By: Sammy Wang
Everyone knows the famous soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo. Whether from the news, the TV, or articles, Ronaldo’s hard to miss. Just recently, on June 20th, he played his 200th international game for Portugal last week, setting a record for being the first male player to play 200 international matches for their country.
Even through his achievements and success, fans can’t help but wonder how he ended up in this spotlight.
Ronaldo was the youngest of four siblings born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. He was raised by his mother, Maria Dolores dos Santo, and father, José Dinis Aveiro. He grew up in a working-class neighborhood near the ocean. Even though his father was an alcoholic and his mom worked a lot to support the family, Ronaldo, and his parents had a close relationship.
Ronaldo was introduced to soccer by his father, an equipment manager at a soccer club. By the time he was 10, Ronaldo’s talent and passion for soccer grew so much that it concerned his family.
Ronaldo’s godfather, Fernao Sousa, has helped raise Ronaldo since he was born. He says that Ronaldo was captivated by soccer ever since he was young.
“All he wanted to do as a boy was play football, he loved the game so much he’d miss meals or escape out of his bedroom window with a ball when he was supposed to be doing his homework,” Sousa told reporters.
Ronaldo’s soccer career began in 2001 when he was 16 years old. He played for Clube Desportivo Nacional of Madeira before moving to Sporting Clube de Portugal (Sporting Lisbon). There he caught the eye of Manchester United, who offered him £12 million or $15,272,316.00 for five years. It was a big deal as he was one of the few players in a contract that young.
In 2003, Ronaldo signed with Manchester United and instantly became known as one of the best forwards in games with his footwork and deft skill.
Ronaldo’s best performance was during 2007-2008, scoring 42 League and Cup goals. He was awarded the Golden Shoe award for being Europe’s top scorer.
In 2009, the Spanish soccer club Real Madrid signed Ronaldo for $131 million. Despite leaving Manchester, Ronaldo looked forward to improving himself to becoming the best soccer player he could be.
“I know that they are going to demand a lot of me to be successful at the club, and I know that I’m going to have much more pressure than at Manchester United because I was there for many years,” Ronaldo said. “But it means a new challenge and is going to help me be the best footballer.”
In 2016, Ronaldo played for the Portuguese National Team and helped the team win the European Championship, Champions League, and Club World Cup. Ronaldo had a knee injury in the final game with France but cheered his teammates on from the sidelines. When the Portugal National Team won the game, Ronaldo was overjoyed.
“I’ve always said I wanted to win a trophy with the national team and make history. And I did it. Thank God, things went well for us,” Ronaldo said.
After that, Ronaldo transferred to Italian Serie A club Juventus for $140 million in July 2018 and was named the league’s MVP in May 2019 for leading his club to its eighth Serie A title.
Then in August 2021, Ronaldo announced that he would return to Manchester United, surprising many fans. Ronaldo stated that he did not want to play for the Italian club and felt more compelled to play for Manchester United.
Ronaldo went through many great feats throughout his soccer career. He won many games, became known worldwide, and became a phenomenal soccer player. Fans never know what he might do next, whether breaking another record like being the first to play 200 international games or showing off amazing skills. Fans always look forward to what Ronaldo does next!
Sources:
https://www.biography.com/athletes/cristiano-ronaldo