The Popularity of Cristiano Ronaldo is well known to everyone. Considered one of the greatest footballers of his era, The Portuguese forward, currently playing for Al Nassr.
Born on February 5th 1985, He began his career with Sporting CP in Portugal. He moved to Manchester United in 2003 and then moved to Real Madrid in 2009. Considered one the best Real Madrid players of all time followed by Ferenc Puskas. Ronaldo equaled Puskas's record of 242 goals in fewer matches. While we all know his greatness on the football field, there are some lesser-known facts about him.
Here are some fun and surprising facts about the legend that will make you wonder about the kind of personality, Ronaldo poses:
1. "Cry-Baby" Ronaldo
Ronaldo was nicknamed “Cry-Baby” as a child. His mother Dolores Aveiro said: “When he got home from school I’d tell him to do homework but he'd say he didn’t have any. I'd be making dinner and he would jump out of the window and run off until late. He used to cry when he passed and his friends didn't score. People called him 'cry-baby' and 'Little Bee' because nobody could catch him."
2) Expelled at 14, Yet a Turning Point
Ronaldo was popular with other students at the school, but he was expelled at the age of 14 after he threw a chair at his teacher. Ronaldo said the reason he did it was that the teacher disrespected him. Despite it being a negative thing, it turned into a great turning point in his life. His mother then encouraged him to focus all his attention on soccer which he did and turned him into an international sensation.
3) Heart Surgery at 15
At the age of 15, Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart, a condition that might have forced him to give up playing football. He had an operation in which a laser was used to cauterize the area of his heart that was causing the problem. The surgery took place in the morning and Ronaldo was discharged from hospital by the end of the afternoon; he resumed training only a few days later.
4) The Start of Greatness
His first professional game for Sporting Lisbon came when he plays in the "Portuguese Super League" match at the age of 17 and that was the start of a journey which will make him one of the greatest players ever.
5) A Record Signing for Manchester United
Manchester United paid £12 million to sign him in 2003-a a record fee for a player of his age.
6) Breaking Records and Winning Awards
In 2008, a year after signing a five-year, £31 million contract, Ronaldo set a franchise record for goals scored (42) and earned himself the FIFA World of the Year honor.
7) Ronaldo in Wax
In June 2010, during the build-up to the World Cup, Ronaldo became the fourth footballer - after Steven Gerrard, Pelé, and David Beckham - to be represented as a waxwork at Madame Tussauds London.
8) A Heart of Gold
He is also philanthropic at heart. In November 2012, Ronaldo sold the golden boot he had won in 2011 for €1.5 million and gave the money to fund schools for children in Gaza. In December 2012, Ronaldo joined FIFA's '11 for Health' program to raise awareness amongst kids of how to steer clear of conditions including drug addiction, HIV, malaria, and obesity.
9) Outrunning a Sprinter
Cristiano Ronaldo is fast, really fast. He recently defeated a Spanish sprinter Angel David Rodriguez in the zigzag spring challenge by half a minute while he narrowly lost against a professional sprinter in the straight line.
10) Ronaldo’s Incredible Jump
When Ronaldo jumps, he generates 5G of G-force on take-off - this is five times the power of a cheetah in full flight. This enables him to reach heights of 44cm in the air from a standing start and 78cm with a run-up - 7cm more than the average NBA player.
11) Sprinting King
Ronaldo will sprint 900 times more in a season than an Olympic sprinter.
12) Body of a Machine
Cristiano Ronaldo's body fat is about 10 percent which makes him the perfect machine for fast sprinting and athletic courses.
13) Free-Kick Power
His free-kick speed is about 13.1 Kmph, which is compared roughly with the speed of a space shuttle while launching.
14) Strength Beyond Compare
Ronaldo lifts around 23,055 kg of weight during a training session, which is a total of 16 Toyota Prius cars. The guy just continues to amaze us.
15) The World’s Highest-Paid Athlete
In May 2024, Forbes ranked Ronaldo first in their list of the world's highest-paid players, with earnings of $73 million in combined income from salaries, bonuses and off-field earnings for the previous 12 months.
16) A Net Worth to Match His Talent
Cristiano Ronaldo Net Worth stands at an astonishing $500 million.
17) All-Time Highest International Goalscorer
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the highest international goals scoring an incredible 132 goals for Portugal. This remarkable feat cements his place as one of the greatest footballers in history.
18) Youtube Record
Cristiano Ronaldo has become a YouTube sensation, reaching 50 million subscribers in under a week—reportedly a platform record. His channel hit 1 million subscribers within 90 minutes of launching on August 21. In his debut video, Ronaldo shared his experience unveiling his wax figure at Madame Tussauds. Two days later, the channel surpassed 30 million subscribers.
19) 1 Billion Social Media Followers
Ronaldo boasts a massive social media presence with 639 million Instagram followers, 170 million on Facebook, 113 million on X (formerly Twitter), and 60.5 million YouTube subscribers.
20) 20 Luxurious Cars
Ronaldo owns 20 luxury cars, including a Bugatti Chiron, Ferrari 599 GTO, and Rolls-Royce Phantom.
