Cristiano Ronaldo Biography: Real Madrid, Man U Star

Biography of Cristiano Ronaldo

With a buyout clause valued at €1 billion, he is the most expensive footballer in history. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be learning more about the life and career of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Early Life

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born February 5th, 1985 in Madeira, Portugal. He grew up in a blue-collar area, where his mother helped earn money for the family due to his father’s alcoholism. He found football as a child and was already considered a marvel by age 10.

Sporting Clube de Portugal

After playing as a youth player for Andorinha for two years, he moved to C.D. Nacional and finally made the jump to Sporting Clube de Portugal. As a testament to his incredible potential, Ronaldo played for Sporting’s under-16, under-17, under-18, B-team and the first team all within one season, and was the only player ever to do so.

Emergency Surgery

When he was just 15, a health problem threatened to end his career before it started, but an operation fixed his racing heart and allowed him to continue onto greatness.

Manchester United

It wasn’t long before teams around the league were clamoring to secure this young talent. In 2003, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson signed him for £15 million, and Ronaldo became the club’s first-ever Portuguese player. Bearing the same jersey number as legends like George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham, Ronaldo proved he was worth the money by helping the team secure an FA Cup win the next season.

International Play

After scoring his first international goal in the opening game of the EURO 2004 tournament against Greece, he led his squad to the finals, only to be beaten by the Greeks in a surprising upset.

Father’s Death

In 2005, Ronaldo’s father passed away due to a condition related to his alcoholism. This caused Ronaldo to shun alcohol, and he focused on his career even more.

2006-2007

2006-2007 was an important season for Ronaldo: he managed over 20 goals and took home a league title for Man U. He also became the first player to win all four main PFA and FWA awards, and signed an extension with the club despite rumors that his loyalties lay elsewhere.

More Success

Though he started the following season with a three-match ban thanks to a controversial headbutt, it was in 2008 that he won the Champions League with Man U. With that, he became the first winger to win the European Golden Shoe, while he also took home the Premier League Golden Boot award.

FIFA World Player of the Year

The awards continued piling up, and Ronaldo became Manchester United’s first Ballon d’Or winner in 40 years, as well as the first Premier League player ever to be named FIFA World Player of the Year.

Skills

It was Ronaldo’s combination of skills like dribbling, speed, power and pace, plus his capacity for beating goalies with his head and feet, that made him a unique threat. He was labeled by many as one of the greatest players in history.

Real Madrid

But finally, in 2009, Ronaldo’s wish to leave Man U was granted: he was transferred to Real Madrid for a record £80 million. By his second season, he was Real’s top goal scorer with 53 goals in one season. He also hit 100 goals faster than anyone in the history of La Liga.

Ronaldo vs. Messi

When he won the European Golden Shoe Award in Madrid for 2010-2011, he became the first player to win the trophy in two different leagues. However, soon Lionel Messi – who played for Real Madrid’s archrivals FC Barcelona – eclipsed Ronaldo’s glory. But, Ronaldo got the last laugh when Real Madrid won La Liga in 2012.

Legacy

Despite accusations by fans and the media that Ronaldo showcased an individualistic technique or selfish style, he has been nothing short of extraordinary in club play. However, his performance with Portugal has been lackluster: he made little impact during his World Cup showings in 2006 and 2010. Time will tell if Ronaldo will be propelled to the top of his sport at the international level, as well.