Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro,[2] OIH, (born 5 February 1985),[3] commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team. Ronaldo became the most expensive footballer in history after moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer
worth £80 million (€93.9 million/$131.6 million). In addition, his
contract with Real Madrid, in which he is paid €12 million per year,
makes him one of the highest-paid footballers in the world,and his buyout clause is valued at €1 billion as per his contract.
Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years, before moving to C.D. Nacional. In 1997, he made a move to Portuguese giants Sporting Clube de Portugal. Ronaldo caught the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who signed him for £12.24 million (€15 million) in 2003. The following season, Ronaldo won his first club honour, the FA Cup.
Ronaldo was the first player to win all four main PFA and FWA awards, doing so in 2007. In 2008, Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or.He placed second in the Ballon d'Or in 2007, 2009, and 2011. He was awarded the European Golden Shoe in both 2008 and 2011. In 2008, he won three of the four main PFA and FWA trophies and was named the FIFPro Player of the Year, World Soccer Player of the Year, Onze d'Or, and the FIFA World Player of the Year. In 2007 and 2008, Ronaldo was named FWA Footballer of the Year. Ronaldo was the inaugural winner of the FIFA Puskás Award in 2009.
Ronaldo holds numerous former and current scoring records, including records for most goals scored in a season for Real Madrid, most goals scored per minute in La Liga, first top European league player to reach 40 goals in a single season in two consecutive years, fastest Real Madrid player to reach one hundred league goals, and the first player ever to score against every team in a single season in La Liga.
Ronaldo is a Portuguese international and made his debut against Kazakhstan in August 2003. He has since participated in five major tournaments; UEFA Euro 2004, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He scored his first international goal in the opening game of the Euro 2004 against Greece, in addition to helping Portugal reach the final. He took over the captaincy of the side in July 2008 and went on to captain Portugal to the semi-finals at the Euro 2012 and finished the competition as the joint best scorer with three goals. On 16 October 2012, Ronaldo won his 100th cap against Northern Ireland, making him the third highest capped player for Portugal and became the third youngest European to reach a century of international appearances. In October 2012, he became the first sportsperson to reach 50 million followers on Facebook.
Style Of Play:
Many experts have testified to Ronaldo's skills and impact as the best modern-day footballer (alongside Lionel Messi),[189][190][191][192][193] described as a fast, tricky, strong, skillful winger and striker who will take on any defender with his dribbling and pace; he hits his free kicks with power and pace, and is able to beat defenders off the dribble and cross the ball. He is able to score with his head and both feet.[69] He is also an accurate set piece and penalty kick taker.[194]
Ronaldo said: "I didn't have any particular idols as a child. My ambition was to play for my national team because that's where the footballers I mostly followed played. I'm sure I used to do stuff I no longer do due to age or experience."[195] Ronaldo cited his Brazilian namesake, Ronaldo, as one of his footballing heroes.[196] Ronaldo admitted his desire to carve his name in history alongside footballing legends such as Pele and Diego Maradona.[197]
French legend Zinedine Zidane labelled Ronaldo "a truly remarkable professional football player, who works like no other athlete" for his performance and playing skills.[198] England legend David Beckham stated: "Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenon and one of the best players in the world."[199] Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Özil described Cristiano Ronaldo as the "perfect player".[200] Argentine forward Lionel Messi stated: "He certainly can decide the fate of a game in any given moment."[201] Argentinian legend Diego Maradona declared that he felt that Ronaldo was "the best player on the planet" along with Lionel Messi.[187]
Ronaldo's increasing reputation led the media to draw comparisons between Ronaldo and FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi,[202][203][204][205] which Ronaldo has commented on saying: "Some people say I'm better, other people say it's him, but at the end of the day, they're going to decide who is the best player. Sometimes it makes me tired. For him too because they compare us together all the time. You cannot compare a Ferrari with a Porsche because it's a different engine. You cannot compare them. He does the best things for Barcelona, I do the best things for Madrid. I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high."[206] However, former great players have criticized the comparison, such as Brazilian legend Pelé said: "We can't compare Messi and Ronaldo. They got different styles."[207] Former Portuguese international Luis Figo stated: "It is not right to compare them [Ronaldo and Messi]. I like watching both of them when they play, why ask which one is the best? It's like when you eat something, why choose one meal, when you can try both?"[208] Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos said "...Ronaldo can do much more for Madrid than Messi can for Barcelona. Madrid really depend on Ronaldo to perform well, while Barcelona are so much more than Messi."[209] Ronaldo's Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, once stated: "If both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were born in different eras, they would have ruled the football scene and collected 10 FIFA Ballon d'Ors each."[210]
However, Ronaldo has been criticised for his performance in the national team, on which Maradona has commented: "As good as he is with Real Madrid, he often seems frustrated on the national level, as if he was surrounded by players who do little to assist him."[187] Ronaldo also has been criticised for his diving when tackled. For which José Mourinho has told: "Cristiano is a player who does not have the culture of the swimming pool, he has no culture of simulation, he is a British-trained player, Ferguson trained. In some cases, the simulators are given more protection, and those who are honest are often the losers. I'm not a hypocrite if I say that they (defenders) hit Cristiano very hard, and that the yellow cards do not arrive or are slow in coming."
