Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning transformation over the years

It's hard to imagine Cristiano Ronaldo before becoming one of the greatest footballers and one of the most successful businessmen in the world.

But like everyone else, the Portuguese started at the bottom of the ladder, and over time, he changed and became more confident.

Let's take a look back at his evolution from his time learning on the streets of Madeira to playing in some of the biggest games in the history of football.

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Right from the start, it has to be said that Ronaldo is a product of hardship and perseverance. He was born in Funchal, on the island of Madeira in Portugal on February 5, 1985. He was the fourth child in a very poor family. His mother was a school cook and his father was a gardener.

Ronaldo began playing at the age of 8 in the lower categories of Clube Futebol Andorinha de Santo Antônio, one of the poorest neighborhoods on the island. Two years later, he joined Clube Desportivo Nacional.

The extreme thinness of Ronaldo was cause for concern by the coaches, who came to feed him after training.

With football, it was clearly love at first sight for Ronaldo, though it didn't make his family very popular in the neighborhood, as neighbors complained about the noise the young player made kicking the ball around in the streets until late at night. His teachers on the other hand were frustrated with his lack of attention to the school curriculum.

In August 1997, Cristiano Ronaldo, accompanied by executives from the Sporting Clube de Portugal (Sporting Lisboa), boarded a plane bound for Lisbon in the hopes of pursuing his greatest dream.

Upon his arrival in Lisbon, Cristiano Ronaldo stayed at the club's residence, inside the old Jose Alvalade stadium. A roommate at the time told the Portuguese website 'Sábado' that the only thing the player had in his closet was a family photo.

In his first months at Sporting, Ronaldo was discriminated against due to his Madeiran accent and his poor background. A tough environment for the young boy, but his parents never allowed him to return home, as he was the family's only hope to get out of poverty. He was just 12 years old at the time.

While still a teenager, Ronaldo worked as a ball boy for the first team of Sporting de Portugal, to get some money. He was also in charge of removing the garbage from the stadium, which didn't exactly endear him to his teammates either, who would often make fun of his part-time duties.

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His mother Dolores Aveiro has always been Ronaldo's biggest supporter. As his career took off into the stratosphere, she was always by his side and never failed to be there when times got tough.

In 2007, Dolores was diagnosed with breast cancer, which has returned several times over the years. Despite the illness, she has never stopped fighting. As she did for her family during their toughest years, and as she did after the death of her husband to an alcohol-related illness.

The former Portuguese coach, who gave Ronaldo a spot in the national team, is full of praise when talking about the talented forward. In an interview with the 'Zero Zero' program, he said: "He is one of the toughest players I have ever seen, one of the most dedicated people to play football that I have ever met in my life."

Felipe Scolari called up Cristiano Ronaldo to play against Russia on September 6, 2005, the same night the player received the news of his father's death. Despite everything, Cristiano wanted to play the game. "I can't do anything for my father today, so I'll play tomorrow and leave," he said at a press conference. He played the 90 minutes.

In 2003, the player signed for Manchester United, where he stayed until 2009. Upon joining the club, he asked for the number 28 shirt, but received number 7, which motivated him to honor it. He won several awards during these years. Among them: FIFA World Player of the Year, the Golden Boot and the Ballon d'Or.

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In 2009, Ronaldo was transferred to Real Madrid for 94 million euros, the most expensive transfer in football history up to that time. In his presentation, the Portuguese star was able to fill the Santiago Bernabéu with more than 85,000 people.

In nine seasons at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo smashed all records and became the all-time scorer, averaging more than one goal per game. He left a record of 450 goals in 438 games, in addition to 120 assists.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned Real Madrid to the top of Europe, winning four Champions League titles in five years (three of them in a row), as well as four more Ballon d'Ors, which led him to the five with which he will end his career. In total, he has accumulated more than 50 individual awards.

In July 2018, after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid, the player announced that he was leaving the club. His destination was Juventus in Turin, who paid 100 million euros for a 33-year-old player who was still in top form, as he would end up demonstrating.

In the summer of 2021, CR7 had all but closed a deal with Manchester City, but Alex Ferguson and Bruno Fernandes managed to convince him to return to United. In this second stage, Cristiano Ronaldo reached 807 active goals, becoming the top scorer in the history of professional football.

On November 22, 2022, United and Ronaldo announced that both parties have decided to go their separate ways, after experiencing a strained and difficult relationship that played out in public.

At the end of 2022, he signed for Al-Nassr FC, the leading club in the Saudi Professional League. CR7 was treated like royalty on arrival.

There is no denying Ronaldo's impact for Portugal throughout his career, but Euro 2024 may have proved too much for the former Madrid man, offering very little for a side amongst the favourites. Per Sky Sports, Portugal created an xG of 9.41 during their campaign, with Ronaldo scoring exactly zero.

Ronaldo's time as one of the world's greatest is long gone, but he owes his country one more almighty effort, and that is to set his hubris aside and leave the national team to one of the many younger, better players desperate to take his place.

In parallel to his sports career, Ronaldo has pampered every detail of his image off the pitch. Aware of his potential, he exploited all possible ways to make the most of his star status. In 2015, he became the richest footballer in the world, with an estimated fortune of €210 million.

According to Forbes magazine, in November 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo reached €1 billion in earnings and a net worth of almost €500 million. What's more, his contract with Manchester United made him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.

One of the sectors that Cristiano Ronaldo has exploited the most has been fashion. In fact, CR7 has his own clothing line which, like most of his businesses, has been a worldwide success.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's exercise and eating routine is spectacular. The player works to keep his body at 7% body fat and 50% muscle mass.

Ronaldo was honored on the island of Madeira, with a statue in Funchal, the city where he was born. Since the day it was inaugurated, it's become a beacon for tourists, who love to take pictures touching its, erm, generous attributes.

Despite his fame, Ronaldo has always been very discreet with his relationships. Of course, he could not hide his five-year relationship with model Irina Shayk (2010-2015).

In the summer of 2016, Ronaldo began dating Georgina Rodríguez. Just one year later, in November 2017, they had their first daughter together, Alana. She was Ronaldo's fourth child after the birth of son Cristiano in 2010, and twins Mateo and Eva by surrogacy, also in 2017.

Cristiano Ronaldo Júnior was born in 2010, also by surrogacy, and of whom nothing is known about his mother's identity. Dolores Aveiro has always been by the side of her son and daughter-in-law to help with the entire crew that grew to five, with the arrival of another daughter in April 2022.

Cristiano Ronaldo has always been very involved in charitable causes, especially those related to children. Thus, not only has he paid for various treatments and operations for boys and girls, but he regularly visits children's hospitals.

Unlike many of his teammates, Ronaldo is not tattooed because, if he did, he would not be able to donate blood, something he has been doing for years.

With Ronaldo's career approaching its end, the footballing world is already worse off. When he does finally hang up his boots, he can look back on one of the genuinely legendary careers.

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