Ronaldo is not a person who needs any introduction or a description about his heroics as footballer. So instead of going into the details of his football career, which is, at least on the tips of every football lover, let us begin here with the other side of this gentleman–the ever so noble and the ever available for any kind cause.

Cristiano Ronaldo or Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born in the São Pedro parish of Funchal, the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira, and grew up in the nearby parish of Santo António. Cristiano grew up in one of the poorest areas of Funchal; the capital of the tiny island, Madeira. His father was a city gardener and his mother a cook. When he started playing soccer at the age of 9, his teammates made fun of him because his dad cleaned the locker rooms for a bit of extra money. Ronaldo certainly wasn’t stopped by the mockery; it made him train even harder.

At age eleven, Cristiano moved to Portugal by himself to joint he SCP. When he was fourteen, his dad became an alcoholic and his brother struggled with addiction. This, too, only made him work harder. His father died when Cristiano was just 20 and as a consequence, he refrains from drinking alcohol. Cristiano doesn’t have a single tattoo, because he is a regular blood donor.

THE OTHER SIDE OF RONALDO THAT PROVES THAT WHY HE IS MORE THAN A SPORTSMAN

CORONAVIRUS PAYCUT

With an estimated wealth of around £500million, you could argue that it wouldn’t hurt Ronaldo to take a pay cut during the uncertain times for football clubs during Corona pandemic. But not all footballers were in agreement with that idea. However, Ronaldo led the way with a wage cut while the world waited to see what the coronavirus will do to the footballing world. That’s said to have cost Ronaldo £3.8 million personally.

GENEROUS DONATION

Ronaldo teamed up with his agent Jorge Mendes to donate £1million to hospitals in Portugal to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Hospitals in Porto and Lisbon were recipients of the generous donation – receiving beds and ventilators to cope with the high-number of patients suffering with COVID-19.

Daniel Ferro, president of Lisbon’s Santa Maria Hospital, revealed the selfless act. “We were contacted by Jorge Mendes, who volunteered with Cristiano Ronaldo to finance two intensive care units for critical patients suffering from COVID-19,” Ferro said.

 BONUS PAY

Ronaldo’s international teammate Bernardo Silva let the cat out of the bag for this one.

According to the Manchester City star, CR7 asked the Portugal squad to donate 50 percent of their qualification bonus for Euro 2020 to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. “So we qualified to the 2020 Euros, which now is in 2021,” Silva said.“And he gave us the idea let’s donate part of our bonus, so I think our national team, our players will donate 50 percent of our qualifying bonus.

HIS EUROPEAN GOLDEN BOOT

In 2011, Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the European Golden Boot after scoring 40 goals. Rather than keep the award in his already packed trophy room, Ronaldo opted to sell it for charity.

The boot went for auction and raised a stunning £1.2million.The funds went towards building a number of schools in war-torn Gaza.

THE BALLON D’OR

Ronaldo repeated the trick of selling off one of his trophies in 2017, this time his 2013 Ballon d’Or trophy at a charity auction in London.

The gala dinner, to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation – which grants wishes to children with life-threatening and terminally ill children – was a roaring success.Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or made a massive £530,000 for the organisation too.

AN AMBASSADOR

Ronaldo continues to use his global platform as a force for good.

He is an ambassador for three major charities, Save the Children, UNICEF and World Vision, and has spoken up for countless more. At his 2014 Ballon d’Or speech, Ronaldo made a point of mentioning a group of children he had met with leukaemia.He has continued to speak out in those roles.

In 2016, he recorded a message to the children affected by the Syrian conflict, calling them “true heroes” and stating “I am with you”. He also made a secret donation which he asked Save the Children not to reveal.

Ronaldo’s Ice Bucket Challenge video – the viral sensation that raised hundreds of millions of pounds in 2014 – was seen by more than a hundred million people across his social media platforms.

WIN BONUSES

Ronaldo has also been very generous with giving up money earned from his exceptional performances on the pitch.

In 2013, he was named in the UEFA Team of the Year – earning a €100,000 (£89,000) bonus from the European governing body. But rather than cash the cheque, he donated it to the Red Cross.

