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Page semi-protected Pelé From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the footballer. For other uses, see Pele (disambiguation). "O Rei" redirects here. For Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, see Eusébio. This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Arantes and the second or paternal family name is Nascimento. Pelé Pele200802FabioRodriguesPozzebomAgenciaBrasil.jpg Pelé in 2008 Born 	Edson Arantes do Nascimento[1] 23 October 1940 (age 74)[1] Três Corações, Brazil Occupation 	Footballer (retired), humanitarian Height 	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) Spouse(s) 	Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi (m. 1966–82) Assíria Lemos Seixas (m. 1994–2008) Marcia Aoki (m. 2014) Partner(s) 	Xuxa (1981–86) Children 3 sons, 3 daughters[show] Parent(s) 	Dondinho, Dona Celeste Arantes Association football career Playing position 	Forward[2][3][4][5] Attacking midfielder[6][7][8][9][10] Youth career 1953–1956 	Bauru Senior career* Years 	Team 	Apps† 	(Gls)† 1956–1974 	Santos 	638 	(619) 1975–1977 	New York Cosmos[11] 	56 	(31) Total 		694 	(650) National team 1957–1971 	Brazil 	92 	(77) Honours[show] † Appearances (Goals). Website www.pele10.com
 * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈɛtsõ (w)ɐˈɾɐ̃tʃiz du nɐsiˈmẽtu]), known as Pelé (Brazilian Portuguese: [pe̞ˈlɛ]) (born on 23 October 1940),[1] is a retired Brazilian professional footballer who is widely regarded to be the greatest player of all time.[12] In 1999, he was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).[13] The same year, France Football asked their former Ballon d'Or winners to choose the Football Player of the Century; they selected Pelé.[14] In 1999, Pelé was elected Athlete of the Century by the IOC, and Time named him in their list of 100 most influential people of the 20th century.[15] In 2013 he received the FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur in recognition of his career and achievements as a global icon of football.[16]

According to the IFFHS, Pelé is the most successful league goal scorer in the world, with 541 league goals.[17] In total Pelé scored 1281 goals in 1363 games, including unofficial friendlies and tour games, for which he was listed in the Guinness World Records for most career goals scored in football.[18] During his playing days, Pelé was for a period the best-paid athlete in the world.[19] In his native Brazil, he is hailed as a national hero, for his accomplishments in football, and for his vocal support of policies to improve the social conditions of the poor.[20] In 1961, Brazil President Jânio Quadros had Pelé declared a national treasure.[21] During his career, he became known as "The Black Pearl" (Pérola Negra), "The King of Football" (O Rei do Futebol), "The King Pelé" (O Rei Pelé) or simply "The King" (O Rei).[22]

Pelé began playing for Santos at 15 and the Brazil national football team at 16. He won three FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962 and 1970, the only player ever to do so; and is the all-time leading goalscorer for Brazil with 77 goals in 92 games.[23] At club level he is also the record goalscorer for Santos, and led them to the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores.[24] Pelé’s electrifying play and penchant for spectacular goals made him a star around the world, and his club team Santos toured internationally in order to take full advantage of his popularity.[25]

Since retiring in 1977, Pelé has been a worldwide ambassador for football and has undertaken various acting roles and commercial ventures. In 2010, he was named the Honorary President of the New York Cosmos.[26]

Contents

1 Early years 2 Club career 2.1 Santos 2.2 New York Cosmos 3 National team career 3.1 1958 World Cup 3.2 1962 World Cup 3.3 1966 World Cup 3.4 1970 World Cup 3.5 South American Championship 4 Reception and legacy 5 Personal life 6 After football 7 Honours 7.1 Country 7.2 Club 7.3 Individual 8 Career statistics 8.1 Club 8.2 National team 8.3 Summary 9 Acting and film career 10 Cultural references 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

Early years

"In my mid-teens I also played indoor football, which had just taken off in Bauru, for a team called Radium, and took part in the first futebol de salão championship to be held in Bauru. We won. Futebol de salão was a new thing and I took to it like a fish to water. It’s a lot quicker than football on grass. You have to think really quickly because everyone is close to each other. Learning the game probably helped me think on my feet better. It was through futebol de salão that I first got my chance to play with adults. I was about fourteen, and I can remember that there was a tournament for which I was told I was too young to take part. In the end, I was allowed to play. I ended up top scorer, with fourteen or fifteen goals. That gave me a lot of confidence. I knew then not to be afraid of whatever might come." — Pelé speaking on Futebol de Salão.[27]

Pelé was born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the son of Fluminense footballer Dondinho (born João Ramos do Nascimento) and Celeste Arantes. He was the elder of two siblings.[28] He was named after the American inventor Thomas Edison.[1][29] His parents decided to remove the "i" and call him "Edson", but there was a mistake on the birth certificate, leading many documents to show his name as "Edison", not "Edson", as he is called.[1][30][31] He was originally nicknamed Dico by his family.[15][28][32] He received the nickname "Pelé" during his school days, when it is claimed he was given it because of his pronunciation of the name of his favorite player, local Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé, which he misspoke but the more he complained the more it stuck. In his autobiography, Pelé stated he had no idea what the name means, nor did his old friends.[28] Apart from the assertion that the name is derived from that of Bilé, and that it is Hebrew for "miracle", the word has no known meaning in Portuguese.[33]

Pelé grew up in poverty in Bauru, São Paulo. He earned extra money by working in tea shops as a servant. Taught to play by his father, he could not afford a proper football and usually played with either a sock stuffed with newspaper and tied with a string or a grapefruit.[28][34] Pelé played for several amateur teams in his youth, including Sete de Setembro, Canto do Rio, São Paulinho, and Amériquinha.[35][36]

Pelé played in Bauru. He led Bauru Athletic Club juniors (coached by Waldemar de Brito) to three consecutive São Paulo state youth championships between 1954 and 1956.[37] He also dominated Futebol de Salão (indoor football) competitions in the region and won several championships with local team Radium.[27][37] Club career Santos

In 1956, de Brito took Pelé to Santos, an industrial and port city in the state of São Paulo, to try out for professional club Santos FC, telling the directors at Santos that the 15-year-old would be "the greatest football player in the world."[35][37] Pelé impressed Santos coach Lula during his trial at the Estádio Vila Belmiro, and he signed a professional contract with the club in June 1956.[35][37] Pelé was highly promoted in the local media as a future superstar. He made his senior team debut on 7 September 1956 at the age of 16 against Corinthians Santo Andre and had an impressive performance in a 7–1 victory.[35] Pelé scored the first of his record 1281 goals in football during the match.[38][39]

When the 1957 season started, Pelé was given a starting place in the first team and, at the age of 16, became the top scorer in the league. Ten months after signing professionally, the teenager was called up to the Brazil national team. After the 1962 World Cup, wealthy European clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United tried to sign him, but the government of Brazil declared Pelé an "official national treasure" to prevent him from being transferred out of the country.[40] Pelé with Santos in the Netherlands, October 1962

Pelé won his first major title with Santos in 1958 as the team won the Campeonato Paulista; Pelé would finish the tournament as top scorer with 58 goals,[41] a record that stands today. A year later, he would help the team earn their first victory in the Torneio Rio-São Paulo with a 3–0 over Vasco da Gama.[42] However, Santos was unable to retain the Paulista title. In 1960, Pelé scored 33 goals to help his team regain the Campeonato Paulista trophy but lost out on the Rio-São Paulo tournament after finishing in 8th place.[43] Another 47 goals from Pelé saw Santos retain the Campeonato Paulista. The club went on to win the Taça Brasil that same year, beating Bahia in the finals; Pelé finished as top scorer of the tournament with 9 goals. The victory allowed Santos to participate in the Copa Libertadores, the most prestigious club tournament in the Western hemisphere.[44]

"I arrived hoping to stop a great man, but I went away convinced I had been undone by someone who was not born on the same planet as the rest of us." —Benfica goalkeeper Costa Pereira following the loss to Santos in 1962.[45]

Santos's most successful club season started in 1962;[29] the team was seeded in Group 1 alongside Cerro Porteño and Deportivo Municipal Bolivia, winning every match of their group but one (a 1–1 away tie vs Cerro), with Pelé scoring his first goal in a brace against Cerro. Santos defeated Universidad Católica in the semifinals and met defending champions Peñarol in the finals in which Pelé scored another brace in the playoff match to secure the first title for a Brazilian club. Pelé finished as the second best scorer of the competition with 4 goals. That same year, Santos would defend, with success, the Campeonato Brasileiro (with 37 goals from Pelé) and the Taça Brasil (Pelé scoring four goals in the final series against Botafogo). Santos would also win the 1962 Intercontinental Cup against Benfica.[46] Wearing his iconic number 10 shirt, Pelé produced one of his best ever performances and scored a hat-trick in Lisbon, as Santos won 5–2.[47][48] Pelé is the all-time leading scorer with Santos

As the defending champions, Santos qualified automatically to the semifinal stage of the 1963 Copa Libertadores. The ballet blanco managed to retain the title in spectacular fashion after impressive victories over Botafogo and Boca Juniors. Pelé helped Santos overcome a Botafogo team that contained legends such as Garrincha and Jairzinho with an agonizing last-minute goal in the first leg of the semifinals and bring the match to 1–1. In the second leg, Pelé produced one of his best performances as a footballer with a hat-trick in the Estádio do Maracanã as Santos crushed Botafogo, 0–4, in the second leg. Appearing in their second consecutive final, Santos started the series by winning, 3–2, in the first leg and defeating the Boca Juniors of José Sanfilippo and Antonio Rattín, 1–2, in La Bombonera, with another goal from Pelé, becoming the first (and so far only) Brazilian team to lift the Copa Libertadores in Argentine soil. Pelé finished the tournament as the topscorer runner-up with 5 goals. Santos lost the Campeonato Paulista after finishing in third place but went on to win the Rio-São Paulo tournament after an impressive 0–3 win over Flamengo in the final, with Pelé scoring one. Pelé would also help Santos retain the Intercontinental Cup and the Taça Brasil.[46]

Santos tried to defend their title again in 1964 but they were thoroughly beaten in both legs of the semifinals by Independiente. Santos won again the Campeonato Paulista, with Pelé netting 34 goals. The club also shared the Rio-São Paulo title with Botafogo and win the Taça Brasil for the fourth consecutive year. The Santistas would try to resurge in 1965 by winning, for the 9th time, the Campeonato Paulista and the Taça Brasil. In the 1965 Copa Libertadores, Santos started convincingly by winning every match of their group in the first round. In the semifinals, Santos met Peñarol in a rematch of the 1962 final. After two legendary matches,[29] a playoff was needed to break the tie. Unlike 1962, Peñarol came out on top and eliminated Santos 2–1.[29] Pelé would, however, finish as the topscorer of the tournament with eight goals.[49] This proved to be the start of a decline as Santos failed to retain the Torneio Rio-São Paulo. Footprints of Pelé inside the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro

In 1966, Pelé and Santos also failed to retain the Taça Brasil as O Rei's goals weren't enough to prevent a 9–4 routing by Cruzeiro (led by Tostão) in the final series. Although Santos won the Campeonato Paulista in 1967, 1968 and 1969, Pelé became less and less a contributing factor to the Santistas now-limited success. On 19 November 1969, Pelé scored his 1000th goal in all competitions. This was a highly anticipated moment in Brazil.[29] The goal, called popularly O Milésimo (The Thousandth), occurred in a match against Vasco da Gama, when Pelé scored from a penalty kick, at the Maracanã Stadium.[29]

Pelé states that his most beautiful goal was scored at Rua Javari stadium on a Campeonato Paulista match against São Paulo rival Juventus on 2 August 1959. As there is no video footage of this match, Pelé asked that a computer animation be made of this specific goal.[29] In March 1961, Pelé scored the gol de placa (goal worthy of a plaque), against Fluminense at the Maracanã.[50] Pelé received the ball on the edge of his own penalty area, and ran the length of the field, eluding opposition players with feints, before striking the ball beyond the goalkeeper.[50] The goal was regarded as being so spectacular that a plaque was commissioned with a dedication to the most beautiful goal in the history of the Maracanã.[51]

