Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro,[2] OIH (born 5 February 1985),[3] known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Real Madrid and captains the Portugal national team. He became the most expensive footballer in history when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 in a transfer worth £80 million (€94 million/$132 million). Ronaldo's contract with Real Madrid, under the terms of which he is paid €21 million per year (after taxes), makes him the highest-paid footballer in the world, and his buyout clause is valued at €1 billion as per his contract. He is regarded by some in the sport to be currently the best player in the world.[4][5][6][7][8]
Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for 2 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 £12.2 million (€15 million) in 2003. In 2004, Ronaldo won his first club honour, the FA Cup.
In 2007, Ronaldo was the first player in England to win all 4 main PFA and FWA awards. In 2008 and 2013, he won the FIFA/Ballon d'Or award for the best footballer in the world, the first Portuguese player to win the award twice.[9][10] He was awarded the European Golden Shoe in 2008, 2011 and 2014. In 2008, he won 3 of the 4 main PFA and FWA trophies and was named the FIFA World Player of the Year, FIFPro Player of the Year, World Soccer Player of the Year, and the Onze d'Or.[11][12][13] In 2007 and 2008, Ronaldo was named FWA Footballer of the Year. He was the inaugural winner of the FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year in 2009. In a 2014 UEFA poll, Ronaldo was named the greatest goalscorer to play in the UEFA Champions League.[14] He is the competition's second top goalscorer of all time with 68 goals, only trailing Raúl with three more.
Ronaldo is the first top European league player to reach 40 goals in a single season in two consecutive years, fastest Real Madrid player to reach 100 league goals, and the first player to score against every team in a single season in La Liga.[15] He holds the record for most goals scored in a season for Real Madrid. In January 2014, Ronaldo scored his 400th career goal.[16] After spending his first year at Madrid wearing the number 9 shirt, he began wearing the number 7 again following the departure of long-serving striker Raúl. Ronaldo had previously worn the number 7 shirt at Manchester United.
Ronaldo is a Portuguese international and made his debut in August 2003. He has been capped over 100 times and is Portugal's top goalscorer of all time. With Portugal he has participated in 5 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 Euro 2004 against Greece, in addition to helping Portugal reach the final. He took over captaincy in July 2008 and captained them to the Euro 2012 semi-finals finishing the competition as joint-top scorer.
Personal information
Full name Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Date of birth 5 February 1985 (age 29)
Place of birth Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current club Real Madrid
Number 7
Youth career
1993–1995 Andorinha
1995–1997 Nacional
1997–2002 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2002–2003 Sporting CP 25 (3)
2003–2009 Manchester United 196 (84)
2009– Real Madrid 165 (177)
National team‡
2001 Portugal U15 9 (7)
2001–2002 Portugal U17 7 (5)
2003 Portugal U20 5 (1)
2002–2003 Portugal U21 10 (3)
2004 Portugal U23 3 (2)
2003– Portugal 110 (49)
Honours[show]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:01, 7 May 2014 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 March 2014 (UTC)
Honours
Ronaldo with Lionel Messi before an international friendly between Portugal and Argentina in Geneva, Switzerland, on 9 February 2011.