A year later, the Portuguese star led Real Madrid to La Decima, their tenth Champions League victory, and picked up a £450,000 bonus from Los Blancos.

But Ronaldo again decided against cashing the money, instead sharing it among the three charities he is an ambassador for, UNICEF, World Vision and Save the Children.

GIVES BLOOD

Ronaldo, compared to a growing number of his peers, is remarkably tattoo-free. It’s all for a reason – Ronaldo regularly donates blood and has been involved in numerous campaigns to encourage others to do the same.

People with tattoos can donate blood, but are not able to do so immediately after getting new ink to reduce the risk of infection. He said in 2015: “We can all make a difference by donating blood.

“Each donation can benefit up to three people in emergency situations and for long-term medical treatments. That’s why I am enthusiastic… to the importance of blood donation and to encourage people around the world to become lifelong blood donors and help save lives.”

Ronaldo also donates bone marrow after a former teammate revealed his struggles. Carlos Martins had a son who needed bone marrow and Ronaldo has been a donor since. He said donating bone marrow is “something a lot of people think is a difficult thing to do but it’s nothing more than drawing blood and doesn’t hurt.”

MULTI-MILLION POUND RELIEF

Ronaldo again donated a huge amount of money in 2015, to the relief efforts for the Nepalese earthquake in April 2015. The deadly natural disaster killed 9,000 people, injured 22,000 more and caused untold amounts of damage to the country.

Ronaldo reportedly gave £5 million to Save the Children’s disaster relief fund – although those reports have remained unverified and were denied by the charity. He likely made a donation, although the amount remains a mystery.

HELPING A CANCER CENTRE

Ronaldo’s mother, Dolores Aveiro, survived breast cancer in 2007. He decided to thank the care centre in Portugal that treated his mum – adding £120,000 to their coffers.

INVITATION TO AN ORPHAN

In Lebanese capital Beirut, Real Madrid fan Haidar was orphaned when both of his parents were killed by a suicide bomber. A local reporter got in touch with the Spanish giants and eventually the boy was invited to the club. It lead to a heart-rending video of Ronaldo cuddling the youngster as he burst into tears of sheer delight to meet his hero.

HELPING A YOUNG FAN

Ronaldo was alerted to the story of Nuhuzet Guillen, a nine-year-old with terminal cancer in 2009.

After hearing about the fan, Ronaldo decided to send a driver to bring the family to the hotel where the Real Madrid team were staying. After emerging from the lift, he is reported to have joked to the youngster: “Don’t you want to say anything?”

He dedicated a goal to Nuhuzet, inviting him to watch the match in his private box at the Bernabeu, and after the match gave him his match shirt. After speaking with his father, Ronaldo learned there was not much that could be done, although there was experimental treatment available in the US, which the star paid for.

When Nuhuzet’s condition worsened, Ronaldo offered to pay for all of his medication, costing hundreds of thousands, and treatment at a private medical centre. Ronaldo paid that for more than a year until the boy sadly passed away in March 2013.

GENEROUS WITH HIS TIME

Ronaldo is often targeted by pitch invaders for selfies and pictures. But rather than avoid the fans, he is an icon to these people and instead often stops for pictures. On many occasions he has stopped fans from being dealt with by heavy-handed security. Ronaldo also loves to interact with supporters inside stadiums, often staying to throw his shirt into the crowd, sign autographs and take pictures.

HELPING ANOTHER YOUNG FAN

In 2014, the mother of another young fan, ten-month-old Erik Ortiz Cruz, asked Ronaldo to donate a shirt to the boy, who has cortical dysplasia. The brain abnormality causes up to 30 seizures a day.

After hearing the full story Ronaldo paid £55,000 for initial brain surgery and pledged to cover the cost of any follow-up treatment – although none has so far been needed. He also helped raise extra money for Erik by donating a signed kit to sell at auction.

