8 Mind-Blowing Facts About Cristiano Ronaldo That You Didn’t Know
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, or Cristiano Ronaldo as we all know him, has been one of the best football players in the world for quite some time now. In case you didn’t know it yet, here are 8 mind-blowing facts about him that you may not have known.
1) He has a great sense of humour
Ronaldo is a man of many talents, but his wit and charm often go unnoticed. Here are some facts about the Manchester United star that you may not have heard before:
I am handsome, but I don’t think I am out of this world.
I have a great sense of humour. Sometimes people don’t understand me because they don’t get my sense of humour, but it doesn’t bother me.
Many people think that footballers all live in mansions and drive supercars, but we are ordinary people with everyday lives.
2) His favourite football position is left-wing
Ronaldo’s favourite football position is left wing. He has played as a striker, attacking midfielder and winger throughout his career, but he prefers to play on the left side of the pitch. His most successful seasons have come in a left-winger role for Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Ronaldo made his international debut as a left winger in August 2003 but has since become Portugal’s central striker. In 2009, FIFA listed him as one of their 125 greatest living players. Ronaldo won his first significant international honour when Portugal won Euro 2016, defeating host France 1–0 after extra time. He was named player of the tournament and awarded man of the match in three games. He holds many records in football, including the most goals scored in UEFA Champions League (126) and Real Madrid history, including the most league goals scored in a season (31) and most hat-tricks scored (17). Many sports journalists, former and current players have ranked him as one of the best.
3) He’s good friends with Lionel Messi
Cristiano’s relationship with Messi is one of the fascinating relationships in sports. The two soccer stars have never played against each other, and they’ve been on good terms for years. I know him well, Messi said of Ronaldo. He’s a great guy, a good friend. It shows that you don’t need to be an adversary to be successful—and sometimes, the best friendships are forged in competition.
The friendship between Ronaldo and Messi started early. They’ve been playing soccer together since they were 12 years old, and when they were 14, they both shared a dream of winning a World Cup with Portugal. When Portugal lost to Argentina in 2006, ending their chances at making it to that year’s World Cup, Messi comforted Ronaldo with a hug. It just shows that you don’t need to be an adversary to be successful – and sometimes, some of your best friendships are forged in competition.
4) He loves animals and nature
Cristiano loves animals and nature, so he has two dogs, a cat and a white horse. He adopted his first dog, a boxer named Figo, in 2009. When that dog died in 2014, he adopted another boxer with the same name. His second dog is a Pomeranian named Ciro, who was rescued from an abusive home when it was just four weeks old. Cristiano also has three horses which live on his family’s ranch outside of Lisbon. They are called Lucky, Rosie, and Pipa.
5) He doesn’t have an entourage
Ronaldo is the ultimate self-made man. Despite his fame and fortune, he travels to and from matches alone. He doesn’t have an entourage like other soccer stars do, but he does have someone who does his hair for him. His favourite drink is red wine, but he prefers white wine when eating out with friends. He also gets a lot of requests for autographs from kids at games and events, which he says makes him feel happy.
6) Children love him
He has his own kids’ clothing line. He is friends with Lionel Messi, who is like his brother. His favourite song is ‘Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. He has a pet dog named Atom. And he loves to eat Nutella pancakes for breakfast!
Who is he? If you don’t follow soccer (or football, as they call it in other parts of the world) or haven’t heard of him, you are missing out on one of the sports’ biggest celebrities. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a Portuguese professional footballer for Real Madrid and Portugal National Team.
Love Family: He loves his family more than anything else. His sister is his best friend, and she was one of his first coaches. My sister loved me so much that she didn’t care if I had talent or not, said Ronaldo.
7) Manchester United scouted him at the age of 15
Ronaldo has always been a hardworking, ambitious man. When he was 16 years old, he had to leave home due to poverty. He moved to Lisbon and lived with his sister and her husband for a few months before moving in with his mother, who had since relocated there. He started playing soccer at the youth level of Benfica, one of Portugal’s most prestigious soccer clubs.
8) He had to leave home when he was 12 due to poverty
Cristiano Ronaldo may be one of the most famous soccer players in the world, but he had to leave home when he was 12 due to poverty. As a teenager, he lived with his mother’s friend and her family, who would go on to sponsor his youth club membership. On the 12th of August, 2003, Ronald had a fortunate opportunity to make a chance to play in front of Manchester United. On that day, Sporting Lisbon and Manchester United played a pre-season match, and László Bölöni selected Ronaldo. While Ronaldo would have played for Sporting at no cost, he wanted to honour the agreement, so instead of playing for them, Manchester United offered him a fantastic contract worth £17k per year and agreed to pay for his education. He does not drink alcohol: Drinking is not uncommon among professional athletes – think about all those beer commercials – but it turns out that Cristiano Ronaldo does not drink alcohol at all. Many people around him speculate that this is because, as a child, he saw what alcoholism did to his father while growing up in Portugal. He takes care of himself: If you want evidence that Cristiano takes care of himself, look no further than how much time he spends working out each day – three hours!
Conclusion
Cristiano Ronaldo is a man of many talents. He’s a soccer player, ambassador, and, most importantly, one of the world’s most humble and hardworking athletes. His success story inspires all who are looking for motivation to pursue their dreams.