Pelé’s electrifying play and penchant for spectacular goals made him a star around the world.[52] His team Santos toured internationally in order to take full advantage of his popularity. In 1967, the two factions involved in the Nigerian Civil War agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire so they could watch Pelé play an exhibition game in Lagos.[53] During his time at Santos, Pelé played alongside many gifted players, including Zito, Pepe, and Coutinho; the latter partnered him in numerous one-two plays, attacks, and goals.[54] New York Cosmos Pelé (left) with Eusébio (far right) before a game in the NASL in April 1977

After the 1974 season (his 19th with Santos), Pelé retired from Brazilian club football although he continued to occasionally play for Santos in official competitive matches. Two years later, he came out of semi-retirement to sign with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1975 season. Though well past his prime at this point, Pelé is credited with significantly increasing public awareness and interest in soccer in the United States. He led the Cosmos to the 1977 NASL championship, in his third and final season with the club.[55]

On 1 October 1977, Pelé closed out his career in an exhibition match between the Cosmos and Santos. Santos arrived in New York and New Jersey after previously defeating the Seattle Sounders, 2–0. The match was played in front of a sold out crowd at Giants Stadium and was televised in the United States on ABC's Wide World of Sports as well as throughout the world.[56] Pelé's father and wife both attended the match, as well as Muhammad Ali and Bobby Moore.[56] Pelé played the first half for the Cosmos and the second half for Santos. Pelé scored his final goal from a direct free kick, and Cosmos won 2–1.[56] National team career Pelé (crouched, second from right to left) and Brazil national team at 1959 Copa America

Pelé's first international match was a 2–1 defeat against Argentina on 7 July 1957 at the Maracanã.[57][58] In that match, he scored his first goal for Brazil aged 16 years and 9 months to become the youngest player to score in International football.[59] 1958 World Cup Pelé cries on the shoulder of Gilmar dos Santos Neves, after Brazil won the 1958 World Cup.

Pelé arrived in Sweden sidelined by a knee injury but on his return from the treatment room, his colleagues closed ranks and insisted upon his selection.[21][60] His first match was against the USSR in the third match of the first round of the 1958 FIFA World Cup, where he gave the assist to Vavá's second goal.[61] He was the youngest player of that tournament, and at the time the youngest ever to play in the World Cup.[62] He scored his first World Cup goal against Wales in quarter-finals, the only goal of the match, to help Brazil advance to semifinals, while becoming the youngest ever World Cup goalscorer at 17 years and 239 days.[58] Against France in the semifinal, Brazil were leading 2–1 at halftime, and then Pelé scored a hat-trick, becoming the youngest in World Cup history to do so.[63]

On 19 June 1958 Pelé became the youngest player to play in a World Cup final match at 17 years and 249 days. He scored two goals in the final as Brazil beat Sweden 5–2 in the capital of Stockholm. His first goal where he flicked the ball over a defender before volleying into the corner of the net, was selected as one of the best goals in the history of the World Cup.[64] Following Pelé's second goal, Swedish player Sigvard Parling would later comment; "When Pelé scored the fifth goal in that Final, I have to be honest and say I felt like applauding".[65] When the match ended, Pelé passed out on the field, and had to be attended by the medical staff.[29] He then recovered, and was compelled by the victory to weep as he was being congratulated by his teammates. He finished the tournament with six goals in four matches played, tied for second place, behind record-breaker Just Fontaine, and was named best young player of the tournament.[66]

It was in the 1958 World Cup that Pelé began wearing a jersey with number 10. Recently it has become known that the event was the result of disorganization: the leaders did not send the shirt numbers of players and it was up to FIFA to choose the number 10 shirt to Pele who was a substitute on the occasion.[67] The press proclaimed Pelé the greatest revelation of the 1958 World Cup, and he was also retroactively given the Silver Ball as the second best player of the tournament, behind Didi.[68][69] 1962 World Cup Pelé fighting for a ball against the Swedish goalkeeper Kalle Svensson during the 1958 World Cup final

This was expected to be Pelé's World Cup, as he was rated as the best player in the world at the time.[70] In the first match of the 1962 World Cup in Chile, against Mexico, Pelé assisted the first goal and then scored the second one, after a run past four defenders, to go up 2–0.[71] He injured himself while attempting a long-range shot against Czechoslovakia.[29] This would keep him out of the rest of the tournament, and forced coach Aymoré Moreira to make his only lineup change of the tournament. The substitute was Amarildo, who performed well for the rest of the tournament. However, it was Garrincha who would take the leading role and carry Brazil to their second World Cup title, after beating Czechoslovakia at the final in the capital of Santiago.[72] 1966 World Cup

The 1966 World Cup in England was marked, among other things, for the brutal fouling on Pelé, by the Bulgarian and Portuguese defenders.[73] Pelé was the most famous footballer in the world, and Brazil fielded some world champions like Garrincha, Gilmar and Djalma Santos with the addition of other stars like Jairzinho, Tostão and Gérson, leading to high expectations for them.[73][74] Brazil was eliminated in the first round, playing only three matches.[75]

Pelé scored the first goal from a free kick against Bulgaria, becoming the first player to score in three successive FIFA World Cups, but due to his injury, a result of persistent fouling by the Bulgarians, he missed the second game against Hungary.[75] Brazil lost that game and Pelé, although still recovering, was brought back for the last crucial match against Portugal at Goodison Park in Liverpool by the Brazilian coach Vicente Feola. Feola changed the entire defense, including the goalkeeper, in midfield he returned to the formation of the first match, while in attack he maintained Jairzinho and substituted the other two players, despite knowing that Pelé was still recovering from his serious injuries.[76][77] During the game, Portugal defender João Morais brutally fouled Pelé, but was not sent off by referee George McCabe, of whom it is acknowledged let "the Portuguese get away with murder".[73][78] Pelé had to stay on the field limping for the rest of the game, since substitutes were not allowed at that time.[78] After this game he vowed he would never again play in the World Cup, a decision he would later change.[79] 1970 World Cup

"The most wondrous player of all [Pelé] consecrated Brazil as the cathedral of the beautiful game. Brazil ’70 were a team of superstars dedicated not just to a cause but an ideal, a dream of what football should be." —Sports writer Jeff Powell.[80]

Pelé was called to the national team in early 1969, he refused at first, but then accepted and played in six World Cup qualifying matches, scoring six goals.[81] The 1970 World Cup in Mexico was to be Pelé's last. Brazil's squad for the tournament featured major changes in relation to the 1966 squad. Players like Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Valdir Pereira, Djalma Santos and Gilmar had already retired, but the team, with Pelé, Rivelino, Jairzinho, Gérson, Carlos Alberto Torres, Tostão and Clodoaldo, is often considered to be the greatest football team in history.[82][83][84][85][86][87] Pelé, front row second from right, before the match against Peru in the 1970 World Cup

The front five of Jairzinho, Pelé, Gerson, Tostão and Rivelino were all number 10s in their own right and together they created an attacking momentum, with Pelé having a central role in Brazil's way to the final.[88] All of Brazil's matches in the tournament (except the final) were played in Guadalajara, and in the first match against Czechoslovakia, Pelé gave Brazil a 2–1 lead, by controlling Gerson's long pass with his chest and then scoring. In this match Pelé audaciously attempted to lob goalkeeper Ivo Viktor from the half-way line, only narrowly missing the Czechoslovak goal.[89] Brazil went on to win the match, 4–1. In the first half of the match against England, Pelé nearly scored with a header that was spectacularly saved by the England goalkeeper Gordon Banks.[90][91] In the second half, he controlled a cross from Tostão before nonchanantly flicking the ball to Jairzinho who scored the only goal.[92]

Against Romania in Guadalajara, Pelé scored the first goal with a bending free kick hit with the outside of his right foot.[92] Later in the match he scored again to make it 3–1.[92] Brazil won by a final score of 3–2. In the quarterfinals against Peru, Brazil won 4–2, with Pelé assisting Tostão for Brazil's third goal. In their semi-final match, Brazil faced Uruguay for the first time since the 1950 World Cup final round match. Jairzinho put Brazil ahead 2–1, and Pelé assisted Rivelino for the 3–1. During that match, Pelé made one of his most famous plays.[89] Tostão passed the ball for Pelé to collect which Uruguay's goalkeeper Ladislao Mazurkiewicz took notice of and ran off his line to get the ball before Pelé. However, Pelé got there first and fooled Mazurkiewicz with a feint by not touching the ball, causing it to roll to the goalkeepers left, while Pelé went to the goalkeepers right. Pelé ran around the goalkeeper to retrieve the ball and took a shot while turning towards the goal, but he turned in excess as he shot, and the ball drifted just wide of the far post.[84]

Brazil played Italy in the final at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.[93] Pelé scored the opening goal with a header over Italian defender Tarcisio Burgnich. He then made assists on Brazil's third goal, scored by Jairzinho, and the fourth finished by Carlos Alberto which is often considered the greatest team goal of all time, involving all but two of the team's outfield players, and ended with Pelé making a blind pass which rolled perfectly into the path of Carlos Alberto, who came running from behind, and struck the ball without breaking stride to score.[94][95] Brazil won the match 4–1, keeping the Jules Rimet Trophy indefinitely, and Pelé received the Golden Ball as player of the tournament.[65][96] Burgnich, who marked Pelé during the final, was quoted saying "I told myself before the game, he's made of skin and bones just like everyone else — but I was wrong".[97]

Pelé's last international match was on 18 July 1971 against Yugoslavia in Rio de Janeiro. With Pelé on the field, the Brazilian team's record was 67 wins, 14 draws and 11 losses.[23][81] Brazil never lost a match while fielding both Pelé and Garrincha.[98] South American Championship

Pelé also played in the South American Championship. In the 1959 competition he was named best player of the tournament and was top scorer with 8 goals, as Brazil came second despite being unbeaten in the tournament.[65][99][100] Reception and legacy

"Pelé is the greatest player of all time. He reigned supreme for 20 years. All the others – Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini – rank beneath him. There's no one to compare with Pelé." —West Germany's 1974 World Cup-winning captain Franz Beckenbauer.[65]

"Pelé was one of the few who contradicted my theory: instead of 15 minutes of fame, he will have 15 centuries." —Andy Warhol.[45]

"My name is Ronald Reagan, I’m the President of the United States of America. But you don’t need to introduce yourself, because everyone knows who Pelé is." —U.S. President Ronald Reagan greets Pelé at the White House.[45]

Pelé is one of the most lauded players in history and is frequently ranked the best player ever.[101] Among his contemporaries, Dutch legend Johan Cruyff stated; "Pelé was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic."[45] Brazil's 1970 FIFA World Cup-winning captain Carlos Alberto Torres opined; "His great secret was improvisation. Those things he did were in one moment. He had an extraordinary perception of the game."[45] Tostão, his strike partner at the 1970 World Cup; "Pelé was the greatest – he was simply flawless. And off the pitch he is always smiling and upbeat. You never see him bad-tempered. He loves being Pelé."[45] His Brazilian teammate Clodoaldo commented on the adulation he witnessed; "In some countries they wanted to touch him, in some they wanted to kiss him. In others they even kissed the ground he walked on. I thought it was beautiful, just beautiful."[45] Former Real Madrid and Hungary legend Ferenc Puskás stated; "The greatest player in history was Di Stefano. I refuse to classify Pelé as a player. He was above that."[45]

