Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest—and most famous—soccer players of all time.
Cristiano Ronaldo has left a legacy on soccer like few—if any—players in the history of the beautiful game. The greatest goalscorer the sport has ever seen, Ronaldo has dazzled fans everywhere he has played, from his native Portugal to England, Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia, breaking records and collecting trophies at an astonishing rate.
Off the field, he is just as recognizable. A global superstar and business mogul, Ronaldo’s life has been under the spotlight ever since he burst onto the scene as a teenager, with his name and influence remaining impossible to ignore for more than two decades.takes a look at 25 fascinating facts about Ronaldo, including his records, achievements and some lesser-known details about his life away fromCristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on Feb. 5, 1985, in the São Pedro district of Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
Sporting CP signed Ronaldo from Nacional’s youth setup in 1997 for a fee of around $2,000 when he was just 12 years old. Ronaldo was expelled from school at the age of 14 after reportedly throwing a chair at a teacher who had mocked both him and his family’s financial struggles. As a teenager, Ronaldo was diagnosed with tachycardia—a heart condition that could have ended his soccer career prematurely had he not undergone corrective surgery.
The FIFA Puskás Award was introduced in 2009, with Ronaldo becoming the very first winner thanks to his stunning long-range strike for Manchester United against Porto. Ronaldo became the most expensive player in soccer history in 2009 when Real Madrid signed him from Manchester United for around $130 million, although the record was later broken by Gareth Bale, Paul Pogba and Neymar.
Ronaldo helped fire Portugal to the first major trophies in the nation’s history, playing a key role in their triumphs at Euro 2016 as well as the 2019 and 2025 UEFA Nations League titles. Ronaldo’s father, José, died in September 2005 at the age of 52 from a liver condition linked to alcoholism. Ronaldo, who was just 20 at the time, has since famously avoided alcohol himself.
Ronaldo owns his own hotel in Funchal, Madeira, with the venue located alongside a museum dedicated to his life and legendary career. Madeira’s main airport was officially renamed Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport in honor of the Portuguese icon and his achievements in soccer. Ronaldo’s middle name, “Ronaldo,” was chosen because his father was a huge admirer of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan. His famous “Siuuu!
” celebration actually happened by accident. After scoring against Chelsea in 2013, Ronaldo instinctively jumped into the air and shouted the phrase—Spanish slang for “yes! ”—with the celebration quickly becoming one of the most iconic in sports. Ronaldo is the highest goalscorer in the history of both men’s international soccer and the sport overall at senior level.
Across his career, Ronaldo has won 34 major trophies, including five UEFA Champions League titles and the UEFA European Championship with Portugal. Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider. Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.
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