And now at the last but not the least his – FOOTBALL & CAREER

Sporting CP

 

At age 16, Ronaldo was promoted from Sporting CP youth team by first-team manager Laszlo Boloni, who was impressed with his dribbling. He subsequently 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, against Braga and scored two goals against Moreirense in their 3–0 win. Over the course of the 2002–03 season, his representatives suggested the player to Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier and Barcelona president Joan Laporta. Manager Arsène Wenger, who was interested in signing Ronaldo, met with him at Arsenal‘s grounds in November to discuss a possible transfer.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was determined to acquire Ronaldo on a permanent move urgently, after Sporting defeated United 3–1 at the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade in August 2003. Initially, United had planned to sign Ronaldo and loan him back to Sporting for a year.

 

 Having been impressed by him, the United players urged Ferguson to sign him. After the game, Ferguson agreed to pay Sporting £12.24 million for what he considered being “one of the most exciting young players” he had ever seen. A decade after his departure from the club, in April 2013, Sporting honoured Ronaldo by selecting him to become their 100,000th member.

 

Journey to Red devil’s Manchester United

During his stint with Sporting CP, he was suggested to Liverpool and Barcelona. Then in 2002, he met Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger who was interested in signing up but things could not materialize. The turning point of his career came when Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson spotted Ronaldo skills when Sporting CP defeated United 3-1 during the inauguration match of Estádio José Alvalade stadium in Lisbon.

Manchester players asked Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him after his exceptional performance against them. Ronaldo made his debut for Manchester United in August 2003 against Bolton Wanderers, when he came as a substitute in the 60th minute. The next two seasons have been a learning curve for Ronaldo and he went on to produce magical games for the United. In November 2005-2006 season, Ronaldo signed a new contract that extends until 2010.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first premier league title

In the 2006-2007 season, Ronaldo scored 17 goals in the premier league where Manchester United clinched the title for the 9th time. Then he won several awards for the season. The main achievement is the runner-up for the Ballon d’Or award. And third in FIFA World player of the year for 2007.

Ronaldo continued his success with Manchester United for the 2008-2009 season. He scored 18 goals in the Premier league which lead Manchester United to the third successive premier league title and also the FIFA Club World cup. He has received both Ballon d’ Or and FIFA world player of the year in 2008.

Cristiano Ronaldo move to Real Madrid

Real Madrid signed Ronaldo for a whopping transfer fee of £80 million which was a world record at that time. He made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid against Deportivo La Coruña. He also scored his debut goal in the same match through a penalty.

The next season for Ronaldo in Real Madrid saw him breaking many records. He lifted his first trophy for Real Madrid against arch-rival Barcelona by scoring a crucial goal in the last minute in Copas del Rey’s final match. He went on to score 53 goals in the season. In the 2011-2012 season, even though he scored plenty of goals, the success for a major trophy haunted him. He missed a crucial penalty against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the champions league.

First La Liga trophy for Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid won the La Liga trophy in the 2011-2012 season by topping the table with 100 points, nine points clear of arch-rivals Barcelona. He went on to score 46 goals for the team in the season. For the FIFA Ballon d’ Or award, Ronaldo finished second behind Lionel Messi.

Goal machine – Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo continued his goal-scoring routine in Real Madrid by scoring crucial goals in the competitions. He went on to captain Real Madrid for the first time in a 4-3 win over Real Sociedad. Then he scored his 200the goal for Real Madrid in his 197th game. But Real Madrid failed to lift the La Liga trophy in the season. Ronaldo ended 2013 with 69 goals in 59 appearances which paved the way for the FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the first time in his career.

The Journey with Real Madrid continued

In November 2016, Ronaldo signed a new contract with Real Madrid that runs until 2021. Ronaldo then won the second FIFA Club World cup and went to win the Ballon d’ Or award for the fourth time. Also, he won the inaugural Best FIFA Men’s player from FIFA. Cristiano Ronaldo’s hunger for success continued as Real Madrid lifted both La Liga and UEFA Champions league in 2017.

Fifth Ballon d’Or award

Ronaldo continued his strong performance with Real Madrid by finishing 3rd in the La Liga table and went on to lift the 3rd consecutive Champions League title. His performance in the 2017-2018 seasons earned him the record fifth Fifa Player of the Year and the Ballon d’Or award. Ronaldo’s last match with Real Madrid was the champions league final against Liverpool.

