Ronaldo Relishing Champions League Glory
Personal information
Full name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Date of birth: 5 February 1985
Age: 29
Place of birth: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position: Forward
Club information
Current club: Real Madrid
Number: 7
Youth career
1993–1995: Andorinha
1995–1997: Nacional
1997–2002: Sporting CP
Senior career
2002–2003 Sporting CP 31 Appearances, 3 goals
2003–2009 Manchester United 292 Appearances, 118 goals
2009– Real Madrid 246 Appearances, 251 goals
National team
2001–2002 Portugal U17 9 Appearances, 6 goals
2002–2003 Portugal U20 5 Appearances, 3 goals
2003 Portugal U21 6 Appearances, 1 goal
2004 Portugal U23 3 Appearances, 1 goal
2003– Portugal 110 Appearances, 49 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo has said it is his “dream” to win the Champions League with Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants face local rivals Atletico Madrid in the final of Europe’s most prestigious club competition at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon as they look to win the tournament for the 10th time in their history.
Ronaldo said Los Blancos are confident they can beat Diego Simeone’s men and admitted his burning ambition of winning the Champions League with the club.
Ronaldo has missed matches through injury and suspension this term, but the Portuguese has scored 50 times in his 46 games to seal his best-ever goal ratio over a single season.
The 29-year-old, who claimed the Ballon d’Or back in January, recently beat Lionel Messi’s record of 14 strikes in a Champions League campaign as he reached 16 in just 10 games with a double in the 4-0 victory away to Bayern Munich.
He has now struck 50 or more goals in each of the last four seasons and although he missed the recent Copa del Rey final win against Barcelona, his strikes in the cup and the Champions League have been vital for Madrid this term, while he is also on target to claim the Pichichi prize for top scorer in La Liga – even though Real are now out of the title race.
The Portuguese international, together with Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, picked up the European Golden Shoe for a second time for his 31 goals in La liga.
Ronaldo was honoured as the best football player in the world for 2013 with the FIFA Ballon d’Or award. It’s the second time he’s won the award in the past five years.
Although it seemed Ronaldo, Messi and Ribery were a step above the rest heading into the final months of the year; it was an extremely close race between the superstar trio.
The turning point for the Portuguese sensation likely came in the World Cup qualifying playoffs.
That’s when Ronaldo put together an impressive display across two matches against Sweden to ensure his country earned a trip to Brazil.
He scored all four of his national team’s goals, including a remarkable hat trick in the second leg, to secure the berth.
Before that outstanding display, Ribery was probably the leader thanks to his success at club level with Bayern Munich.
The German side won the treble last season with the veteran Frenchman leading the charge every step of the way.
Then there’s Messi, who beat out second-place Ronaldo in each of the past two years and enjoyed another successful year for Barcelona and Argentina.
Some injury woes likely held him back from winning the award once again, though. Ultimately, the voters opted for Ronaldo, who won the award in its previous format back in 2008.
He’s been one of the most prolific goal scorers on the planet in recent years as he sought another Ballon d’Or, but he was missing that memorable moment necessary to push him past Messi.
And after his recent form he is a strong contender for 2014 Ballon d’Or. All told, Ronaldo remains one of the best players in the world and shows no signs of slowing down as he approaches 30.
Cristiano Ronaldo without a doubt is one of the greatest talents of his generation and is widely considered to be, at worst, the second best footballer on the planet.
Blessed with devastating pace, breathtaking ball control, a vertiginous array of tricks, the ability to strike the ball with both feet, an eye for goal, a defence splitting pass, aerial prowess and devastating dead-ball specialist; CR7 is the complete footballer.