Outside Football:
Ronaldo's father, José Dinis Aveiro, died of an alcoholism-related
liver condition in September 2005 at age 52 when Ronaldo was 20.[212] Ronaldo's mother and Manchester United coach have stated that he does not drink alcohol as a result and he has received libel damages over a Daily Mirror article that reported him drinking heavily in a nightclub while recovering from an injury in July 2008.[213] In October 2005, a month after his father died, Ronaldo was arrested on suspicion of raping a woman in a London hotel and released on bail.[214] Ronaldo denied the allegations and charges were dropped by Scotland Yard
in November 2005 due to "insufficient evidence". Ronaldo issued a
statement saying: "I have always strongly maintained my innocence of any
wrong-doing and I am glad that this matter is at an end so that I can
concentrate on playing for Manchester United."[215]
Ronaldo announced that he had become a father on 3 July 2010. His official Facebook and Twitter pages reference the birth of his son and request privacy.[216] The child, named Cristiano[217] is in full custody of Ronaldo.[216]
Ronaldo has previously dated English models Alice Goodwin[218] and Gemma Atkinson, and since the start of 2010, he has been dating Russian model Irina Shayk.
Real Cristiano Ronaldo:
However, he admits he would still like to win the Ballon d’Or. He is on the 23-man short list to win the prestigious award. The award is more like a battle between Ronaldo and Messi, than between the other 21 candidates.
Ronaldo twice came second and won the competition in 2008.
Ronaldo believes that lesser public analysis halts his victory and when asked whether he considers it to be an issue, he said, “I don’t want to cry about that, but sometimes I think yes.
“Why? It’s question that I never give the 100% right answer, because sometimes I really don’t know. Maybe I agree, I have bad image on the pitch… because I’m too serious, but if you really know me, if you are my friend, if I leave you inside my house, if you share the day with me, you will know I hate to lose.
“People who call me arrogant, I would like to sit with them and to have a chat with them to see which way to they think I’m arrogant because I think they need to sit with me to know who is the real Cristiano.”
He added: “It (the Ballon d’Or) means a lot for me.”
Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years, before moving to C.D. Nacional. In 1997, he made a move to Portuguese giants Sporting Clube de Portugal. Ronaldo caught the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who signed him for £12.24 million (€15 million) in 2003. The following season, Ronaldo won his first club honour, the FA Cup.
Ronaldo was the first player to win all four main PFA and FWA awards, doing so in 2007. In 2008, Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or.He placed second in the Ballon d'Or in 2007, 2009, and 2011. He was awarded the European Golden Shoe in both 2008 and 2011. In 2008, he won three of the four main PFA and FWA trophies and was named the FIFPro Player of the Year, World Soccer Player of the Year, Onze d'Or, and the FIFA World Player of the Year. In 2007 and 2008, Ronaldo was named FWA Footballer of the Year. Ronaldo was the inaugural winner of the FIFA Puskás Award in 2009.
Ronaldo holds numerous former and current scoring records, including records for most goals scored in a season for Real Madrid, most goals scored per minute in La Liga, first top European league player to reach 40 goals in a single season in two consecutive years, fastest Real Madrid player to reach one hundred league goals, and the first player ever to score against every team in a single season in La Liga.
Ronaldo is a Portuguese international and made his debut against Kazakhstan in August 2003. He has since participated in five major tournaments; UEFA Euro 2004, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He scored his first international goal in the opening game of the Euro 2004 against Greece, in addition to helping Portugal reach the final. He took over the captaincy of the side in July 2008 and went on to captain Portugal to the semi-finals at the Euro 2012 and finished the competition as the joint best scorer with three goals. On 16 October 2012, Ronaldo won his 100th cap against Northern Ireland, making him the third highest capped player for Portugal and became the third youngest European to reach a century of international appearances. In October 2012, he became the first sportsperson to reach 50 million followers on Facebook.