La Liga to Serie A–Highest ever paid by an Italian club

2018 – 2019

Cristiano Ronaldo signed a record €100 million transfer with Italian giant Juventus with an additional €12 million in other fees and contributions to Ronaldo’s youth club. Ronaldo’s transfer amount was the record for highest ever for a player over 30 years.

2019 – 2020

During this season, Cristiano Ronaldo broke many records like Most Champions League Wins of all time, Scoring against 33 different Champions League teams, being the second player in history to score Hat-Tricks in Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A, and many more records.

2020 – 2021

He reached his 750th senior career goal during the champions league match. But eventually, Juventus were knocked out of the champion’s league at the round of 16 by Porto. Juventus won the Coppa Italia final and Ronaldo become the first player to win every major domestic trophy in England, spas, and Italy.

Legend back to Manchester United

In August 2021, returned to Manchester United after they had an agreement with Juventus.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo’s International career and first world cup

Ronaldo started his international career in 2001 and he represented Under-15, Under-17, Under -20, Under-21, and Under-23 Portugal teams.

Ronaldo played his first match for the senior team in 2003 against Kazakhstan and scored his first international goal against Greece in UEFA Euro in 2004. He helped Portugal reach the final of that tournament against Greece, where Portugal lost. His performance in the tournament earned him a place in the team of the tournament in the UEFA Euro championship in 2004. Cristiano Ronaldo’s scored his first world cup goal against Iran in the 2006 FIFA World cup qualification match. Ronaldo’s first World cup ended with a semi-final defeat against France 0-1.

As Leader of Portugal national team

Cristiano Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly match against Brazil in 2007. He becomes Portugal’s permanent captain in July 2008 after Portugal’s quarter-final defeat against Germany in Euro 2008.

During the World cup in 2010, Ronaldo won the man of the match in all three matches in the group stage. But eventually, Portugal lost against Spain in the round of 16.

In Euro 2012, Ronaldo scored three goals in the tournament, which made him one of the top scorers of the tournament. But Portugal lost to Spain in the semifinals in the penalty shootout. He was included in the Euro 2012 team of the tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first major title at the International level

In Euro 2016, despite finishing 3rd in the group stage, Portugal entered the knock-out stage due to a new format in the tournament. Then Portugal entered the semi-finals by beating Croatia in the round of 16 and Poland in the quarter-finals. Ronaldo then becomes the first player in history to represent three semi-finals in the Euro championship. He then scored a goal in a 2-0 win over Wales in the semifinals.

Ronald’s biggest moment of life came when Portugal lifted Euro 2016 trophy by beating France 1-0 in the finals. Ronaldo received a Silver boot for being second on the top goal scorer list in the tournament. And he was named for the third time in his career in the Euro championship team of the tournament.

FIFA Federations Cup and build up to 2018 FIFA World cup

Championship 2016. Portugal was beaten by Chile 0-3 in penalties in the semi-finals and ended the tournament in 3rd position.

Meanwhile, Portugal qualified for the 2018 FIFA World cup by topping Group-B with 27 points in FIFA World cup qualifiers. They entered the tournament with many expectations for being the Euro champions. Portugal was drawn in Group B along with Spain, Iran, and Morocco. Cristiano Ronaldo started the tournament with a hat-trick against Spain in a 3-3 drawn match. Then Portugal progressed for the next round of the tournament by finishing 2nd in the table behind Spain with 5 points.

UEFA Nations League and Cristiano Ronaldo Story continues

In June 2019, Portugal won the inaugural UEFA Nations League by defeating Netherlands 1-0 in the final.

Portugal qualified for the Euro 2020 by finishing 2nd in Group B behind Ukraine and during the process, Ronaldo scored his 99th international goal and also become the first footballer to score against 40 national teams. Then he achieved to feet of 100 international goals against Sweden.

With Euro 2020 shifted to 2021 due to the Covid pandemic, Portugal started the event on a high note with a 3-0 win over Hungary. But they lost in the round of 16 against Belgium. Ronaldo won the Euro 2020 Golden Boot award for scoring 5 goals and I assist.

And the journey of Cristiano Ronaldo continues…

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