Just Fontaine, French striker and leading scorer at the 1958 World Cup; "When I saw Pelé play, it made me feel I should hang up my boots."[45] England's 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore commented: "Pelé was the most complete player I've ever seen, he had everything. Two good feet. Magic in the air. Quick. Powerful. Could beat people with skill. Could outrun people. Only 5 ft 8 in tall, yet he seemed a giant of an athlete on the pitch. Perfect balance and impossible vision. He was the greatest because he could do anything and everything on a football pitch. I remember Saldhana the coach being asked by a Brazilian journalist who was the best goalkeeper in his squad. He said Pelé. The man could play in any position".[102] Former Manchester United striker and member of England's 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning team Sir Bobby Charlton stated; "I sometimes feel as though football was invented for this magical player."[45] During the 1970 World Cup, a British television commentator asked; "How do you spell Pelé?", with the response; "Easy: G-O-D."[45] 1969 Brazil stamp commemorating Pelé's landmark 1000 goals

Since retiring, Pelé has continued to be lauded by modern day players, coaches, journalists and others. Brazilian attacking midfielder Zico, who represented Brazil at the 1978, 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cup, stated; "This debate about the player of the century is absurd. There's only one possible answer: Pelé. He's the greatest player of all time, and by some distance I might add".[103] French three time Balon D'or winner Michel Platini said; "There's Pelé the man, and then Pelé the player. And to play like Pelé is to play like God." Joint FIFA Player of the Century, Argentina legend and 1986 FIFA World Cup-winning captain Diego Maradona stated; "It's too bad we never got along, but he was an awesome player".[103] Prolific Brazilian striker Romário, winner of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and player of the tournament stated; "It's only inevitable I look up to Pelé. He's like a God to us".[103] Former FIFA Player and of the Year and current Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo said: "Pelé is the greatest player in football history, and there will only be one Pelé". Jose Mourinho, two time UEFA Champions League winning manager, commented; "I think he is football. You have the real special one - Mr Pelé."[104] Real Madrid honorary president and former player, Alfredo Di Stéfano, opined; "The best player ever? Pelé. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both great players with specific qualities, but Pelé was better".[105]

Presenting Pelé a lifetime achievement award, former South African president Nelson Mandela said; "To watch him play was to watch the delight of a child combined with the extraordinary grace of a man in full."[106] U.S statesman and political scientist Henry Kissinger stated; "Performance at a high level in any sport is to exceed the ordinary human scale. But Pelé's performance transcended that of the ordinary star by as much as the star exceeds ordinary performance."[107] Former Brazilian ambassador to the United Nations, J.B. Pinheiro, commented; "Pelé played football for 22 years, and in that time he did more to promote world friendship and fraternity than any other ambassador anywhere."[45] With crowds flocking wherever he goes, a reporter asked if his fame compared to that of Jesus Christ's, Pelé in response quipped, "There are parts of the world where Jesus Christ is not so well known."[108] Personal life A practicing Catholic, Pelé donated a signed jersey to Pope Francis, which is located in one of the Vatican Museums

On 21 February 1966, Pelé married Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi;[109] they have two daughters, Kelly Cristina (born 13 January 1967), who married Dr. Arthur DeLuca, and Jennifer (b. 1978), as well as a son, Edson ("Edinho", b. 27 August 1970). The couple divorced in 1982.[109] Brazilian media have reported that in 1977 Pelé had his right kidney removed.[110] From 1981 to 1986, Pelé was romantically linked with the model Xuxa, and was seen as influential in launching her career; she was 17 when they started to date.[111] In April 1994 Pelé married psychologist and gospel singer Assíria Lemos Seixas, who gave birth on 28 September 1996 to twins Joshua and Celeste through fertility treatments. The couple are now separated. Pelé had at least two more children from former affairs. Sandra Macedo, his daughter with a housemaid Anizia Machado in 1964, for years fought to be acknowledged by Pelé, who refused to submit to DNA tests.[112][113][114] Although she was recognized by courts as his daughter based on DNA evidence in 1993, Pelé never acknowledged his eldest daughter even after her death, in 2006, nor her two children, Octavio and Gabriel.[113][114][115] Pelé had had another daughter, Flavia Kurts, in an extra-marital affair in 1968 with a journalist called Lenita Kurtz. Flavia was recognized by him as his daughter.[112]

At the age of 73, Pelé announced his intention to marry 41-year-old Marcia Aoki, a Japanese-Brazilian importer of medical equipment from Penápolis, São Paulo, whom he has been dating since 2010. They first met in the mid-1980s in New York, before meeting again in 2008.[116][117] Pelé is now married to Marcia Aoki who stood by him during his illness in 2014.[118]

In 1970, Pelé was investigated by the Brazilian military dictatorship for suspected leftist sympathies. Declassified documents show Pelé was investigated after being handed a manifesto calling for the release of political prisoners. Pelé himself did not get further involved within political struggles in the country.[119] Eventually Pelé has been criticized in the public opinion for his conservative views.[120] In June 2013, during the Brazilian protests, he asked for people to "forget the demonstrations" and support the Brazilian National Football Team.[121][122][123][124] In November 2012, Pelé underwent a successful hip operation.[125] In May 2014, his son Edinho was jailed for 33 years for laundering money from drug trafficking.[126] Pelé has stated that he is a Catholic.[127] After football Pelé at the White House on 10 September 1986, with U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Brazil President José Sarney

In February 2012, Legends 10 began handling the Pelé brand and brought all marketing and management efforts under one roof, including all intellectual property rights, global licensing, branding, endorsements, and public appearances.[128]

The most notable area of Pelé's life since football is his ambassadorial work. In 1992, Pelé was appointed a UN ambassador for ecology and the environment.[129][130] Pelé, Brazil's Extraordinary Minister for Sport, with U.S. President Bill Clinton in Rio de Janeiro, 15 October 1997

He was awarded Brazil's Gold Medal for outstanding services to the sport in 1995; Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso appointed him to the position of Extraordinary Minister for Sport, and he was appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.[129] During this time he proposed legislation to reduce corruption in Brazilian football, which became known as the "Pelé law." Pelé left his position in 2001 after he was accused of involvement in a corruption scandal, although nothing was proven, and it was denied by UNICEF.[131][132] In 1997, Pelé received an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II, at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace.[133]

Pelé scouted for Premier League club Fulham in 2002.[134] He made the draw for the qualification groups for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals.[135] Pelé at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on 26 January 2006.

Pelé publicly accused the Brazilian football administrator Ricardo Teixeira of corruption after Pelé's television company was rejected in a contest for the Brazilian domestic rights.[136] Pelé accusations led to an eight-year feud between the pair.[137] As a consequence of the affair, the President of FIFA, João Havelange banned Pelé from the draw for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in Las Vegas. Criticisms over the ban were perceived to have negatively affected Havelange's chances of re-election as FIFA's president in 1994.[136] Brazil President Lula and Pelé in commemoration for 50 years since the first World Cup title won by Brazil in 1958, at the Palácio do Planalto, 2008

Pelé has published several autobiographies, starred in documentary films, and composed musical pieces, including the entire soundtrack for the film Pelé in 1977. He appeared, alongside other footballers of the 1960s and 1970s, with Michael Caine, and Sylvester Stallone, in the 1981 film Escape to Victory, about an attempted escape from a World War II German POW camp.[138]

In 2005, Pelé received a lifetime achievement award from the BBC and, in June 2006, helped inaugurate the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, alongside supermodel Claudia Schiffer.[83] Pelé also produced an international ad campaign for drug company Pfizer to promote Viagra and raise world awareness of erectile dysfunction.[139]

Pelé was guest of honour at the world's oldest football club, Sheffield's 150th anniversary match against Inter Milan in November 2007. Inter won 5–2 in front of an appreciative crowd at Bramall Lane. As part of his visit, Pelé opened an exhibition which included the first public showing in 40 years of the original hand-written rules of football.[140] Pelé in South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, 10 June 2010.

In 2009, he cooperated with Ubisoft on arcade football game Academy of Champions: Soccer for the Wii and appeared in the game as a coach to its players.[141] On FIFA 14 released in 2013, Pelé features for the Ultimate team known as Legends for the Xbox One, where game-players can acquire classic players from different eras.[142]

In May 2010, Pelé appeared in a commercial for Louis Vuitton, indulging in a game of table football with fellow legends Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane.[143]

On 1 August 2010, Pelé was introduced as the Honorary President of a revived New York Cosmos, aiming to field a team in Major League Soccer.[26] On 3 August 2011, it was reported that Santos were considering bringing him out of retirement for a cameo role in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, although this later turned out to be false.[144]

In 2012, Pelé was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh for "significant contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes, as well as his sporting achievements", his first such degree from a European university.[145]

On 12 August 2012, Pelé was an attendee at the 2012 Olympic hunger summit hosted by UK Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street, London, part of a series of international efforts which have sought to respond to the return of hunger as a high profile global issue.[146][147] Later on the same day, Pelé appeared at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, following the handover section to the next host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro.[148] Honours Country

Brazil

Roca Cup: 1957, 1963 FIFA World Cup: Winner: 1958 Winner: 1962 Winner: 1970 Copa América: Runner-up: 1959 Cruz Cup: 1958, 1962, 1968[81][149] Bernardo O'Higgins Cup: 1959[150] Atlantic Cup: 1960[151] Oswaldo Cruz Cup: 1958, 1962, 1968[149]

Club

Santos

Copa Libertadores (2): 1962, 1963 Intercontinental Supercup (1): 1968[152] Supercopa de Campeones Intercontinentales (1): 1968[152] Intercontinental Cup (2): 1962, 1963[24] Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (6): 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1968[153] Torneio Rio-São Paulo (4): 1959, 1963, 1964, 1966[154][155] Campeonato Paulista (10): 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973[156]

New York Cosmos

North American Soccer League, Soccer Bowl (1): 1977 North American Soccer League, Atlantic Conference Championship (1): 1977

In total Pelé has 40 official titles.[157] Individual

[158][159]

Santos Intercontinental Cup: All-Time Leading Scorer Copa Libertadores Top Scorer (1): 1965. Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Top Scorer (3): 1961, 1963, 1964. Campeonato Paulista Top Scorer (11): 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, 1973. Torneio Rio-São Paulo Top Scorer (1): 1963.[160] Brazil Copa América Top Scorer (1): 1959.[100] Brazil National Team All-Time Leading Scorer, 95 goals FIFA World Cup (Best Young Player):[66] Winner (1): 1958 FIFA World Cup (Silver Boot): 1958[66] FIFA World Cup Silver Ball: 1958[66] FIFA World Cup Golden Ball (Best Player):[65] Winner (1): 1970 Copa America Best Player: 1959[99] FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur: 2013 Guinness World Records: Most career goals (football): 1283 goals in 1363 games.[161] Guinness World Records: Most World Cup Winners’ Medals.[161] International Federation of Football History and Statistics(IFFHS): World´s most successful Top Division Goal Scorer: 541 goals[17] World record number of hat tricks: 92[162] BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality: Winner (1): 1970 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award: Winner (1): 2005 Greatest football player to have ever played the game, by Golden Foot: 2012[163][164] Athlete of the Century, by Reuters News Agency: 1999 Athlete of the Century, elected by International Olympic Committee: 1999 Athlete of the Century, elected by world wide journalists, poll by French daily L'Equipe: 1981 South American Footballer of the Year: 1973[165] Inducted into the American National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1993.[166] Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire: 1997[167] In 1989 DPR Korea issued a postage stamp depicting Pelé.[168] UNICEF Football Player of the Century: 1999 TIME One of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th century: 1999[169] FIFA Player of the Century : 2000[170] Football Player of the Century, elected by France Football's Ballon d'Or Winners : 1999[14] Football Player of the Century, by IFFHS International Federation of Football History and Statistics: 1999 South America Football Player of the Century, by IFFHS International Federation of Football History and Statistics: 1999 Laureus World Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement Award from South African President Nelson Mandela: 2000[106] FIFA World Cup All-Time Team: 1994[171] World Team of the 20th Century: 1998[171] FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2002[171] World Soccer Greatest XI of all time: 2013 FIFA Order of Merit: 1984[172] FIFA Centennial Award: 2004[173]

In December 2000, Pelé and Maradona shared the prize of FIFA Player of the Century by FIFA.[174] The award was originally intended to be based upon votes in a web poll, but after it became apparent that it favoured Diego Maradona, many observers complained that the Internet nature of the poll would have meant a skewed demographic of younger fans who would have seen Maradona play, but not Pelé. FIFA then appointed a "Family of Football" committee of FIFA members to decide the winner of the award together with the votes of the readers of the FIFA Magazine. The committee chose Pelé. Since Maradona was winning the Internet poll, however, it was decided he and Pelé should share the award.[175]

Honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh celebrating Pelé’s "significant contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes, as well as his sporting achievements": 2012[176] Prize from the French Academy of Sports, Award given to a player of a team sport for the very first time: 1971 Red Medal of Paris, Given by the City Hall of the French Capital: 1971 Sword of Soccer Honor, Given by the English Soccer Annual. The sword was handmade by the Queen’s weapon manufacturers. Pelé was the first ever non-British person to receive this award: 1966 Knight of the Legion d’Honneur of France, Award given by the French Government: 1963

Career statistics Club Pelé dribbling past a defender during Malmö FF–Brazil 1–7 in May 1960. Pelé scored two goals.

