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 or $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.
The powerful Real Madrid forward scooped the Ballon d'Or and helped Real Madrid win a 10th European Cup this year. The Portuguese superstar can complete a spectacular year by finally shining at a FIFA World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Known as: Cristiano Ronaldo
Surname: Dos Santos Aveiro
First name: Cristiano Ronaldo
Country: Portugal
Date of birth: 1985-02-05
Birthplace: Funchal
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 84.0 kg
Playing Career
Position: Midfielder
Clubs: Nacional Madeira (1995-1997), Sporting Lisbon B (1997-2002), Sporting Lisbon (2002-2003), Manchester United (Eng/2003-2009), Real Madrid (Spain: since 2009)
International appearances: 110
International goals: 49
International debut: 20/08/2003, Portugal-Kazakhstan (1-0)
Last international appearance: 05/03/2014, Portugal-Cameroon (5-1)
Playing Honours
International
World Cup: 4th (2006), second round (2010), 10 matches, 2 goals
European Championships: finalist (2004), semifinal (2012), quarter-finalist (2008), 14 matches, 6 goals
Club
2 Champions League (2008, 2014), finalist (2009)
1 Club World Cup (2008)
1 Portuguese Supercup (2002)
3 English Championships (2007, 2008, 2009)
1 English FA Cup (2004)
2 English League Cups (2006, 2009)
2 Community Shields (2007, 2008)
1 Spanish Championship (2012)
2 Spanish Cup (2011, 2014)
1 Spanish Supercup (2012)
Other Honours
Ballon d'Or (European Footballer of the Year - 2008, 2013)
FIFA World Player of the Year (2008)
Top European Goal Scorer (2008, 2011)
Top scorer in the English Premiership with 31 goals (2008)
Top scorer in the Champions League with 12 goals (2013)
The real deal
Cristiano Ronaldo is to Portugal what Eusebio or Luis Figo had been in their day, and it was his memorable hat-trick that sent them to Brazil after a tricky play-off against Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Sweden, won 4-3 over two legs. The performance tipped the balance of the 2013 Ballon d'Or vote to seal his second such award as a reward for a relentless shower of goals for Real Madrid, including 17 in 11 Champions League games as Madrid won the European Cup in 2014. He had moved to Spain in a 94 million euros megadeal after winning his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 with Manchester United. He scored 42 goals in 49 games during their all-conquerring 2007-08 season when they won the Premier League and the Champions League.