The five-fold Ballon d’Or could still surprise the world of football, with a coup de grace on the Champions League pitch…
What if the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career wasn’t limited to a few performances or gala matches for Saudi princes? The Portuguese legend, five-time Ballon d’Or winner and one of the most spectacular talents of any era in his sport, could surprise the world of football before hanging up his boots. The signing of CR7 in the Saudi club Al Nassr has already surprised football fans, rather saddened by the choice of the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star to leave the European fields for a fabulous contract. But that could all change quickly…
According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, a quality and highly informed sports newspaper, Cristiano Ronaldo has included a specific clause in his contract that could allow him to offer himself a new return to the European continent, to a Premier League club, to Newcastle. Why ? Because this English club, which has been multiplying good performances for some years, is owned by the public investment fund of Saudi Arabia, that is, by the owners of Cristiano Ronaldo’s current club. The Portuguese could end his engagement at the modest Al Nassr club in one particular case, as specified in his employment contract: in the event that Newcastle qualify for the next Champions League. The scenario holds up: the club is currently 3rd in the English league and is aiming for a qualifying place in the prestigious competition (obtained by the top 4 in the final standings). And above all, the Saudi ownership would have achieved both the greedy coup of taking him to play in the Gulf and that of bringing Newcastle into a new sporting dimension. For now, Cristiano Ronaldo will collect the millions: his salary at Al Nassr is estimated at 200 million euros in two and a half years.
Learn more
Brief biography of Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, better known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is one of the most gifted footballers of his generation. It was at the age of 12 that young Cristiano Ronaldo left his home island of Madeira where he grew up to join the benches at Sporting Portugal’s training centre. Soon, the outstanding performance of the sportsman interested the English club Manchester United who recruited him in 2003. The 2007-2008 season revealed his talent to the whole world and allowed him to hang both the English championship and the trophy of the Champions League. the record of him still nascent.
In 2009, the Real Madrid club managed to bring the footballer to Spanish soil. The financial operation then concluded for the transfer of the player ranks among the most expensive in the history of football with compensation of 94 million euros paid to the British club. Apparently the Madrid club was right to make this bet as Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the star of the club year after year. With Real he played 438 games for 450 goals and won 16 titles in nine seasons, including four in the Champions League. Cristiano Ronaldo will then go to Juventus in Turin in 2018 for another huge sum (100 million euros) and to give new life to his career (two victories
in the league, an Italian Cup and two Super Cups but no European forays), then, after three seasons (134 games and 101 goals) in 2021 he will find Manchester United again. He is also the captain of the Portuguese national team.
A hard worker and a great competitor, the footballer has forged an extraordinary physique that has earned him the title of sexiest player of the year several times. It is also thanks to this image that he has been offered several important advertising contracts. On the private side, Cristiano Ronaldo is the happy father of five children, the last of which is a girl born on April 18, 2022. After having chained the conquests, the player has been officially engaged since 2017 with the Spanish model Georgina Rodriguez. .
Crowned Ballon d’Or in 2008, 2013 and 2014, 2016 and 2017, the striker managed to hoist Portugal to the Euro 2016 final, during which they beat France. After winning his fifth Champions League, Ronaldo left Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 to join Juventus Turin for €105m. He won Serie A and became the first player in history to win national championships in England, Spain and Italy. The player won the Supercoppa Italiana in 2019 against AC Milan and became the Italian champion shortly after. In May 2021 he scored his 100th goal with the Turin shirt.
From 2003 to today he has made more than 170 national selections for a total of 115 goals scored. He revealed himself to the fans and the general public on the occasion of Euro 2004, as well as at the Athens Olympics of the same year. Also in the Seleção, Cristiano Ronaldo confirms his talent and his performances with the 2006 and 2010 editions of the world Cup, as well as Euro 2008. He became captain of the Portuguese team in 2007. Crowned Ballon d’Or in 2008, 2013 and 2014, 2016 and 2017, the striker managed to lead Portugal to the Euro 2016 final, during which he beat France. The player still made headlines during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, during which he scored 4 goals in one match against Andorra. Soon after, he became the national team’s all-time top scorer, ahead of Iran’s Ali Daei.
Returning to Manchester United in 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo has had a complicated start a 2021-2022 season, marked by the difficulties of the Red Devils, sixths from championship English and unable to qualify for the Champions League.
The Portuguese has one of the best records in world football. Since turning professional, Cristiano Ronaldo has won 5 Champions Leagues, 6 national league titles, but also Euro 2016 with Portugal. All of his performances have earned him five Ballon d’Ors, the last one obtained in 2017.
His collective record also includes 3 Premier League titles, 2 La Liga titles and 2 Serie A wins, with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus FC respectively. Note that Cristiano Ronaldo is the only Real Madrid player to have scored more than 60 goals in a single season (2014-2015). He is also the club’s top scorer with 216 goals to his name. In the top European league he was offered the title of top scorer with 400 goals scored. This also applies to the UEFA Champions League and his 120 goals.
Over his 20-year career, all of his performances have earned him five Ballon d’Ors, the last one in 2017. Among his personal accolades, Cristiano Ronaldo has also been awarded the title of best player in various competitions and institutions such as FIFA and UEFA. He is the winner of numerous Golden Soccer Awards, Onze d’or, Goal 50 and Fan Best World Awards. Between 2006 and 2012, Portugal awarded him the Portuguese Player of the Year award for 6 consecutive seasons.
We no longer count his nominations and distinctions as top scorer, player of the season and man of the match. For the latter distinction, we can especially mention the 2010 World Cup during matches against the Ivory Coast, Brazil and North Korea. Cristiano Ronaldo also stood out against Russia, New Zealand and Mexico in the 2017 edition of the Confederations Cup. In 2020, his entire career is awarded the Golden Foot. The same year he joined the Ballon d’Or Dream Team in the “Eleven of Internet legends” category. He is also the winner of the Di Stéfano prize. In more than 1,060 matches played, adding up all club and national team selections, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 777 goals. As such, he is one of the most successful players in football history.
On June 6, 2020 Cristiano Ronaldo became the first billionaire footballer in history according to Forbes magazine. By signing with the Saudi club Al Nassr, he must receive an estimated salary of 200 million euros over two and a half years. Cristiano Ronaldo has been the subject of numerous advertising contracts for famous brands. He is also the headliner of many soccer video games, especially for the FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer licenses. The footballer is involved in various humanitarian actions by raising funds or organizing auctions, charity matches. He makes donations to associations and victims of natural disasters. Many monuments and establishments bear his name, such as Madeira’s Cristiano Ronaldo Airport, formerly Santa Catarina Airport. He also created the CR7 shops and opened a museum of the same name, managed by his brother Hugo, where the Portuguese champion exhibits his trophies.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been sharing his life since 2016 with Georgina Rodriguez. Present in Madrid for her professional modeling activity, the young woman met the footballer and made their relationship official in December 2016. A few months later, Georgina announced her pregnancy and gave birth to a daughter named Alana Martina in November 2017 Cristiano Ronaldo also has three other children born to surrogate mothers: Cristiano Jr., Mateo and Eva Maria.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s family is originally from the island of Madeira. During his childhood he experienced poverty, in particular due to a period of unemployment from his father. Football is first and foremost a means of escape before becoming a means of subsistence. He also has a brother named Hugo, as well as two sisters: Elma and Cátia Lilian. His father José Dinis Aveiro died in September 2005.