Pelé's goalscoring record is often reported by FIFA among others as being 1281 goals in 1363 games.[177] This figure includes goals scored by Pelé in friendly club matches, for example, international tours Pelé completed with Santos and the New York Cosmos, and a few games Pelé played in for armed forces teams during his national service in Brazil.[178]

The tables below record every goal Pelé scored in major club competitions for Santos and the New York Cosmos. During much of Pelé's playing career in Brazil there was no national league championship. From 1960 onwards the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) were required to provide meritocratic entrants for the then-new Copa Libertadores, a South American international club competition broadly equivalent to the European Cup. To enable them to do this, the CBF organised two national competitions: the Taça de Prata and Taça Brasil. A national league championship, the Campeonato Brasileiro, was first played in 1971, alongside traditional state and interstate competitions such as the Campeonato Paulista and the Torneio Rio-São Paulo.

The number of league goals scored by Pelé for Santos and New York Cosmos is listed as 656 in 702 games, which is a world record for League competitions. This number is the sum of the goals scored by Pelé in domestic league-based competitions: the Campeonato Paulista (SPS), Torneio Rio-São Paulo (RSPS), Taça de Prata and Campeonato Brasileiro. The Taça Brasil was a national competition organised on a knockout basis. Club 	Season 	Domestic competitions 	Domestic competitions subtotal[179] 	International club competitions 	Official total[179] [180][181] 	Total inc. friendlies [179] SPS[182] 	RSPS[183] 	TRGP[179] 	Série A[183] 	TB[179][184] 	CP[179] [185][186] 	IC Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals Santos 	1956 	0 	0 									0 	0 					0 	0 	2 	2 1957[179][187] 	29 	36 	9 	5 							38 	41 					38 	41 	67 	57 1958 	38 	58 	8 	8 							46 	66 					46 	66 	60 	80 1959[188] 	32 	45 	7 	6 					4 	2 	39 	51 					43 	53 	83 	100 1960[189] 	30 	33 	3 	0 					0 	0 	33 	33 	0 	0 	0 	0 	33 	33 	66 	59 1961 	26 	47 	7 	8 					5 	7 	33 	55 	0 	0 	0 	0 	38 	62 	74 	110 1962 	26 	37 	0 	0 					5 	2 	26 	37 	4 	4 	2 	5 	37 	48 	52 	67 1963[190] 	19 	22 	8 	14 					4 	8 	27 	36 	4 	5 	1 	2 	36 	51 	52 	66 1964 	21 	34 	4 	3 					6 	7 	25 	37 	0 	0 	0 	0 	31 	44 	47 	57 1965 	30 	49 	7 	5 					4 	2 	37 	54 	7 	8 	0 	0 	48 	64 	66 	97 1966 	14 	13 	0 	0 					5 	2 	14 	13 	-[191] 	- 	0 	0 	19 	15 	38 	31 1967 	18 	17 			14 	9 			0 	0 	32 	26 	-[192] 	- 	0 	0 	32 	26 	65 	56 1968 	21 	17 			17 	11 			0 	0 	38 	28 	0 	0 	0 	0 	38 	28 	73 	55 1969 	25 	26 			12 	12 					37 	38 	-[193] 	- 	0 	0 	37 	38 	61 	57 1970 	15 	7 			13 	4 					28 	11 	0 	0 	0 	0 	28 	11 	54 	47 1971 	19 	8 					21 	1 			40 	9 	0 	0 	0 	0 	40 	9 	72 	29 1972 	20 	9 					16 	5 			36 	14 	0 	0 	0 	0 	36 	14 	74 	50 1973 	19 	11 					30 	19 			49 	30 	0 	0 	0 	0 	49 	30 	66 	52 1974 	10 	1 					17 	9 			27 	10 	0 	0 	0 	0 	27 	10 	45 	19 Total 	412 	470 	53 	49 	56 	36 	84 	34 	33 	30 	638 	619 	15 	17 	3 	7 	656 	643 	1115 	1088 Club 	Season 	League 	Post season 	Other 	Total Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals NY Cosmos 	1975 	9 	5 	– 	– 	14 	10 	23 	15 1976 	22 	13 	2 	2 	18 	11 	42 	26 1977 	25 	13 	6 	4 	11 	6 	42 	23 Total 	56 	31 	8 	6 	43 	27 	107 	64 National team

Pelé is the top scorer of the Brazil national football team with 77 goals in 92 official appearances.[81] In addition, he has scored 18 times in 21 unofficial games. This makes an unofficial total of 113 games and 95 goals. He has also scored 12 goals and is credited with 10 assists in 14 World Cup appearances, including 4 goals and 7 assists in 1970.[194] Pelé shares with Uwe Seeler and Miroslav Klose the achievement of being the only three footballers to have scored in four separate World Cup tournaments.[195] [show]FIFA World Cup goals [show]International appearances (92) and goals (77) [show]Unofficial international appearances (21) and goals (18) Summary

Pelé numbers differ between sources mostly due to friendly games. The RSSSF states that Pelé scored 767 goals in 831 official games, 1281 goals in 1367 overall while he was active, 1284 in 1375 taking into account benefit games after retirement.[196] The following table is a compendium of sources that include Santos and FIFA among others.[21][197] Matches 	Goals 	Ratio Domestic Tournaments 	702 	656 	0.94 International Cups 	18 	24 	1.33 Brazil 	92 	77 	0.84 Official 	812 	757 	0.93 Friendly matches and other defunct Tournaments 	554 	526 	0.95 Total 	1366 	1283 	0.94 Matches 	Goals 	Ratio International matches 	503 	479 	0.95 National matches 	863 	803 	0.93 Total 	1366 	1282 	0.94 Matches 	Goals 	Ratio Santos FC 	1115 	1088 	0.98 New York Cosmos 	107 	66 	0.62 Brazil 	113 	95 	0.84 Other 	31 	33 	1.06 Total 	1366 	1282 	0.94 Acting and film career

Os Estranhos (1969) (TV series) O Barão Otelo no Barato dos Bilhões (1971) A Marcha (1973) Os Trombadinhas (1978) Escape to Victory (1981) A Minor Miracle (1983) Pedro Mico (1985) Os Trapalhões e o Rei do Futebol (1986) Hotshot (1987) Solidão, Uma Linda História de Amor (1990) Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001) Pelé Eterno (2004) – a documentary about Pelé's career Puskás Hungary (2009) The Referee (2010)

Cultural references

In 1977, Andy Warhol portrait of Pelé as part of Warhol's Athletes Series.[198] In 1989 DPR Korea issued a postage stamp depicting Pelé.[168] Mentioned in the song "Ghetto Supastar" by Pras. Professional Wrestler AJ Styles named his backflip head-kick "The Pelé". In the film Kicking & Screaming, Phil, played by Will Ferrell, competes against his father in order to win his dad's Pelé ball. In 1980, Pelé endorsed the Atari 2600 videogame Pelé's Soccer.

See also Portal icon 	Brazil portal Portal icon 	Biography portal Portal icon 	Football portal

Lists of association football players Mononymous person The Beautiful Game

References

Official forename and birth date, as written on his birth certificate, are "Edison" and "21 October 1940":

CERTIDÃO DE NASCIMENTO

CERTIFICO que sob o n° 7.095 às fls. 123 do livro n° 21-A de Registro de Nascimento consta o assento de Edison Arantes do Nascimento nascido aos vinte e um (21) outubro de mil novecentos e quarenta (1940) às 03 horas e --- minutos em esta Cidade de Três Corações sexo masculino filho de João Ramos do Nascimento e de Celeste Arantes

However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.

