Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal, Portugal on the 5th of February 1985. The superstar has had an illustrious career for various teams and is still going as strong as ever.
He was the youngest of his family, his mother Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro was a cook and his father José Dinis Aveiro was a gardener. Cristiano got his second name as Ronaldo because his father was a great fan of actor Ronald Regan.
From his maiden goal for Team Andorinha to becoming the first player in the 21st Century to score a staggering 500 goals, Ronaldo has seen all highs and lows of life.
His first breakthrough in the professional event came when he was 12. Sporting CP signed him for a fee of £1,500. He was the only young player in the club to play under-16 & under 18 in the same season.
At the age of 14, Ronaldo believed that he can become a professional footballer. So, he discontinued his education to focus his entire energy on football.
His dedication towards the game was unmatchable. His grandfather once said, “All he wanted to do as a boy was to play football. He loves the game so much he would miss or escape out of his bedroom window with a ball when he was supposed to be doing his homework.”
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During those days, his family lived in a financial crisis that never let Ronaldo down. He continued his football training day and night.
Everyone in their lives awaits the moment, which changes their fortune, opens the gate of heaven. At the age of 18, Sir Alex Ferguson gave Ronaldo a chance to prove his mettle in the English league. Manchester United signed him for £12.24m. It was the most expensive transfer fee for a teenager in English football history.
Not only this, Ferguson offered Ronaldo the ‘number 7’ shirt which was previously worn by great George Best, Cantona, and David Beckham.
United lifted the premier league for a successive time in 2008 with Ronaldo scoring 31 goals. His performance earned him Premier League Golden Boot and European Golden Shoe award.
Real Madrid signed Ronaldo for a whopping transfer fee of £80 million which was a world record at that time.
He added another feather to his illustrious cap as he completed his 400th win in Europe’s top five leagues last year, a number no other player has reached in the 21st century.
His tremendous success on the field has reflected in his earnings. In 2020, he became the third athlete in history to earn one billion dollars across his playing career after golfer Tiger Woods and boxer Floyd Mayweather.