Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, nicknamed CR7, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team. He was born on 5 February 1985 in Funchal, Madeira, and is the fourth and youngest child of Maria Dolores and Josรฉ Dinis Aveiro.
โฝ Early Life and Youth Career
Ronaldo began his career with Andorinha from 1992 to 1995, where his father was the kit man. He later spent two years with Nacional before joining Sporting CPโs youth system in 1997 at age 12.
At age 14, he ceased his education to focus entirely on football. He was diagnosed with tachycardia and underwent cardiac ablation surgery, resuming training a few days later.
๐๏ธ Club Career Overview
Ronaldo signed with Manchester United in 2003 for ยฃ12 million, an England record for a teenager. He won three consecutive Premier League titles, the Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup with United.
In 2009, he joined Real Madrid in a then-record โฌ94 million transfer, helping them win four Champions Leagues between 2014 and 2018. He signed for Juventus in 2018 for a league record โฌ100 million, winning two Serie A titles.
He returned to Manchester United in 2021 but had his contract terminated in 2022. Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in 2023, leading them to the Saudi Pro League title in 2026.
๐ต๐น International Career
Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal in 2003 at age 18 and has earned more than 200 caps. He scored his first international goal in Euro 2004 and assumed the captaincy ahead of Euro 2008.
He led Portugal to their first major tournament title at Euro 2016. He has won two UEFA Nations Leagues, in 2019 and 2025, finishing as top scorer in both tournaments.
๐ Key Records and Achievements
| Category | Record | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Champions League | Most goals (140) and assists (42) | All-time top scorer |
| European Championship | Most goals (14) and assists (8) | Top scorer in Euro 2020 |
| International | Most caps (229), goals (143), victories (139) | Most-capped male player |
| Individual Awards | 5 Ballons d’Or, 3 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year | 4 European Golden Shoes |