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Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer. He plays now as a winger or striker for Spanish giant club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team.

Ronaldo was born at 5 February 1985 in Santo António, Madeira (Portugal). He is the youngest child of José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener, and Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, a cook. He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia. His great-grandmother Isabel da Piedade was from Cape Verde

Ronaldo became the most expensive player in football history after moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer deal worth £80 million (€94m, US$132m) for 6 years. In addition, he was to be paid £11 million per year over the following six years, made him the highest-paid football player in the world at the time.

Manchester United signed Ronaldo from Sporting CP (Sporting Lisbon) for £12.24 million in 2003 when Ronaldo still 18-year-old. He played for United till 2009, and success bring United to be the champion of Premier League three times (2006–07, 2007–08 and 2008–09)  

In 2008, Ronaldo won the Champions League with United, was named best forward and player of the tournament and was the competition's top goalscorer. He also crowned at 12 January 2009 as a 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year, a first Premier League player to be named. He is also the first Portuguese player to win the award since Luís Figo in 2001.

Netherland legend Johan Cruyff said in the year, "Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United."

On 15 May 2011, Ronaldo became the highest goalscorer in a season in the history of Real Madrid with 51 goals, better than the club's record of 49 by Ferenc Puskás. He would later finish the season with a total of 53 goals, made him the first Real Madrid player to ever reach and exceed 50 goals in a season.

Ronaldo earned his first cap for Portugal national team in a 1–0 victory against Kazakhstan on 20 August 2003. He is a member of Portugal squad in Euro 2004 & 2008 and World Cup 2006 & 2010.