Recently, when Portugal’s football team won the UEFA Nations League, star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was seen in tears. In the final against Spain, Ronaldo scored a goal to level the match 2-2 and later watched as his team, under his captaincy, won the match 5-3 in the penalty shootout. For 40-year-old Ronaldo, the UEFA Nations League proved to be memorable. During this tournament, he led Portugal to its first victory against Germany in 25 years and scored the decisive goal in the semi-final to secure a 2-1 win for his team.

The final of the UEFA Nations League marked Ronaldo’s 221st appearance for his country. The goal he scored to equalize the match was his 138th international goal for Portugal – a record that no other player has matched for their national team. Undoubtedly, Cristiano Ronaldo is a legendary footballer. Let’s take a look at his incredible journey in the world of football.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a living example of how hard work, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of one's goals can lead to success. He was born on February 5, 1985, into a poor family in a modest neighborhood of Funchal, Portugal. His parents named him "Ronaldo" after then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Ronaldo’s father was a gardener, and his mother worked as a cook. His father also worked part-time as a kit man for the local football club Andorinha. Ronaldo began playing and learning football at the age of seven at the same club. Even as a child, he had made up his mind to conquer the goalpost one day.

In 1997, 12-year-old Ronaldo gave a trial for the Sporting Lisbon club, which signed him for €1,500 after witnessing his talent – a major breakthrough in his career. Ronaldo was never particularly interested in studies because his only true passion was football. He asked his mother for permission to leave school and play semi-professional football. Being the youngest of four siblings, he was the most pampered and was allowed to follow his dream.

However, at age 14, while playing football, Ronaldo fell ill. Doctors diagnosed him with a heart condition and warned he might never play football again. Fortunately, he underwent successful laser surgery and resumed football practice just days later. Sporting Lisbon manager László Bölöni, impressed by Ronaldo’s potential, gave him the chance to play for the club’s B team and eventually the first team.

In October 2002, Ronaldo made his professional debut in Portugal’s Premier League and scored a hat-trick in his very first match. The following year, while playing for Sporting Lisbon, he led his team to a two-goal victory against England’s Manchester United. Impressed by his performance, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson quickly moved to sign him. In 2003, at age 18, Ronaldo was transferred to Manchester United for $14 million, making him the most expensive teenage player in British football history at the time and the first Portuguese player in the club.

Manchester United gave him the iconic number 7 jersey, previously worn by legends like David Beckham, Eric Cantona, and George Best. Ronaldo’s performance at the club kept improving. From 2003 to 2009, he played 292 matches for Manchester United and scored 118 goals.

In 2009, Ronaldo bid farewell to Manchester United. Spanish club Real Madrid paid £80 million in transfer fees to acquire him – setting a world record at the time. In August 2009, he made his debut in Spain’s prestigious La Liga. Ronaldo quickly established himself as a dominant force, helping Real Madrid reach the La Liga final eight times over nine years and win the title twice.

In 2014, Ronaldo became the fastest player in La Liga history to score 200 goals, achieving the milestone in just 178 matches. Between 2009 and 2018, he played 438 matches for Real Madrid and scored 450 goals. In 2018, Ronaldo joined Juventus for €100 million – the highest transfer fee ever paid for a player over the age of 30 and the biggest deal ever by an Italian club. While Ronaldo initially cited the search for new challenges as the reason for leaving Real Madrid, he later revealed that the lack of support from club president Florentino Pérez influenced his decision.

On December 30, 2022, Saudi club Al Nassr signed Ronaldo in a historic deal that made him the highest-paid footballer ever. Under this contract, valid until 2025, Ronaldo earns €200 million per year, including a guaranteed salary of €90 million and additional income from sponsorships and endorsements. His contract with Al Nassr ends on June 30, 2025, but after winning the UEFA Nations League final, Ronaldo hinted he would stay with the club, though no new contract details have emerged as of this writing.

Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most appearances and most goals for Portugal’s national team. Throughout his professional career, he has earned numerous accolades: five Ballon d’Or awards, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year awards, four European Golden Shoes, and five FIFA Best Player titles. He has won 34 trophies, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions League trophies, and one UEFA European Championship.

Ronaldo holds numerous records, including the most goals (140) and assists (42) in the Champions League, the most goals (14) and assists (8) in the European Championship, and is one of the few players to have played over 1,200 professional matches – more than any outfield player in history. With over 900 career goals for club and country, Ronaldo is football’s all-time top scorer. He also ranks second in La Liga history for most hat-tricks, having achieved 34.

One of the world’s most marketable and popular athletes, Ronaldo was ranked by Forbes as the highest-paid athlete in 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024, and 2025. ESPN named him the world’s most famous athlete from 2016 to 2019, while Time magazine included him in its list of the 100 most influential people in 2014. Ronaldo is also the most followed athlete on social media, with a combined following of over one billion across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram – making him the first person to cross that milestone. On Instagram, he is the most followed athlete in the world.

In 2020, Ronaldo was named to the Ballon d’Or Dream Team and became the first footballer (and third athlete) to earn over a billion U.S. dollars. In recognition of his historic goal-scoring feats, FIFA honored him with a special "Outstanding Career Achievement" award in 2021, while UEFA named him the "All-Time Top Scorer" of the Champions League in 2024.

In his personal life, Ronaldo has often been linked with various celebrities. In 2010, one of his girlfriends gave birth to his son, but Ronaldo has never publicly revealed the mother’s identity. From 2010 to 2015, he was romantically involved with Russian model Irina Shayk. In November 2016, Ronaldo introduced Spanish model Georgina Rodríguez as his new partner. Together, they have four more children through surrogacy, although the couple has not married.