He made his professional debut at 17 with Portugal's national team against Kazakhstan.
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"I'm living a dream I never want to wake up from." This quote by Cristiano Ronaldo explains how the legendary soccer star has become a favourite both on and off the field.
Ronaldomania is not limited to Portugal or Spain or Italy, Ronaldo enjoys celebrity status across the globe. Each time you see him play, you are sure to be in for a treat. The man hardly-ever disappoints his zillions of fans.
He's got a fan following not only because of his antics on the field but also because he has a heart of gold. The footballer is well-known for his acts of generosity and kindness.
Ronaldo has a record-tying five Ballon d'Or awards, the most for a European player, and is the first player to win four European Golden Shoes. He was born in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal on February 5, 1983.
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Juventus' forward and former Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo arrives with his Spanish girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez to attend a court hearing for tax evasion in Madrid.
With 535 club appearances, over 690 career goals, 26 trophies, 5 UCL titles and 1 European Championship to his credit, here are some interesting facts about the soccer icon as he turns 33 today:
- The footballer's birth name is Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro. He became Ronaldo because American President Ronald Reagan was his father's favourite.
- Ronaldo's bright career could have been a dream because at the age of 15 he was diagnosed with a medical condition referred to as the 'racing heart'. Owing to this, he could have had to give up playing completely. However, he underwent a surgery immediately, following which he resumed training jut a few days later. He then, began his senior club career playing for Sporting CP, before signing with Manchester United at 18 in 2003.
- Manchester United paid £12 million to sign him in 2003, which was a record fee for a player of his age.
- Ronaldo was given the coveted No 7 shirt by Sir Alex Ferguson. He was being handed down the legacy of some famous N0 7 t-shirt bearers like, Davind Beckham, Eric Cantona. Although he was just 18, his confidence was remarkable and he made a smashing debut, taking the world by storm.
- The Portugese soccer star has a bronze bust dedicated to him in Portugal, waxwork at Madame Tussauds London, a museum named Museu CR7 in his hometown Funchal, Portugal, and an autobiography, titled 'Moments' which was published in December 2007.
- The 5-time Ballon d'Or winner is quite literally a force to reckon with. A team of sports scientists, analysed some of his attributes which were forensically analysed and came up with some rather, shocking numbers. He has 3% less body fat than a supermodel, thigh circumference of 61.7cm. He can run 25m in 3.61 seconds – just 0.3 seconds slower than a professional sprinter. Ronaldo has the ability to climb really high in the air. With the muscles in his legs that are so well developed and maintained – Ronaldo jumped 78cm, higher than an average NBA player (71cm). The force he uses to push off is almost 5g – similar to what an astronaut experiences during take-off.
- It may come as a surprise, but unlike most of his contemporaries who have tattoos, Ronaldo doesn't have any on his body and does not intend to get any either. The reason being that the soccer star is a devout blood donor. And, as a guideline from the Red Cross, those who get a tattoo cannot donate blood for at least four months.
- Creating records is something that the Portugese star is well known for. He became the first player to score 100 goals in the Champions League.
We wish Ronaldo a very happy birthday and hope that he continues to create staggering records.
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