in multiple UEFA Champions League finals and have regularly broken the 50-goal barrier in a single season. Sports journalists and pundits regularly weigh the individual merits of both players in an attempt to argue who they believe is the best player in modern football or in the history of the game. Part of the debate revolves around the contrasting personalities of the two players, as Ronaldo is sometimes depicted as an arrogant and theatrical showoff, while Messi is portrayed as a shy, humble character.

Outside football

The Cristiano Ronaldo Museum, Museu CR7, in Funchal, Madeira. It was opened on 15 December 2013.

Ronaldo has signed many sponsorship deals for consumer products, including sportswear, football boots; since November 2012, Ronaldo has worn the Nike Mercurial Vapor personalized CR7 edition, soft drinks, clothing, automotive lubricants, financial services, electronics, and video games. Ronaldo was featured as the cover star of EA Sports' FIFA video game FIFA 18 and was heavily involved in the game's promotion. His "Sii" goal celebration features in the FIFA series, accompanied with his own voiceover. He was also the face of Pro Evolution Soccer, appearing on the covers of the 2008, 2012 and 2013 editions of the game.

With earnings of €720 million (£615 million) from 2010 to 2019, Ronaldo was ranked second in Forbes list of The Highest-Paid Athletes Of The Decade, with only boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. earning more. Forbes twice ranked Ronaldo first on its list of the world's highest-paid football players; his combined income from salaries, bonuses and endorsements was $73 million in 2013–14 and $79 million in 2014–15. He is the first footballer and only the third sportsman to earn $1 billion in their career.

Ronaldo has established a strong online presence. The most popular sportsperson on social media, he counted over 500 million total followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by February 2021, making him the first person to pass half a billion followers. The most-followed person on Facebook (148 million), the most-followed on Instagram (310 million) and the most-followed sportsperson on Twitter (92 million), his sponsors earned $936 million in media value across his accounts between June 2016 to June 2017. Ronaldo has released two mobile apps. In December 2011, he launched an iPhone game called Heads Up with Cristiano, created by developer RockLive, and in December 2013, he launched Viva Ronaldo, a dedicated social networking website and app. Computer security company McAfee produced a 2012 report ranking footballers by the probability of an internet search for their name leading to an unsafe website, with Ronaldo's name first on the list.

Ronaldo has been the subject of several works. His autobiography, titled Moments, was published in December 2007. His sponsor Castrol produced the television film Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit, in which he was physically and mentally tested in several areas; his physical performance was consequently subject to scrutiny by world media upon the film's release in September 2011. Cristiano Ronaldo: The World at His Feet, a documentary narrated by actor Benedict Cumberbatch, was released via Vimeo in June 2014. A documentary film directed by Anthony Wonke about his life and career, titled Ronaldo, was released on 9 November 2015.

Portugal Prime Minister António Costa presents Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a signed Ronaldo shirt in January 2017

Demand for a replica Ronaldo shirt has been high throughout his career. In 2008, Ronaldo's number 7 Manchester United shirt was the best-selling Premier League sports product. In 2015, Ronaldo's number 7 Real Madrid shirt was the second best-selling worldwide, after Messi's number 10 Barcelona shirt. In 2018, within 24 hours of his number 7 Juventus shirt being released, over 520,000 had been sold, with $62.4 million generated in one day.

Ronaldo opened a fashion boutique under the name CR7 (his initials and shirt number) on the island of Madeira in 2006 and opened a second in Lisbon in 2008. In partnership with Scandinavian manufacturer JBS Textile Group and the New York fashion designer Richard Chai, Ronaldo co-designed a range of underwear and sock line, released in November 2013. He expanded his CR7 fashion brand by launching a line of premium shirts and shoes in July 2014. In September 2015, Ronaldo released his own fragrance, "Legacy", in a partnership with Eden Parfums.

Personal life

Family, children and relationships

Ronaldo's father, José, died at age 52 in September 2005 when Ronaldo was 20.

Ronaldo has had six children. He first became a father to a son, who was born on 17 June 2010 in the United States. He stated that he has full custody of the child and would not be publicly revealing the identity of the mother per an agreement with her. In January 2015, Ronaldo announced that his five-year relationship with Russian model Irina Shayk had ended.

Ronaldo became a father to twins, born on 8 June 2017 in the United States via surrogacy. He is currently in a relationship with Argentine-born Spanish model Georgina Rodríguez, who gave birth to a daughter on 12 November 2017. The couple expected their second pair of twins in 2022. The male twin died during childbirth while the female twin survived.

Health

Ronaldo does not have any tattoos as he regularly donates blood and bone marrow.

Philanthropy

Ronaldo pictured in 2010

Ronaldo has made contributions to various charitable causes throughout his career. Television footage of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami showed an eight-year-old boy survivor named Martunis wearing a Portuguese football shirt who was stranded for 19 days after his family was killed. Following this, Ronaldo visited Aceh, Indonesia, to raise funds for rehabilitation and reconstruction. After accepting undisclosed damages from a libel case against The Sun newspaper in 2008, Ronaldo donated the damages to a charity in Madeira. In 2009, Ronaldo donated £100,000 to the hospital that saved his mother's life in Madeira following her battle with cancer, so that they could build a cancer centre on the island. In support of the victims of the 2010 Madeira flood, Ronaldo pledged to play in a charity match in Madeira between Primeira Liga club Porto and players from Madeiran-based clubs Marítimo and Nacional.

