With Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo celebrating his 35th birthday today, here are 10 interesting facts about the former Real Madrid man you may not have known. Find out who he was named after, and why he was expelled from school as a teenager!
Click through the gallery above to see 10 interesting facts about the Portuguese superstar, according to sources such as AP, Reuters and AFP!
It has been a long time since the forward burst on the scene at Sporting Lisbon as a 17-year-old, but perhaps his introduction to the world of football at Manchester United was more memorable.
Replacing Nicky Butt in a Premier League encounter against Bolton Wanderers in 2003, Ronaldo immediately showed off his capabilities with a few mazy runs and deft touches, giving fans a glimpse of what they could expect from him.
While his talent was there for everybody to see, perhaps nobody could have foreseen the impact he would go on to have on the beautiful game, on his way to becoming one of the greatest players of all time.
Like Michael Jordan, like Roger Federer, Ronaldo has become far bigger than the sport he plays, and will undoubtedly go down as one of the most influential athletes ever seen. Not only has he performed at some of the biggest clubs in the world in United, Real and Juventus, but he inspired a nation in 2016 when he helped Portugal win the UEFA European Championship.
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The now 35-year-old is also the greatest goalscorer in the history of the UEFA Champions League, arguably the world's biggest club competition, and is currently the fifth-best scorer of all time for club and country.
Ronaldo's brilliance has been on display for the entire world to see, but there are some little known facts about the Bianconeri talisman that might make you feel like you know him a lot better than before, such as the forward being named after former United States of America president Ronald Reagan.
According to WHAT IF TV, he was actually expelled from school when he was 14 years old after apparently throwing a chair at one of his teachers. The Portuguese, however, maintains that he acted out after he felt he was disrespected.
Another engrossing fact is that Ronaldo still holds the record for having the most fans show up to a presentation. In 2009, the Portugal captain was unveiled in front of 80 000 people at the Santiago Bernabeu, a number Real Madrid struggle to attract on some match days.
There are more absorbing facts about Ronaldo you may not have heard before – click through the gallery above to see all 10!