Pelé; Orlando Duarte; Alex Bellos (2006). Pelé : the autobiography. London: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-7432-7582-8. Retrieved 2 October 2010. "Shortly before I came along, there was another arrival in Três Corações: electricity. In order to celebrate this great improvement to our daily lives, Dondinho named me Edson, a tribute to Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb. In fact, on my birth certificate I am actually called Edison with an 'i', a mistake that persists to this day. I'm Edson with no 'i', but to my eternal annoyance quite often the 'i' appears on official or personal documents and time after time I have to explain why. As if that wasn't confusing enough, they got the date wrong on my birth certificate as well – it says 21 October. I'm not sure how this came about; probably because in Brazil we're not so fussy about accuracy. This is another mistake that carries on to this day. When I took out my first passport, the date was put in as 21 October and each time I have renewed it the date has stayed the same." "Pelé and Maradona - two very different number tens". FIFA.com. Retrieved 14 October 2012 Arantes, Edson (2007). My Life and the Beautiful Game: The Autobiography of Pele. Skyhorse Publishing. p. 108,. ISBN 1602391963. "The Great Creators". FIFA.com. Retrieved 14 October 2012 "Pele edges Eusebio as Santos defend title". FIFA.com. Retrieved 14 October 2012 Pelé: The Autobiography. London: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd. 2006. p. 41,. ISBN 978-1416511212. "Santos profile: Pele". Santos Futbol Clube. Retrieved 14 October 2012 "Attacking midfielder/‘Hole’ player". Talk Football. Retrieved 14 October 2012 Pele: Xavi. FIFA.com. Retrieved 14 October 2012 Quand Pelé rêvait d'être Xavi. L'equipe. Retrieved 14 October 2012 "NASL Player Profile – Pele". Nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 12 June 2010. Pele: The greatest of them all FIFA.com The Best of The Best. RSSF.com "What they said about Pele". FIFA.com. -Bobby Moore: "Pele was the most complete player I've ever seen, he had everything. Two good feet. Magic in the air. Quick. Powerful. Could beat people with skill. Could outrun people. Only 5 ft 8 in tall, yet he seemed a giant of an athlete on the pitch. Perfect balance and impossible vision. He was the greatest because he could do anything and everything on a football pitch. I remember Saldanha the coach being asked by a Brazilian journalist who was the best goalkeeper in his squad. He said Pele. The man could play in any position." Independent.co.uk -Ferenc Puskas: "The greatest player in history was Di Stefano. I refuse to classify Pele as a player. He was above that." FIFA.com -José Mourinho: "I think he is football. You have the real special one - Mr Pele." BBC Sport -Nevio Scala: "Pelé will always be the number one for me." on YouTube -Sir Alex Ferguson: "Question:-Best player you ever saw? -AF: Pelé, di Stefano, Maradona, Cruyff. -Q:In that order? -AF: Yes, I think so." Newstatesman.com -Romario: "Messi has all the conditions to be the best, but first he has to beat Maradona, Romario and then eventually Pele." Mtnfootball.com -Costa Pereira: "I arrived hoping to stop a great man, but I went away convinced I had been undone by someone who was not born on the same planet as the rest of us." FIFA.com -Michel Platini: "There's Pele the man, and then Pele the player. And to play like Pele is to play like God." on YouTube -Eusebio: "Pele played in an era which had so many great players and in that atmosphere he stood out above the others. He was the complete player in every aspect as well as being a kind human being. Cristiano Ronaldo is young yet, and has many years ahead of himself. But as of now, I do not see anyone who can compare with Pele" Lacancha.com -Johan Cruyff: "Pele was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic." FIFA.com -Rogelio Domininguez: "The difference between Pelé and Alfredo Di Stéfano is that Di Stéfano knows everything and Pelé invented everything." smh.com.au -Zico: “No doubt, he is the greatest ever. When God built Pelé, he put everything that a player needs in him. He knew how to shoot, how to dribble, how to head, be physical. He had everything that a football player needs to have. It’s difficult for someone to achieve what he has in football. Tactically, technically, physically, mentally he was the best. A lot of things that I learnt was from Pele’s sticker albums: how to head, how to shoot the ball. It was like a step-by-step guide. I learnt from Pele as a kid.” Goal.com -Sir Bobby Charlton: "I sometimes feel as though football was invented for this magical player." FIFA.com -Daniel Passarella: "Pelé was more intelligent as a player than Maradona, he understood football better" YouTube -Tostao: "Pele was the greatest – he was simply flawless. And off the pitch he is always smiling and upbeat. You never see him bad-tempered. He loves being Pele." FIFA.com -Zico: "This debate about the player of the century is absurd. There's only one possible answer: Pele. He's the greatest player of all time, and by some distance I might add." FIFA.com -Franz Beckenbauer: "Pele is the greatest player of all time. He reigned supreme for 20 years. All the others - Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini - rank beneath him. There's no one to compare with Pele." FIFA.com -Tarcisio Burgnich: "Before the match, I told myself that Pele was just flesh and bones like the rest of us. Later I realised I'd been wrong." FIFA.com -Cesar Luis Menotti: "It's ugly to compare but the greatest was Pele. If we believe that God made man, the "black" Pelé he made him perfect. He gave him everything. He lacked nothing, header, physical power, dribbling, finishing, inspiration, genius, temper, vision, goal. Everything." -Gianni Rivera: "However, I do think there's someone who was even better(than Messi) and that's Pele. He used both feet on the pitch. He was as dangerous with his right as he was with his left. He was strong in the air as well, and created a lot of chances." Soccerway.com -Hugo Gatti: "Pelé had the skin of a player, head, pace, everything. He was a panther dressed in white, I played with him. He entered to play in the last minute and he could turn the match. And the big difference is that Pelé on the field created fear, Maradona not...For me, it is Pelé, Alfredo Di Stefano and Maradona, in that order. I appreciate Diego, he is a great player. But from another planet was Pelé, not him." Diariomundonuevo.com -Teófilo Cubillas: "I confronted him several times on the pitch and I think there will be no one like him." "The Best of The Best". Rsssf.com. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2010. The Best x Players of the Century/All-Time. RSSF.com Pele tops World Cup legends poll BBC News THE LIST: The greatest players in the history of football Daily Mail. title=Pelé "The King" to be crowned in Monte Carlo at 10th edition of the "Golden Foot" Awards GoldenFoot IFFHS' Century Elections. RSSF.com Ingo Faulhaber. "IFFHS". Iffhs.de. Retrieved 19 November 2012. France Football's Football Player of the Century Retrieved 1 May 2011 Kissinger, Henry (14 June 1999). "The Time 100, Heroes and icons — Pelé". TIME. Retrieved 1 October 2006. "Pele receives FIFA Ballon d’Or Prix d’Honneur". FIFA.com. Retrieved 14 January 2014 Ingo Faulhaber. "IFFHS". Iffhs.de. Retrieved 19 November 2012. PELÉ: The King of Football FIFA.com. title=Pelé, Olé! - Statistics of Pelé's Career Pelé honoured with two Guinness World Records achievements in London. Guinness World Records. Most Career Goals (football). Guinness World Records Ebony - Google Books. Books.google.se. Retrieved 19 November 2012. Harris, Harry (2002), Pelé: his life and times. p.190. Welcome Rain Publishers. Retrieved 27 June 2011 "Pelé, King of Futbol" ESPN| accessdate =1 October 2006 "The King of football". FIFA.com. "Pele (Brazilian athlete) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Britannica.com. Retrieved 19 November 2012. Various from many of his biographies, See for example [1] 3rd section, last line: " 'The King' was given to Pelé by the French press in 1961 after he played a few matches with SFC in Europe" Or the already quote [2] Or the book "Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El rey del futbol – Monica Brown (Author) & Rudy Gutierrez (Illustrator) Rayo Publishing Dec.2008 ISBN 978-0-06-122779-0 " "Pele (soccer player) Facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Pele (soccer player)". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 19 November 2012. 10 World Cup Gods! Our look at the best of the best in World Cup history Mail Online. Retrieved 10 May 2011 "Intercontinental Cups 1962 and 1963". FIFA.com.19 November 2012 "Pele". Encyclopædia Britannica Online "Pele's Santos go global". FIFA.com. Retrieved 19 November 2012. Bell, Jack (1 August 2010). "Cosmos Begin Anew, With Eye Toward M.L.S". New York Times. Retrieved 4 August 2010. "Pele Speaks of Benefits of Futebol de Salão". International Confederation of Futebol de Salão. 24 May 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Robert L. Fish; Pelé (1977). My Life and The Beautiful Game: The Autobiography of Pelé, Chapter 2. Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City, New York. ISBN 0-385-12185-7 Anibal Massaini Neto (Director/Producer), (2004). Pelé Eterno [Documentary film]. Brazil: Anima Produções Audiovisuais Ltda. International: Universal Studios Home Video. "Un siglo, diez historias". BBC (in Spanish). BBC. Retrieved 21 June 2010. "Edson Arantes Do Nascimento Pelé". UNESCO. Retrieved 21 June 2010. "From Edson to Pelé: my changing identity". Article by The Guardian (London). 13 May 2006. Retrieved 1 October 2006. Winterman, Denise (4 January 2006). "Taking the Pelé". Article by BBC Online. Retrieved 1 July 2010. "word had no meaning in Portuguese so he presumed it was an insult, but recently he has found out that it means miracle in Hebrew." "Pelé biography". Article by Soccerpulse.com. Retrieved 1 October 2006. Pelé; Orlando Duarte; Alex Bellos (2006). Pelé: the autobiography. London: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7432-7582-8. "Pelé". Vivendo Bauru. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Joe Marcus (1976). The world of Pele. New York: Mason/Charter. ISBN 978-0884053668. The PELE Treasury – IOC Athlete of the 20th century – The King of Football Retrieved 5 May 2011 Diário Lance – www.lancenet.com.br. "// O Campeão da Rede". Lancenet. Retrieved 12 June 2010. "Biography — Edson Arantes "Pelé" Nascimento". Article on frontfoot.co.za. Retrieved 1 October 2006. Artilheiros da história Folha Online. Retrieved 6 May 2011 Matches which decided Rio-São Paulo Tournament RSSSF. Retrieved 6 May 2011 Torneio Rio-São Paulo 1960 RSSSF. Retrieved 6 May 2011 Santos revive spirit of Pelé BBC Sport Retrieved 5 May 2011 "What they said about Pele" FIFA.com. Intercontinental Cups 1962 and 1963 FIFA Retrieved 5 May 2011 Extraordinary Pele crowns Santos in Lisbon FIFA.com. Retrieved 22 October 2012 Will South Africa 2010 produce a new Pele? BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 May 2011 Copa Libertadores – Topscorers Rsssf.com. Retrieved 10 May 2011 Remembering Pele's gol de placa FIFA. Retrieved 10 May 2011 Bellos, Alex (2002). Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 244. ISBN 0-7475-6179-6. Pelé (Brazilian Athlete) Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 6 May 2011 "Ultimate Feats of Fitness". Men's Fitness. 2006. Retrieved 1 October 2006. Santos – Pelé edges Eusebio as Santos defend title FIFA. Retrieved 5 May 2011 Tom Dunmore (2011). "Historical Dictionary of Soccer". p. 198. Scarecrow Press, Lew H. Freedman (2014). "Pele". p. 165. ABC-CLIO Seven the number for Pele FIFA. Retrieved 5 May 2011 Williams, Bob (28 October 2008). "Top 10: Young sporting champions". Daily Telegraph (UK). Retrieved 5 May 2011. Pele: The greatest football player ever MSN. Retrieved 5 May 2011 "World Cup 2002 - ABC Sport". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 19 November 2012. (Portuguese) "Copa 1958". Consulted on 23 October 2010. The mark was surpassed by Northern Ireland's Norman Whiteside in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Sweden 1958: Pele's genius propels Brazil to first title The Independent Retrieved 5 May 2011 FIFA World Cup Goal of the Century FIFA Retrieved 5 May 2011 Pelé – I was there FIFA. Retrieved 5 May 2011 1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden FIFA.com. Retrieved 6 May 2011 (Portuguese) Copa do Mundo de 1958 na Suécia. Consulted on 23 October 2010. "The King of Football". FIFA.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014 "Nasce Uma Lenda". Accessdate 23 October 2010. (Portuguese) "PELE - International Football Hall of Fame". Ifhof.com. 23 October 1940. Retrieved 19 November 2012. "Pele Great Goal – Video". Metacafe.com. Retrieved 12 June 2010. Glenn Moore (3 June 2006) Pele: The Greatest The Independent Retrieved 5 May 2011 Portrait of Pele – Never-Seen: Pelé's 1966 World Cup LIFE. p.1,7. Retrieved 8 May 2011 [3][dead link] 1966 FIFA World Cup England FIFA Retrieved 8 May 2011 "Brazil in the 1966 World Cup - England". V-brazil.com. 1949-08-06. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Brazil in the 1966 World Cup – England". V-brazil.com. Retrieved 12 June 2010. World Cup final: 10 top World Cup refereeing errors The Telegraph Retrieved 8 May 2011 "PELE – International Football Hall of Fame". Ifhof.com. Retrieved 12 June 2010. "Jeff Powell: Hats off to Del Bosque but his team cannot match the Golden Gods of Brazil". Daily Mail. 2 July 2012 Roberto Mamrud. "Edson Arantes do Nascimento "Pelé" – Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 May 2011. "Brazil 'best ever' says Five Live". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 May 2011. "The boys from Brazil: On the trail of football's dream team". The Independent. Retrieved 14 May 2011. "Mexico 1970: Brazilians show all how beautiful game should be played". Sky Sports. Retrieved 5 May 2011. "1970 Brazilian Soccer Team Voted Best Ever". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 May 2011. "The greatest teams of all time". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 May 2011. "The 10 greatest football teams of all time". Daily Mail. Retrieved 5 May 2011. "1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico". FIFA.com. Retrieved 30 May 2014 "The Greatest? For Century, Pele Eclipses Muhammad Ali". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 May 2011. Hattenstone, Simon (30 June 2003). "And God created Pelé". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 5 May 2011. "The 100 greatest World Cup moments: (No.18)". The Independent Retrieved 13 May 2011. "FIFA World Cup Group 3 Results". ESPN. Retrieved 28 May 2014 "World Championship - Jules Rimet Cup 1970 Final". FIFA.com. Retrieved 17 December 2014 Benson, Andrew (2 June 2006) "The perfect goal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2011. "Football First XI: Best goals ever". CNN. Retrieved 13 May 2011. "Brazil's heroes of 1970 relive their days of glory" FIFA.com. Retrieved 6 May 2011. "Pelé, King of futbol", ESPN. Retrieved 6 May 2011. "Remembering the genius of Garrincha". BBC. Retrieved 8 December 2013 "The Copa América Archive - Trivia". Rsssf.com. 2007-07-19. Retrieved 2014-06-16. South American Championship 1959, Scorers' List RSSSF. Retrieved 6 May 2011 "The Best of the Best". RecSportSoccerStatisticsFoundation. Malley, Frank (23 December 1999). "Pele, the perfect player". The Independent (London). "Pele - I was there". FIFA.com. "Pele and Mourinho win BBC awards" BBC. "Alfredo Di Stefano: Pele is better than Messi and Ronaldo - ESPN FC". Soccernet.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. ""Speech by Nelson Mandela at the Inaugural Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award" Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory". Db.nelsonmandela.org. 2000-05-25. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "PELE: The Phenomenon". Time. "Pele, King of Futbol". ESPN Pelé Away From the Pitch LIFE. Retrieved 5 May 2011 Guilherme Seto, Rafael Reis (28 November 2014). "Pelé tem apenas um rim desde que era jogador de futebol" (in Portuguese). uol.com.br. Retrieved 28 November 2014. Xuxa, Pelé e a Playboy Muita Pimenta Retrieved 12 July 2011 Pele's daughter dies of cancer at 42 Retrieved 3 February 2014 Pele misses funeral of "daughter he never wanted" Retrieved 3 February 2014 Daughter who sued Pele dies of cancer at 42 Retrieved 3 February 2014 Pele sued by grandchildren for child support Retrieved 3 February 2014 ""'Minha primeira paixão foi uma japonesa e a última também vai ser', afirma Pelé" ("'My first love was a Japanese and will also be the last,' says Pele")". BOL.com. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2014. "Football legend Pele to marry". Daily Express. Retrieved 19 August 2014 "Pelé Is Alive And Well! Thanks Fans In Video Message". Latin Times. Retrieved 11 December 2014 "Pelé foi investigado pela ditadura na década de 1970". .folha.uol.com.br. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Estranho, conservador, desastroso e 'de outro planeta'; comentaristas analisam declarações de Pelé". Espn.uol.com.br. 2013-06-19. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Estátua de Pelé é "amordaçada" na cidade natal do jogador". Noticias.terra.com.br. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Pelé e as manifestações". Veja.abril.com.br. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Ronaldo e Pelé podiam ter passado sem mais essa". Diariodocentrodomundo.com.br. 2013-06-20. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Pelé vaiado nas redes devido a declarações sobre protestos no Brasil". Jn.pt. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Pele in hospital, hip operation a success, report says - ESPN FC". Soccernet.espn.go.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Pele’s son Edinho jailed for 33 years for Drug Trafficking". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 1 June 2014. "Romario trolls Pele on Twitter, says he’s a phony Catholic and talks nothing but shit". 101greatgoals.com. Retrieved 30 August 2014. "Legends 10 Secures Exclusive License to Represent Pele Worldwide". PR Newswire. Retrieved 31 July 2012. World Sport Humanitarian Hall of Fame Inductees – Pelé Retrieved 5 May 2011 Reasons why Rio is the right Olympic choice CBC Retrieved 5 May 2011 UNICEF denies Pele corruption reports Reuters Retrieved 6 May 2011 Pelé slips from Brazil pedestal, The Observer, 25 November 2001. Education: Sir Pele lends his support The Independent Retrieved 6 May 2011 Pelé scouts for Fulham, BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2006. More than just a draw, FIFAWorldCup.com, 9 December 2005. Retrieved 27 March 2007. Paul Darby (2002). Africa, football, and FIFA: politics, colonialism, and resistance. F. Cass. pp. 110–. ISBN 978-0-7146-4968-9. Retrieved 31 March 2012. Bellos, Alex (2003). Futebol. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-6179-8. "Pelé: The Autobiography". Simon and Schuster 2006 "Pelé signs deal...to raise the profile of viagra!". The Age (Melbourne). 8 February 2005. Rawcliffe, Jonathan (9 November 2007). "Pelé joins Sheffield celebrations". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 November 2007. "Pelé in Academy of Champions Wii game". IncGamers News. Retrieved 22 May 2009. Tamoor Hussain Features Editor, CVG UK Follow @tamoorh (2013-08-20). ""FIFA 14 Ultimate Team Legends is exclusive to Xbox consoles" at CVG.com". Computerandvideogames.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Maradona, Pelé and Zidane for Vuitton". GQ Magazine. Retrieved 14 May 2014 "Santos hope for Pele comeback". ESPN. Retrieved 22 May 2014 "Pelé to receive honorary degree" (Press release). University of Edinburgh. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012. Justin Forsyth (2012-08-12). "The 2012 hunger summit could be the reallegacy of the Games". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-11-27. "Sport stars get behind Olympic hunger summit". 10 Downing Street. 2012-08-12. Retrieved 2014-11-27. "Going out in a blaze of golden glory: Awe-inspiring shots from the fantastic fireworks show which closed London's 2012 Olympics". Daily Mail. Retrieved 14 December 2012 "Copa Oswaldo Cruz". Rsssf.com. 2007-09-21. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Copa Bernardo O'Higgins". Rsssf.com. 1998-09-30. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Copa del Atlбntico". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Recopa Sudamericana 1968". Rsssf.com. 1999-06-23. Retrieved 2014-06-16. Pelé – Títulos Santos Futebol Clube. Retrieved 6 May 2011 The 1964 Torneio Rio-São Paulo was held jointly with Botafogo. "Santos Futebol Clube – Site Oficial". Santos.globo.com. Retrieved 12 June 2010. The 1973 Paulista was held jointly with Portuguesa. "Pelé - Todos os Títulos". Campeoesdofutebol.com.br. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Pelé still in global demand". CNN Sports Illustrated. 29 May 2002. Retrieved 30 May 2008. Pelé: ENGLAND ARE WORLD CUP THREAT, Sportinglife.com. Retrieved 27 March 2007. "Todos os Artilheiros do Torneio Rio-São Paulo". Campeoesdofutebol.com.br. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Pelé honoured with two Guinness World Records achievements in London". Guinness World Records. (October 30, 2013). http://www.latinosportslegends.com/Pele_bio.htm http://goldenfoot.com/pele-the-king-to-be-crowned-in-monte-carlo-at-10th-edition-of-the-golden-foot-awards Retrieved 8 January 2013/ To Honour Football's greatest player: "O Rey" Pelé Golden Foot. Retrieved 8 January 2013 / South American Player of the Year 1973 RSSSF. Retrieved 6 May 2011 "Hall of Famer Spotlight ... Pelé". Soccerhall.com. Retrieved 12 June 2010. KBE#Notable honorary recipients USSR Philately (in Russian) (Moscow) (1): 1. January 1990. ISSN 0130-5689. Missing or empty |title= (help) – photo of this postage stamp Henry Kissinger (14 June 1999) Time 100 – PELE: The Phenomenon Time. Retrieved 22 May 2010 "PELÉ (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) - The King of football". FIFA.com. In section 'Individual' of the right hand sidebar: FIFA. Retrieved 17 May 2012. World All-Time Teams. Rsssf.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014 "FIFA Order of Merit". Retrieved 21 January 2015. "FIFA Centennial Award". Retrieved 21 January 2015. The 20th century boys BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2011 Split Decision – Pele, Maradona each win FIFA century awards after feud CNN Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 6 May 2011 "Pelé to receive honorary degree" (Press release). University of Edinburgh. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012. Various sources accept that Pelé scored 1281 goals in 1363 games. See, for example, the FIFA website.[4] Some sources, however, claim that Pelé scored 1282 goals in 1366 games.[5] For a full list of Pelé's goals which details the teams he played for, see [6]. The international tours Pelé took part in for Santos and Cosmos are detailed at http://www.rsssf.com: http://paginas.terra.com.br/esporte/rsssfbrasil/historical.htm#friendli, and the American Soccer History Archives: http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/index.html (click on a year and then scroll down to the bottom of the page to see friendly tournaments), respectively. This number was inferred from a Santos fixture list from rsssf.com and this list of games Pelé played. As friendly matches are not counted in official statistics, this is what Pelé's goal total should be after friendly matches are disregarded. Pelé's first two matches for Santos are assumed here to be friendlies. No record of them exists in any of the tournaments listed at rsssf.com. "Resultados Históricos". RSSSF Brasil. 2014-05-14. Retrieved 2014-06-16. All statistics relating to Pelé's goalscoring record between 1957 and 1974 in the SPS, RSPS, and Campeonato Brasileiro are taken from http://soccer-europe.com/Biographies/Pele.html. Soccer Europe compiled this list from http://www.rsssf.com (The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation). For a full list of Pelé's goals see http://pele.m-qp-m.us/english/pele_statistics.shtml. "Brazil Cup History". Rsssfbrasil.com. 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2014-06-16. Totalised statistics relating to Pelé's record between 1957 and 1974 in the Taça de Prata, Taça Brasil and Copa Libertadores are taken from http://soccer-europe.com/Biographies/Pele.html. Soccer Europe compiled this list from http://www.rsssf.com (The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation), but do not give a season-by-season breakdown. For a full list of Pelé's goals see http://pele.m-qp-m.us/english/pele_statistics.shtml. "Brazilian clubs in Copa Libertadores da América". Rsssfbrasil.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. In 1957 the São Paulo championship was split into two halves, Série Azul and Série Branca. In the first half Pelé scored 19 goals in 14 games, and then in Série Azul he scored 17 goals in 15 games. See http://paginas.terra.com.br/esporte/rsssfbrasil/tables/sp1957.htm "Brazil Cup 1959". Rsssfbrasil.com. 2009-02-09. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Brazil Cup 1960". Rsssfbrasil.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Brazil Cup 1963". Rsssfbrasil.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Santos FC na Copa Libertadores da América". (in Portuguese) "BOLA N@ ÁREA - Taça Libertadores da América 1967". Bolanaarea.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Brazilian clubs in Copa Libertadores da Amжrica". Rsssfbrasil.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Pele helps Brazil to World Cup title — History.com This Day in History — 6/29/1958". History.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. Jan Alsos (1936-11-05). "Legends - Uwe Seeler". Planet World Cup. Retrieved 2014-06-16. "Prolific Scorers Data". Rsssf.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16. Jogos e goals de Pelé pelo Santos