In 2012, Ronaldo and his agent paid for specialist treatment for a nine-year-old Canarian boy with apparently terminal cancer. In December 2012, Ronaldo joined FIFA's "11 for Health" programme to raise awareness amongst kids of how to steer clear of conditions including HIV, malaria, and obesity. In January 2013, Ronaldo became Save the Children's new Global Artist Ambassador, in which he hopes to help fight child hunger and obesity. In March 2013, Ronaldo agreed to be the ambassador for The Mangrove Care Forum in Indonesia, an organisation aiming to raise awareness of mangrove conservation.

Ronaldo was named the world's most charitable sportsperson in 2015 after donating £5 million to the relief effort after the earthquake in Nepal which killed over 8,000 people. In June 2016, Ronaldo donated the entirety of his €600,000 Champions League bonus after Real Madrid won the Champions League. In August, Ronaldo launched CR7Selfie, a selfie app for charity to help Save the Children that lets participants take a selfie with him in one of several different outfits and poses.

Interesting facts about Cristiano Ronaldo

• He can jump higher than the average NBA . Ronaldo can reach 78 cm (30.7 inches) off the floor.
• In 2013, Ronaldo opened a museum, The Museu CR7, at Funchal in Madeira in his honor. It contains Ronaldo’s trophies that he has won over the years; the museum is an official sponsor of the local football team União da Madeira.
• In 2007, C.D. Nacional renamed its youth campus Cristiano Ronaldo Campus Futebol (Cristiano Ronaldo Football Campus).
• In January 2014, President of Portugal Aníbal Cavaco Silva raised Ronaldo to the rank of Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry.
• In 2009, Real Madrid announced that the team had insured Cristiano Ronaldo’s legs for around 100 million euros.
• In June 2010, Ronaldo became the fourth footballer (after Steven Gerrard, Pelé, and David Beckham) to be represented as a waxwork at Madame Tussauds London.
• In June 2015, astronomers led by David Sobral from Lisbon and Leiden discovered a galaxy which they named Cosmos Redshift 7 (CR7) in tribute to Ronaldo.
• On 23 July 2016, following Portugal's triumph at Euro 2016, Madeira Airport in Funchal was renamed as Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport.
• There are at least 3 statues and busts of Crisitano Ronaldo in the world: his bronze bust is installed at Madeira Airport, one full-size statue is Madeira and the other giant one is in Calangute, Goa, weighing about 410 kg.

Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport in Madeira. The renaming ceremony took place in March 2017.

Cristiano Ronaldo Quotes

• "In your life you do not win without sacrifices and you must take risks"
• "I'm living a dream I never want to wake up from."
• "Your love makes me strong, your hate makes me unstoppable."
• "If you think you’re perfect already, then you never will be."
• "I see football as an art and all players are artists."
• "If you are a top artist, the last thing you would do is paint a picture somebody else has already painted."
• "If you don't believe you are the best, then you will never achieve all that you are capable of."

Career statistics

Club

International

Notes

Honours

Ronaldo, with his third Ballon d'Or, at the Santiago Bernabéu in January 2015

Sporting CP

• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2002

Manchester United

• Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
• FA Cup: 2003–04
• Football League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09
• FA Community Shield: 2007
• UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2011–12, 2016–17
• Copa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14
• Supercopa de España: 2012, 2017
• UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
• UEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2017
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017

Juventus

• Serie A: 2018–19, 2019–20
• Coppa Italia: 2020–21
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2018, 2020

Al Nassr

• Arab Club Champions Cup: 2023

Portugal

• UEFA European Championship: 2016
• UEFA Nations League: 2018–19

Individual

• Ballon d'Or/FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
• FIFA World Player of the Year: 2008
• The Best FIFA Men's Player: 2016, 2017
• The Best FIFA Special Award for Outstanding Career Achievement: 2021
• UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007–08
• UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17
• The Best Special Award of UEFA Champions League All-Time Top Scorer: 2024
• European Golden Shoe: 2007–08, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15
• FIFA Puskás Award: 2009
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2016
• UEFA European Championship Golden Boot: 2020
• UEFA Champions League top scorer: 2007–08, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
• Premier League Player of the Season: 2006–07, 2007–08
• La Liga Best Player: 2013–14
• Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2019, 2020
• Premier League Golden Boot: 2007–08
• Pichichi Trophy: 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15
• Capocannoniere: 2020–21
• Saudi Pro League Top Scorers: 2023–24
• Golden Foot: 2020
• Ballon d'Or Dream Team: 2020
• FIFA FIFPRO World 11: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• Portuguese Sportsman of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
• FPF Portuguese Player of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

Orders

• Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (Portuguese Royal Family)
• Grand officer of the Order of Prince Henry
• Commander of the Order of Merit
• Cordão da Insígnia autonómica de distinção (Collar of the Autonomic Insignia of Distinction, Autonomous Region of Madeira)

See also

In Spanish: Cristiano Ronaldo para niños