Club
Manchester United
Premier League (3): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
FA Cup (1): 2003–04; Runner-up (2): 2004–05, 2006–07
Football League Cup (2): 2005–06, 2008–09
FA Community Shield (1): 2007
UEFA Champions League (1): 2007–08; Runner-up (1): 2008–09
FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008
Real Madrid
La Liga (1): 2011–12
Copa del Rey (2): 2010–11, 2013–14; Runner-up (1): 2012–13
Supercopa de España (1): 2012; Runner up (1): 2011
UEFA Champions League (1): 2013–14
International
Portugal
UEFA European Championship:
Runner-up (1): 2004
Bronze (1): 2012
Individual
UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament (2): 2004, 2012
Bravo Award (1): 2004
UEFA Team of the Year (8): 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year (3): 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08
FIFPro Young Player Fan Award (2): 2005,[367] 2006[368]
PFA Premier League Team of the Year (4): 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
PFA Young Player of the Year (1): 2006–07
PFA Players' Player of the Year (2): 2006–07, 2007–08
PFA Fans' Player of the Year (2): 2006–07, 2007–08
FWA Footballer of the Year (2): 2006–07, 2007–08
Barclays Player of the Year (2): 2006–07, 2007–08
Premier League Player of the Month (4): November 2006, December 2006, January 2008, March 2008
ESM Team of the Year (5): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
Premier League Golden Boot (1): 2007–08
European Golden Shoe (3): 2007–08, 2010–11, 2013–14
FIFA FIFPro World XI (7): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
UEFA Champions League top scorer (3): 2007–08, 2012–13, 2013–14
UEFA Club Forward of the Year (1): 2007–08
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1): 2007–08
FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball (1): 2008
Ballon d'Or (1): 2008
FIFPro World Player of the Year (1): 2008
FIFA World Player of the Year (1): 2008
Onze d'Or (2): 2008, 2013
World Soccer Player of the Year (2): 2008, 2013
FIFA Puskás Award (1): 2009
La Liga top scorer (2): 2010–11, 2013–14
Copa del Rey top goalscorer (1): 2010–11
Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano (2): 2011–12, 2012–13
UEFA Euro Top scorer (1): 2012
La Liga Player of the Month (1): November 2013
LFP Most Valuable Player (1): 2012–13
IFFHS World's Best Top Goal Scorer: 2013[369]
FIFA Ballon d'Or (1): 2013
Orders
PRT Order of Prince Henry - Officer BAR.png Officer of the Order of Prince Henry[370]
PRT Ordem de Nossa Senhora da Conceicao de Vila Vicosa Cavaleiro ribbon.svg Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Bragança)[371]
PRT Order of Prince Henry - Grand Officer BAR.png Grand officer of the Order of Prince Henry[372]
Records
(As of 28 April 2014)
World
The most expensive footballer in history[373]
Most international goals in a year (club and national team): 25 goals (shared with Lionel Messi and Vivian Woodward)
Europe
Only footballer to have won the European Golden Shoe in two different leagues: English Premier League and Spanish La Liga
Most goals scored in a UEFA Champions League/European Cup season: 17 goals
Most consecutive UEFA Champions League matches scored in: 8 matches
Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League group stage: 9 goals[175]
Most UEFA Champions League goals scored in a calendar year: 15 goals in 2013[374]
First footballer to ever score more than 10 goals in three consecutive UEFA Champions League seasons[375]
First footballer in the history of the European Cup to score for two different winning teams[376]
England
The highest number of goals scored to win the Premier League Golden Boot for a 38-game season: 31 goals (shared with Alan Shearer and Luis Suárez)
Spain
First footballer ever to score against every team in a single season in La Liga
First footballer to ever score more than 25 goals in five consecutive La Liga seasons[377]
Fastest La Liga player to score 150 league goals[378]
Most consecutive Clásicos matches scored in: 6 matches[379]
Portugal
Portugal all-time top scorer: 49 goals
Portugal all-time top scorer in UEFA European Championship matches: 6 goals (shared with Nuno Gomes)
Most matches played in UEFA European Championship finals: 14 matches (shared with Luís Figo and Nuno Gomes)
Most matches played in FIFA World Cup finals: 11 matches (shared with Simão Sabrosa)
Youngest player to reach 100 caps: 27 years, 8 months and 11 days
Real Madrid
Most goals scored in a season in all competitions: 60 goals
Most goals scored in a single La Liga season: 46 goals
Most goals scored in a single UEFA Champions League season: 17 goals
Most hat-tricks in a single season: 7 hat-tricks
Fastest player to reach 50 league goals[380]
Fastest player to reach 100 league goals[381]
Fastest player to reach 150 league goals
Fastest player to reach 200 official goals[382]
Fastest player to reach 250 official goals