Edward Willett (2010). "Andy Warhol: Everyone Will Be Famous for 15 Minutes" p.112. Publishers, Inc.

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Page semi-protected Cristiano Ronaldo From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Not to be confused with Brazilian footballer Ronaldo. "CR7" redirects here. For other uses, see CR7 (disambiguation). This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is dos Santos and the second or paternal family name is Aveiro. Cristiano Ronaldo Rus-Por2012 (16).jpg Ronaldo with Portugal in 2012 Personal information Full name 	Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro Date of birth 	5 February 1985 (age 30)[1] Place of birth 	Funchal, Madeira, Portugal Height 	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2] Playing position 	Forward Club information Current team Real Madrid Number 	7 Youth career 1992–1995 	Andorinha 1995–1997 	Nacional 1997–2002 	Sporting CP Senior career* Years 	Team 	Apps† 	(Gls)† 2002–2003 	Sporting CP 	25 	(3) 2003–2009 	Manchester United 	196 	(84) 2009– 	Real Madrid 	190 	(208) National team‡ 2001 	Portugal U15 	9 	(7) 2001–2002 	Portugal U17 	7 	(5) 2003 	Portugal U20 	5 	(1) 2002–2003 	Portugal U21 	10 	(3) 2004 	Portugal U23 	3 	(2) 2003– 	Portugal 	119 	(52) Honours[show]
 * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:55, 22 March 2015 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18:58, 29 March 2015 (UTC)

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, GOIH (born 5 February 1985), known as Cristiano Ronaldo (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɾɨʃtiˈɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu], is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid C.F. and the Portugal national team. He is a forward and serves as captain for Portugal.

