15 Astounding Facts About Cristiano Ronaldo You Need to Know

Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the best footballers of all time, and a global icon of the sport. The Portuguese superstar has won countless trophies, awards, and accolades throughout his illustrious career, and has broken many records along the way. He is also a successful entrepreneur, a philanthropist, and a fashion icon, with a huge fan base and social media following.

But how much do you really know about Cristiano Ronaldo?

Here are 15 astounding facts about Cristiano Ronaldo that you may not know, or have forgotten, about the legend.

1. He was named after Ronald Reagan. Ronaldo’s full name is Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, and he was named after the former US president and actor Ronald Reagan, who was his father’s favorite. Ronaldo’s father, Dinis, was a gardener and a war veteran who died in 2005 from liver failure due to alcoholism.

2. He was expelled from school at the age of 14. Ronaldo was not a good student, and he often skipped classes to play football. He also had a rebellious streak, and once threw a chair at his teacher who he felt disrespected him. He was expelled from school, and his mother, Dolores, decided to let him focus on his football career instead.

3. He was diagnosed with a racing heart at the age of 15. Ronaldo had a condition called tachycardia, which means his heart rate was too high. He had to undergo a laser surgery to correct the problem, which could have ended his football career. Fortunately, the surgery was successful, and Ronaldo recovered quickly.

4. He was discovered by Manchester United in a friendly match. Ronaldo started his professional career at Sporting Lisbon, his boyhood club. In 2003, he played in a friendly match against Manchester United, and impressed the legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the United players with his skills and speed. Ferguson decided to sign him for £12.24 million, making him the most expensive teenager in English football history at the time.

5. He wore the number 7 shirt at Manchester United. Ronaldo initially wanted to wear the number 28 shirt at Manchester United, which was his number at Sporting Lisbon. However, Ferguson gave him the number 7 shirt, which had been worn by club legends such as George Best, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. Ronaldo accepted the challenge, and made the number 7 his own, becoming one of the best players in the world.

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6. He won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008. Ronaldo had a phenomenal season in 2007-08, scoring 42 goals in all competitions and helping Manchester United win the Premier League and the Champions League. He was awarded the Ballon d’Or, the most prestigious individual award in football, becoming the first United player since George Best in 1968 to win it. He also won the FIFA World Player of the Year, the European Golden Shoe, and the Premier League Player of the Season awards.

7. He became the most expensive player in the world in 2009. Ronaldo had always dreamed of playing for Real Madrid, and in 2009, his dream came true. He moved to the Spanish giants for a world record fee of £80 million, which was more than double the previous record. He signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid, and was given the number 9 shirt, which he later changed to number 7.

8. He scored more than 50 goals in six consecutive seasons at Real Madrid. Ronaldo was unstoppable at Real Madrid, scoring goals for fun and breaking records left and right. He became the first player in history to score more than 50 goals in six consecutive seasons, from 2010-11 to 2015-16. He also became the all-time top scorer of Real Madrid, the Champions League, the European Championship, and the Club World Cup.

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9. He won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid. Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win four Champions League titles in five years, from 2013-14 to 2017-18. He was the top scorer in each of those campaigns, and scored some memorable goals, such as his bicycle kick against Juventus in 2018. He also won three Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey titles, and two Spanish Super Cups with Real Madrid.

10. He won his fifth Ballon d’Or in 2017. Ronaldo had a fierce rivalry with Lionel Messi, who also won five Ballon d’Or awards. The two players dominated the football world for more than a decade, and were often compared and contrasted. Ronaldo won his fifth Ballon d’Or in 2017, after leading Real Madrid to a historic double of La Liga and Champions League. He also won the FIFA Best Men’s Player, the European Golden Shoe, and the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year awards.

11. He joined Juventus in 2018. Ronaldo shocked the world when he decided to leave Real Madrid and join Juventus, the Italian champions, in 2018. He signed a four-year contract with Juventus for €100 million, making him the most expensive player over 30 years old. He said he wanted a new challenge, and to prove himself in a different league.

12. He became the first player to score in 10 consecutive international tournaments. Ronaldo is the captain and the all-time top scorer of Portugal, his national team. He has represented Portugal in five European Championships and four World Cups and has scored in every one of them. He became the first player to score in 10 consecutive international tournaments, when he scored a hat-trick against Spain in the 2018 World Cup. He also led Portugal to their first major trophy, the Euro 2016, where he scored three goals and assisted three more.

13. He is the highest active goal scorer in the world. Ronaldo has scored 807 goals in his career, making him the highest active goal scorer in the world, and the second highest of all time, behind Josef Bican, who scored 805 goals. He has scored 674 goals for his clubs, and 133 goals for his country. He has also scored more than 50 goals in 11 consecutive seasons, from 2009-10 to 2019-20.

14. He is the most followed person on Instagram. Ronaldo is not only a football star, but also a social media star. He is the most followed person on Instagram, with 446 million followers. He is also the most followed athlete on Facebook, with 148 million followers, and on Twitter, with 94 million followers. He earns millions of dollars from his social media posts, and has endorsement deals with brands such as Nike, Herbalife, Clear, and CR7.

15. He is a philanthropist and a humanitarian. Ronaldo is not only a great footballer, but also a great person. He is a philanthropist and a humanitarian, who supports various causes and charities. He has donated millions of dollars to help victims of natural disasters, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and the 2015 Nepal earthquake. He has also supported organizations that fight against poverty, hunger, AIDS, cancer, and child abuse. He has been named as one of the most charitable athletes in the world by various media outlets.