Athlete Stats Profile: Cristiano Ronaldo

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Every so often, an athlete comes along who stands above his peers. When it happens, supporters worldwide sit up and take notice. In soccer circles, players like Ferenc Puskas, Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Diego Maradona, Ronaldo Nazário, Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo fit the bill more than most others. They all had, or have, an X-factor and a type of regality on the field that makes the Beautiful Game seem effortless. 

In this article, you’ll learn more about Cristiano Ronaldo — who he is, his lifestyle, his career and the statistics that set him apart from your average professional footballer. So, who is Cristiano Ronaldo?

Birth and Childhood

For those of you who have been sleeping under a rock for the past 23 years, Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a professional soccer player who has risen to the pinnacle of his profession using his natural talent, hard work and immense dedication to his craft. 

Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira on February 5, 1985. As the fourth and youngest child of Maria dos Santos and José Aveiro, a cleaner and gardener, respectively, the young Cristiano shared a single room with his older brother and two sisters. Life was not easy for the future superstar growing up, with his mother revealing in her 2014 biography that she had officially requested to abort her pregnancy due to her husband’s alcoholism and the family’s poverty. 

As the community was predominantly Catholic, doctors refused, affording Ronaldo the chance to blossom into the world-renowned athlete he later became. From a young age, he developed a passion for soccer, with his godfather, Fernao Sousa, describing it as all he wanted to do. By the age of seven, he was playing for Andorinha, where his dad worked as a kit man. At 12, Cristiano trialed and signed with Sporting CP, moving alone to Lisbon to pursue a soccer career.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Professional Career

Even though Cristiano Ronaldo secured a youth contract with one of the “Big Three” clubs in Portugal’s Primeira Liga, his challenges didn’t stop. At 15, he underwent heart surgery to remedy tachycardia, a condition that threatened to end his blossoming soccer career. After the successful operation, Ronaldo returned to training and debuted professionally in a UEFA Champions League match — the first of 212 career continental matches he played — at 17. 

Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo made 31 appearances playing as a winger for Sporting, scoring five goals. However, the Primeira Liga would never be enough for his talent. English Premier League (EPL) heavyweights Liverpool and Arsenal expressed interest, but, ultimately, Manchester United signed the teenager for around £12.24 million ($20 million) — an English record for a teen player at the time.

Wearing the number 7 shirt made famous by club legends George Best, Eric Cantona and David Beckham before him, Ronaldo thrived in England. Between 2003 and 2009, as a right winger, he made 292 appearances in the famous red shirt, scoring 118 times. In 2008 he scored 31 EPL goals, winning the Premier League Golden Boot and becoming the first winger to win the coveted European Golden Shoe. With Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals coming consistently domestically and in Europe, he won his club’s first Ballon d’Or since Best in 1968.

Real Madrid

Manchester United could not refuse Spanish giants Real Madrid’s then-world record offer of £80 million ($125 million) in 2009. Expectations were high for Ronaldo when he arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu, but he surpassed them all over the next nine years. He scored over 40 goals in eight of his nine seasons at the record-holding Spanish champions, with over 60 in two, ending with an astounding 450 goals in 438 games for Los Blancos.

A feature of Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at Real Madrid was his ongoing rivalry with Lionel Messi. The Argentine superstar represented Real’s huge adversary, Barcelona, for the entire period Ronaldo was in Madrid, and the two were peerless in global soccer circles throughout those seasons. The Portuguese would add four more Ballon d’Or awards to his first, with Messi claiming the others until another Real Madrid player, Croatia’s Luka Modric, broke their stranglehold in 2018.

Juventus

In the same year, Cristiano Ronaldo departed the Santiago Bernabéu, with Italy’s Juventus paying about £88 million ($117 million) — breaking the transfer record for an Italian club and globally for a player over 30 — to secure his services. Ronaldo played for The Old Lady for three full seasons, scoring 101 goals in 134 games and helping the team to consecutive Serie A titles in 2019 and 2020. He thus became the first player in history to win league titles in England, Spain and Italy.

Al-Nassr

A short, second 54-game, 27-goal stint at Manchester United saw Cristiano Ronaldo pass 800 career goals for club and country before he signed a contract with Al-Nassr in the Saudi Arabian Pro League on December 30, 2022. During his two-and-a-half-year stay, Ronaldo would earn the highest ever salary for a soccer player, at a reputed £174 million ($213 million) annually. 

He broke Saudi goalscoring records, with his 35th league goal in the 2023/24 season making him the highest ever single-season Saudi Pro League scorer. With his Al-Nassr contract expiring soon, Ronaldo sits on 99 goals in 111 appearances for the club. Rumors are that Cristiano Ronaldo could still appear at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, with many clubs keen to land his signature before the event’s June 14 kickoff. 

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Career Stats and Honors

Here are the Portuguese superstar’s soccer stats and honors over his exceptional career.

Team Stats

Total games: 1,315

Total goals: 954

International caps: 253

International goals: 154

Club appearances: 1,062

Club goals: 800

Team Honors

Total competitions won: 33

International competitions won: 2

Club honors: 31

Individual Honors

Ballon d’Or wins: 5

Other FIFA awards: 24

UEFA awards: 17

Domestic awards: 25

As the above figures confirm, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of soccer’s elite players in history. Considering his humble beginnings and what he overcame to reach soccer stardom, the man is a legend in more ways than his professional performances suggest. You now know how many goals Cristiano Ronaldo has scored over his elite career, but consider the following in closing:

How old is Cristiano Ronaldo, and what does he eat?

At 40, Ronaldo continues to play competitive, top-level soccer. His longevity and supreme fitness at an advanced sporting age may be due to a strict diet and workout routine. Cristiano Ronaldo’s diet consists of plenty of protein, including swordfish, sea bream, sea bass and steak when he dines out. He only eats fresh food, with wholegrain carbs, vegetables, and fruits as staples. Ronaldo doesn’t drink alcohol and avoids sugar where possible.

How much is Cristiano Ronaldo worth? 

The veteran athlete’s current net worth is around $800 million, with his $213 million annual salary at Al-Nassr complemented by his six businesses and sponsorships from nearly 20 well-known brands. He is the best-paid footballer in the world, and his yearly soccer income, including endorsements, amounts to almost $300 million. 

From Rags to Riches: Cristiano Ronaldo’s is a True Success Story

Even if you discount Cristiano Ronaldo’s massive salaries and earnings from outside soccer, his statistics and honors over a competitive and still-active career in the Beautiful Game make this superstar a success in life. Ronaldo has forged an enduring career at the top of the sport’s ladder through a long-held commitment to maintaining his fitness and health. Not many soccer players excel after they reach 40 — this Portuguese enigma is an example to his peers, fans and everyone else.