By the age of 22, Ronaldo had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2008, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by winning the FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2013 and 2014. He also won the 2013–14 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. In January 2014, Ronaldo scored his 400th senior career goal for club and country aged 28.[3]

Often ranked as the best player in the world and rated by some in the sport as the greatest of all time,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Ronaldo is the first Portuguese footballer to win three FIFA/Ballons d'Or,[12][13] and the second player to win three European Golden Shoe awards. In January 2015, Ronaldo was named as the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation, during its 100th anniversary celebrations.[14][15] With Manchester United and Real Madrid, Ronaldo has won three Premier Leagues, one La Liga, one FA Cup, two Football League Cups, two Copas del Rey, one FA Community Shield, one Supercopas de España, two UEFA Champions Leagues, one UEFA Super Cup and two FIFA Club World Cups.

Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years, before moving to C.D. Nacional. In 1997, he made a move to Portuguese giants Sporting CP. In 2003 he caught the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who signed him for £12.2 million (€15 million). In 2004, he won his first trophy, the FA Cup. In 2007, Ronaldo was the first player in England to win all four main PFA and FWA awards. In 2008, he won 3 of the 4 main PFA and FWA trophies and was named the FIFA World Player of the Year, FIFPro Player of the Year, World Soccer Player of the Year, and the Onze d'Or.[16][17][18] In 2007 and 2008, Ronaldo was named FWA Footballer of the Year. He was the inaugural winner of the FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year in 2009. He became the world's most expensive player when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 in a transfer worth £80 million (€94 million/$132 million). His buyout clause is valued at €1 billion.[19] In May 2012, he become the first footballer to score against every team in a single season in La Liga.[20] Ronaldo holds the record for most goals scored in a single UEFA Champions League season, having scored 17 goals in the 2013–14 season.[21] In December 2014, Ronaldo became the fastest player to score 200 goals in La Liga when, in his 178th La Liga game, he scored a hat-trick against Celta Vigo; his 23rd hat-trick was also a La Liga record.[22]

Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal in August 2003, at the age of 18. He has since been capped over 100 times and has participated in 6 major tournaments: three UEFA European Championships (2004, 2008 and 2012) and three FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010 and 2014). Ronaldo is the first Portuguese player to reach 50 international goals, making him Portugal's top goalscorer of all time as well as the country's top scorer in the European Championship with 6 goals. He scored his first international goal in the opening game of Euro 2004 against Greece, and helped Portugal reach the final. He took over captaincy in July 2008, and he led Portugal to the semi-finals at Euro 2012, finishing the competition as joint-top scorer in the process. In November 2014, Ronaldo became the all-time top scorer in the UEFA European Championship (including qualifying) with 23 goals.

Contents

1 Early life 2 Club career 2.1 Early career 2.2 Sporting CP       2.3 Manchester United 2.3.1 2003–04 season 2.3.2 2004–05 season 2.3.3 2005–06 season 2.3.4 2006–07 season 2.3.5 2007–08 season 2.3.6 2008–09 season 2.4 Real Madrid 2.4.1 2009–10 season 2.4.2 2010–11 season 2.4.3 2011–12 season 2.4.4 2012–13 season 2.4.5 2013–14 season 2.4.6 2014–15 season 3 International career 3.1 Euro 2004 and 2004 Summer Olympics 3.2 2006 World Cup 3.2.1 Post-World Cup 3.3 Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup 3.4 Euro 2012 3.5 2014 World Cup 3.6 Euro 2016 4 Style of play 4.1 Comparisons to Lionel Messi 5 Outside football 5.1 Personal life 5.2 Philanthropy 5.3 Wealth 5.4 Endorsements 5.5 Fashion 5.6 Media 6 Career statistics 6.1 Club 6.2 International 6.2.1 International goals 7 Honours 7.1 Club 7.2 International 7.3 Individual 7.3.1 Orders 7.4 Records 7.4.1 World 7.4.2 Europe 7.4.3 Spain 7.4.4 Real Madrid 8 References 9 External links

Early life

Ronaldo was born in Santo António, a neighbourhood of Funchal, Madeira, the youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, a cook, and José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener.[23] His second given name, "Ronaldo", was chosen after then-U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who was his father's favourite actor.[24][25] He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia.[1] His great-grandmother Isabel da Piedade was from Cape Verde.[26]

The family was staunchly Catholic. Ronaldo later claimed that he lived in poverty, sharing a room with his brother and sisters.[27] Ronaldo was popular with other students at school, but he was expelled after he threw a chair at his teacher. Ronaldo later said of the incident, "He disrespected me".[28] At age 14, Ronaldo agreed with his mother to focus entirely on football. He states, "When I got to 14 I felt I had the potential. I thought I was maybe good enough at that time to play semi-professionally".[28] Club career Early career

At age eight, Ronaldo played for amateur team Andorinha, where his father was the kit man. In 1995, Ronaldo signed with local club Nacional, and, after a title-winning campaign, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting CP, who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.[29] Sporting CP

Ronaldo joined Sporting's other youth players who trained at the Academia Sporting, the club's football academy, in Alcochete. He became the only player ever to play for Sporting's under-16, under-17, under-18, B-team, and the first team, all within one season.[30] He scored two goals in his league debut on 7 October 2002, which Sporting CP won 3–0 against Moreirense, while featuring for Portugal in the 2002 European Under-17 Championship.[31]

At the age of 15 Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart, a condition that might have forced him to give up playing football. The Sporting staff were made aware of the condition and Ronaldo's mother gave her authorisation for him to go into hospital.[32] While there, he had an operation in which a laser was used to cauterise the area of his heart that was causing the problem. The surgery took place in the morning and Ronaldo was discharged from hospital by the end of the afternoon; he resumed training only a few days later.[33]

In November 2002, Ronaldo was invited to Arsenal's training ground, London Colney to meet manager Arsène Wenger and his coaching staff.[34] Wenger, who was interested in signing the midfielder, had arranged to meet Ronaldo's representatives, Formation (who suggested the player originally to Gérard Houllier, then Liverpool's manager and Joan Laporta, then Barcelona's president) in the subsequent months to discuss a transfer arrangement.[35][36] Of a possible move to Liverpool, he said "Liverpool are one of the best clubs in England and it would be a dream for any player to represent a club of such traditions".[37]

However he came to the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2003, when Sporting defeated United 3–1 in the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Ronaldo's performance impressed the Manchester United players, who urged Ferguson to sign him.[38] In April 2013, Sporting honoured Ronaldo by selecting him to become the 100,000th member of the club.[39] Manchester United 2003–04 season

There have been a few players described as ‘the new George Best’ over the years, but this is the first time it's been a compliment to me. “ ” — Former Manchester United player George Best on the 18 year old Ronaldo.[40]

Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player when he signed for £12.24 million before the 2003–04 season.[41] He was given the number 7 shirt by Alex Ferguson,[42] who said that after a friendly with Sporting, United's players "talked about him constantly, and on the plane back from the game they urged me to sign him" and that "he is one of the most exciting young players I've ever seen".[43][44] Ronaldo later revealed that he had requested the number 28 (his number at Sporting), as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by United legends such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham.[45] "After I joined, the manager asked me what number I'd like. I said 28. But Ferguson said 'No, you're going to have No. 7,' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour".[45]

I want to be one of the best players around in two or three years' time. I would be very proud if, one day, I'm held in the same esteem as George Best or David Beckham “ ” — Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004.[46]

Ronaldo made his team debut as a 60th-minute substitute in a 4–0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers,[47] and produced a performance hailed by Alex Ferguson as "marvellous".[48][49] His early form earned high praise from United legend George Best, who said that Ronaldo was "special",[40] while former manager Ron Atkinson effused about his "his pace and quick thinking" and how it meant United could "spring very quickly from defence into attack".[50]

He scored his first goal for Manchester United with a free kick in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth on 1 November 2003.[51] His only other league goals in the season all came in 2004; he scored the second in a 3–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur on 20 March,[52] the equalising goal in a 2–1 victory away to Birmingham City on 10 April,[53] and the opener in a 2–0 victory over Aston Villa on the final day of the season in a game in which he also received his first red card.[54] Ronaldo also scored in the fifth round of the 2003–04 FA Cup in a 4–2 Manchester derby against Manchester City.[55] Ronaldo ended his first season in English football by scoring the opening goal in United's 3–0 FA Cup Final victory over Millwall,[56] with his performance receiving praise from Gary Neville who said "I think Ronaldo can be one of the top footballers in the world".[57] Ronaldo playing against Chelsea in April 2006. 2004–05 season

Ronaldo had to wait until December to score his first goal of the season, scoring the third in a 3–0 victory against Southampton.[58] His second came in a 3–1 win against Aston Villa,[59] with an assist for Paul Scholes prompting Ferguson to say that he "had his best game of the season and was a constant threat to Villa".[60] He pit in a similarly praiseworthy performance after he scored two goals against rivals Arsenal in a 4–2 win,[61][62] with his finishing described as "expert" that had applied the "coup de grace" to Arsenal.[63] His final goal of the season came in a victory over Fulham, scoring the only goal of the game from 25 yards in a game in which Ferguson hailed him as "our best player".[64]

Ronaldo scored four goals on United's run to the 2005 FA Cup Final, scoring goals against Exeter City,[65] Everton,[66] Southampton,[67] and Newcastle United.[68] 2005–06 season

Ronaldo scored United's 1000th Premier League goal on 29 October 2005 in a 4–1 loss to Middlesbrough,[69] In November, he signed a new contract which extended his previous deal by two years to 2010, and stated that staying at the club was "important for the development of my career".[70] He was sent off in the Manchester derby at the City of Manchester Stadium on 14 January 2006 (a game which United lost 3–1) for kicking City's former United player Andy Cole.[71] Ronaldo won his second trophy in English football in the 2005–06 season, scoring the third goal in Manchester United's 4–0 Football League Cup final victory over Wigan Athletic.[72] He scored three braces in the 2005–06 season, scoring two goals each against Bolton Wanderers,[73] Fulham,[74] and Portsmouth.[75]

In January 2006, Ronaldo was at the centre of a training ground bust-up with Ruud van Nistelrooy that eventually lead to the striker's departure from the club at the end of the season, with van Nistelrooy angry at Ronaldo's showboating style of play.[76] The two again clashed in May, with van Nistelrooy telling Ronaldo to go and "go crying to your daddy", a pithy reference to Ronaldo's relationship with assistant manager Carlos Queiroz, leading to a brief fight.[77] Van Nistelrooy was left on the subtitutes bench for the final game of the season against Charlton Athletic but left the stadium three hours before the game, a 4–0 win in which Ronaldo scored his ninth league goal of the season.[78][79] 2006–07 season Ronaldo with United during their 2006–07 season

After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in which he was involved in an incident where club teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off,[80][81] Ronaldo was linked with moves away from United, with Spanish clubs Real Madrid and Valencia both linked with him.[82][83] The situation led to Ronaldo asking for a transfer, saying "I think I should get out of Manchester. The circumstances are not right to keep playing in Manchester. In two or three days I will decide where to go. I always said I wanted to play in Spain", and claimed that he received no support over the red card, saying "nobody stood up for me at Manchester, although I did not do anybody any harm. For some time, I haven't had any support from my chief executive or my coach. They should have come out in my defence but no-one did".[84][85] United were adamant that he would stay at the club, releasing a statement saying: "Cristiano recently signed a contract until 2010 and the club expects him to honour that contract. The club will not listen to any offers for Cristiano".[86][87] United manager Alex Ferguson said "without any question, Ronaldo will be our player next season",[88] and backed Ronaldo to silence any critics as David Beckham and Eric Cantona had done in the past.[89] Following the incident, Ronaldo and Rooney both immediately denied any rift.[90] Rooney said: "I bear no ill feeling to Cristiano" over the incident.[91]

Ahead of the 2006–07 season, Bobby Charlton warned Ronaldo that he would be booed by opposition fans,[92] but backed him to overcome any potential backlash,[93] as did Rooney.[94] In the first game of the season, Ronaldo scored on the opening day of the season in a 5–1 win against Fulham, where, as Charlton had predicted, he was booed by Fulham fans.[95] and his performance earned praise from Ferguson.[96] Ronaldo was booed throughout the season, and noticeably silenced Reading fans with the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw on 23 September.[97] United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar thought Ronaldo responded to being booed by letting it inspire him, saying that it "only serves to drive Cristiano onto even higher ground, to greater heights. Cristiano hasn't let what happened and the reaction affect him at all. He is a very strong guy and has shown that this season".[98]