Style Of Play:
Many experts have testified to Ronaldo's skills and impact as the best modern-day footballer (alongside Lionel Messi),[189][190][191][192][193] described as a fast, tricky, strong, skillful winger and striker who will take on any defender with his dribbling and pace; he hits his free kicks with power and pace, and is able to beat defenders off the dribble and cross the ball. He is able to score with his head and both feet.[69] He is also an accurate set piece and penalty kick taker.[194]
Ronaldo said: "I didn't have any particular idols as a child. My ambition was to play for my national team because that's where the footballers I mostly followed played. I'm sure I used to do stuff I no longer do due to age or experience."[195] Ronaldo cited his Brazilian namesake, Ronaldo, as one of his footballing heroes.[196] Ronaldo admitted his desire to carve his name in history alongside footballing legends such as Pele and Diego Maradona.[197]
French legend Zinedine Zidane labelled Ronaldo "a truly remarkable professional football player, who works like no other athlete" for his performance and playing skills.[198] England legend David Beckham stated: "Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenon and one of the best players in the world."[199] Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Özil described Cristiano Ronaldo as the "perfect player".[200] Argentine forward Lionel Messi stated: "He certainly can decide the fate of a game in any given moment."[201] Argentinian legend Diego Maradona declared that he felt that Ronaldo was "the best player on the planet" along with Lionel Messi.[187]
Ronaldo's increasing reputation led the media to draw comparisons between Ronaldo and FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi,[202][203][204][205] which Ronaldo has commented on saying: "Some people say I'm better, other people say it's him, but at the end of the day, they're going to decide who is the best player. Sometimes it makes me tired. For him too because they compare us together all the time. You cannot compare a Ferrari with a Porsche because it's a different engine. You cannot compare them. He does the best things for Barcelona, I do the best things for Madrid. I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high."[206] However, former great players have criticized the comparison, such as Brazilian legend Pelé said: "We can't compare Messi and Ronaldo. They got different styles."[207] Former Portuguese international Luis Figo stated: "It is not right to compare them [Ronaldo and Messi]. I like watching both of them when they play, why ask which one is the best? It's like when you eat something, why choose one meal, when you can try both?"[208] Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos said "...Ronaldo can do much more for Madrid than Messi can for Barcelona. Madrid really depend on Ronaldo to perform well, while Barcelona are so much more than Messi."[209] Ronaldo's Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, once stated: "If both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were born in different eras, they would have ruled the football scene and collected 10 FIFA Ballon d'Ors each."[210]
However, Ronaldo has been criticised for his performance in the national team, on which Maradona has commented: "As good as he is with Real Madrid, he often seems frustrated on the national level, as if he was surrounded by players who do little to assist him."[187] Ronaldo also has been criticised for his diving when tackled. For which José Mourinho has told: "Cristiano is a player who does not have the culture of the swimming pool, he has no culture of simulation, he is a British-trained player, Ferguson trained. In some cases, the simulators are given more protection, and those who are honest are often the losers. I'm not a hypocrite if I say that they (defenders) hit Cristiano very hard, and that the yellow cards do not arrive or are slow in coming."
Outside Football:
Personal life
Ronaldo announced that he had become a father on 3 July 2010. His official Facebook and Twitter pages reference the birth of his son and request privacy.[216] The child, named Cristiano[217] is in full custody of Ronaldo.[216]
Ronaldo has previously dated English models Alice Goodwin[218] and Gemma Atkinson, and since the start of 2010, he has been dating Russian model Irina Shayk.
Real Cristiano Ronaldo:
However, he admits he would still like to win the Ballon d’Or. He is on the 23-man short list to win the prestigious award. The award is more like a battle between Ronaldo and Messi, than between the other 21 candidates.
Ronaldo twice came second and won the competition in 2008.
Ronaldo believes that lesser public analysis halts his victory and when asked whether he considers it to be an issue, he said, “I don’t want to cry about that, but sometimes I think yes.
“Why? It’s question that I never give the 100% right answer, because sometimes I really don’t know. Maybe I agree, I have bad image on the pitch… because I’m too serious, but if you really know me, if you are my friend, if I leave you inside my house, if you share the day with me, you will know I hate to lose.
“People who call me arrogant, I would like to sit with them and to have a chat with them to see which way to they think I’m arrogant because I think they need to sit with me to know who is the real Cristiano.”
He added: “It (the Ballon d’Or) means a lot for me.”