The amount of goals and the amount of assists he's had has been frightening. I haven't seen anybody take players on, score goals and make goals like he has in this first half of the season, so he rightfully deserves that tag [of being the world's best player]. “ ” — Teammate Paul Scholes on Ronaldo's form in the 2006–07 season.[99]

The season proved to be the breakout year for Ronaldo, as he broke the 20 goal barrier for the first time and picked up his first league title with Manchester United. An important factor in this success was his one-to-one training by first team coach René Meulensteen. Meulensteen coached him in moves to make himself more unpredictable. He also helped him to work better with his team-mates, calling for the ball and scoring more 'ugly' goals instead of waiting for the special occasion when he could score the 'beautiful' goals for which he was already famous.[100] Ronaldo's upturn in form was showcased in a trip to Ewood Park in November when he received a standing ovation from a section Blackburn Rovers supporters as he was substituted.[101]

In November and December 2006, Ronaldo received consecutive Barclays Player of the Month honours, becoming only the third player in Premier League history to do so after Dennis Bergkamp in 1997 and Robbie Fowler in 1996.[102][103] His form was epitomised with three consecutive braces at the end of December, the first of which came in a 3–0 victory over Aston Villa on 23 December which put United top at Christmas.[104] He followed it up on Boxing Day with two goals against Wigan Athletic in a 3–1 victory where he came off the bench at half-time to score a four-minute double salvo, the second of which marked his 10th goal of the season, to put United four clear of Chelsea.[105] His third brace came on 30 December in a 3–2 victory against Reading.[106]

He’s the one player I’d love to pay money to go and see play. I’m sure Ronaldo is already in the ‘best in the world’ bracket. He’s only 21 and he will get even better. “ ” — Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.[99]

On 24 February 2007, he scored a "dramatic" late winner against Fulham which put United nine points clear at the top of the league table.[107] Ronaldo scored crucial goals against Middlesbrough in the 2006–07 FA Cup quarter-final; he scored the equaliser from the penalty spot which ensured a 2–2 draw on 10 March,[108] and he again scored a penalty in the replay nine days later after he was fouled by Jonathan Woodgate,[109] before later being on the receiving end of a reckless tackle from James Morrison for which he received a red card.[110] After the game, George Boateng said "one day, someone will hurt him properly", for which Boateng was punished by Middlesbrough.[111] On 10 April, Ronaldo helped United reach the semi-final of the Champions League, scoring his first two Champions League goals in a 7–1 victory against Roma.[112][113] On 14 April, Ronaldo helped United reach the FA Cup Final, putting United 2–1 up against Watford in a match which ended 4–1.[114] On 24 April, he scored four minutes into United's Champions League semi-final against Milan as United won the first leg 3–2,[115] but was marked out of the second leg as United lost 3–0 in the San Siro.[116] On 5 May, he scored his 50th Manchester United goal against city rivals Manchester City in a 1–0 victory as United claimed their first Premier League title in four years.[117]

Despite rumours in March 2007 that Real Madrid were willing to pay an unprecedented €80 million (£54 million) for Ronaldo,[118] with Real president Ramón Calderón publicly saying that "we'll be first in the queue" had United opted to sell him,[119] he signed a five-year, £120,000-a-week (£31 million total) extension with United on 13 April.[120] Ronaldo and Ferguson both spoke of their delight at the new deal, with Ronaldo saying "I am very happy at the club", while Ferguson said that "it emphasises the point that Cristiano is happy here and that he is at the right club".[121]

Ronaldo amassed a host of personal awards for the season. He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards, joining Andy Gray (in 1977) as the only players to receive this honour.[122] In April, he completed the treble by winning the PFA Fans' Player of the Year. He also won the FWA Footballer of the Year,[123] becoming the first player to win all four main PFA and FWA awards. Ronaldo was also one of eight Manchester United players named in the 2006–07 PFA Premier League Team of the Year.[124] Ronaldo (left) and Carlos Tevez prior to a Champions League match. 2007–08 season

Ronaldo's 2007–08 season began with a red card for a headbutt on Portsmouth player Richard Hughes during United's second match of the season, for which he was punished with a three-match ban.[125] Ronaldo said he had "learned a lot" from the experience and would not let players "provoke" him in the future.[126]

His first goal of the season came in the first game of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League group stage, scoring a 62nd-minute header on his return to former club Sporting in a 1–0 victory on 19 September.[127] He scored two goals against Dynamo Kyiv on 23 October in a 4—0 win,[128] and scored in the return fixture as United qualified for the knockout stage with a 4–0 win.[129] Ronaldo's fifth goal of the competition came in the final minute of the game of the return fixture against Sporting; with the score at 1–1, he scored a 30-yard free-kick that he described as "fabulous".[130]

Due to the three match suspension, his first league goal didn't come until 29 September, when he scored the only goal of the game in a victory against Birmingham City.[131] By Christmas, Ronaldo had 13 league goals, including doubles against Wigan Athletic in a 4–0 which put United top of the league,[132] Blackburn Rovers,[133] Fulham,[134] and Everton, with his second coming from the penalty spot in the 88th minute in a 2–1 victory.[135]

He finished as the runner-up to Kaká for the 2007 Ballon d'Or,[136] and was third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi.[137]

I don't think there is a winger in this world that can do that and that's the measure of the quality of the lad and his scoring ability. “ ” — Alex Ferguson, on Ronaldo's scoring record during the 2007–08 season.[138]

Ronaldo scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on 12 January 2008, bringing Manchester United up to the top of the Premier League table.[139] He scored his twenty-third league goal of the season in a 2–0 win against Reading, equalling his entire total for the 2006–07 season.[140] On 30 January, he scored another two goals against Portsmouth,[141] which included a free-kick which was described as one of the greatest ever,[142] and scored another brace in a 5–1 victory against Newcastle United on 23 February.[143]

On 19 March 2008, Ronaldo captained United for the first time in his career in a home win over Bolton, again scoring both goals in the 2–0 victory.[144] The second of the goals was his 33rd of the campaign, which set a new club single-season scoring record by a midfielder and thus topped George Best's forty-year-old total of 32 goals in the 1967–68 season.[145] In the championship run in, Ronaldo scored against Middlesbrough in a 2–2 draw,[146] an equalising retaken penalty against Arsenal in a 2–1 win a week later,[147] and the opening two goals against West Ham United in a 4–1 victory.[148] Ronaldo scored his final league goal of the season, a goal which put United 1–0 in front, from the penalty spot in the title decider against Wigan on 11 May before Ryan Giggs scored the second to clinch the title for United.[149]

In the knockout stage of the Champions League against Olympique Lyonnais on 4 March, Ronaldo scored the decisive goal in the second leg which helped United advance 2–1 on aggregate,[150] and in the Champions League quarter final, he played as a striker and scored against Roma with a header,[151] Despite him missing a penalty in the semi-final first leg against Barcelona,[152] United eventually advanced to the 2007–08 Champions League final via a Paul Scholes goal.[153] In the final, which took place on 21 May against league rivals Chelsea, Ronaldo scored the opening goal after 26 minutes, which was negated by a Chelsea equaliser in the 45th minute as the match ended 1–1 after extra time. His penalty was saved in the shoot-out which put Chelsea in position to win the trophy,[154] but Chelsea captain John Terry shot wide right after slipping on the pitch surface, and Manchester United emerged victorious 6–5 on penalties.[155][156] Ronaldo was named the UEFA Fans' Man of the Match,[157]

Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United. “ ” — Dutch legend Johan Cruyff on the 23-year-old Ronaldo, April 2008.[158]

After scoring 31 league goals, he was awarded with the Premier League Golden Boot and the Premier League Player of the Season awards,[159] and again won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards, as well as being named in the PFA Team of the Year for a third consecutive year.[160][161]

Ronaldo finished the season with a career-high 42 goals in all competitions, four short of Denis Law's team-record mark of 46 in the 1963–64 season. The top scorer in the Champions League, Ronaldo was named best forward and player of the tournament.[162] Ronaldo's 31 goal haul was rewarded with his becoming the first winger to win the 2007–08 European Golden Shoe, finishing eight points ahead of Mallorca's Dani Güiza.[163] 2008–09 season Ronaldo and Manchester United against Albert Riera and rivals Liverpool

In May, Manchester United chief executive David Gill and manager Alex Ferguson both stated that Ronaldo would stay at the club,[164] while David Beckham said: "I believe he's at the right club now, a club he should stay at".[165] However, on 5 June, Sky Sports reported that Ronaldo had expressed an interest in moving to Real Madrid if they offered him the same amount of money the team had allegedly promised him earlier in the year.[166][167] Manchester United filed a tampering complaint with FIFA on 9 June over Madrid's alleged pursuit of Ronaldo, but FIFA declined to take any action.[168][169]

In July, FIFA president Sepp Blatter claimed that Ronaldo should be allowed to leave, saying: "If the player wants to play somewhere else, then a solution should be found because if he stays in a club where he does not feel comfortable to play then it's not good for the player and for the club", and described the situation as "modern slavery",[170] comments Ronaldo agreed with.[171][172] The comments annoyed United manager Alex Ferguson, who said "I do not want to dignify this kind of statement with a response but when you consider the history of slavery, it was a very unfortunate statement".[173] Speculation that a transfer would happen continued until 6 August, when Ronaldo confirmed that he would stay at United for at least another year, stating: "I will play for Manchester with all my heart and soul. I will fight and honour that shirt with the same commitment and dedication as always".[174][175][176] When rumours surfaced again in December about a move to Real Madrid, Ferguson quipped: "Do you think I would enter into a contract with that mob? Absolutely no chance. I would not sell them a virus".[177][178]

Prior to the new season, Ronaldo underwent ankle surgery in Amsterdam on 7 July,[179] ruling him out for up to three months.[180] He returned to action earlier than expected on 17 September in United's goalless UEFA Champions League group stage draw with Villarreal as a substitute for Park Ji-Sung,[181] and scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 League Cup third round win over Middlesbrough on 23 September.[182]

On 29 October, Ronaldo began to show similar form to the previous season when he scored both goals in a 2–0 victory against West Ham,[183] and scored two goals three days later against Hull City in a 4–3 win.[184] He again scored a brace in a 5–0 win over Stoke City on 15 November 2008, with the goals being his 100th and 101st goals in all competitions for Manchester United, both coming from direct free kicks.[185] The goals also meant that Ronaldo had now scored against each of the other 19 teams in the Premier League at the time.[186] On 30 November, he received the third red card of his career when he was sent off for a second bookable offence against Manchester City for handball.[187]

All these great players over the years, the Maradonas, Cruyffs, Pelés - they all took a kick. It didn't deter them at all. I remember wee Jimmy Johnstone at Celtic: he'd go straight at the defender who'd just fouled him to let him know he wouldn't be bullied. Cristiano has a similar thing. He had an operation in the summer, which was the result of consistent tackling on him, but he's naturally brave. I don't think it ever stopped Maradona, I don't think it stopped Pele. If you're them, you don't think of that when you have a ball at your feet, because that's what you want. It won't stop Cristiano and that's not getting recognised. He's always wanting to do something with the ball, yet the fans chant, 'Cheat!' Well, who is the cheat? Who's cheating football? Not Cristiano. “ ” — Alex Ferguson.[188]

On 2 December, Ronaldo became Manchester United's first Ballon d'Or recipient since George Best in 1968. He finished with 446 points, 165 ahead of runner-up Lionel Messi,[189] and said that it was "one of the most beautiful days of my life".[190] On 18 December, he scored in the 5–3 semi-final victory over Gamba Osaka in the Club World Cup,[191] and, after assisting the winning goal as United beat LDU Quito 1–0 in the final.[192] was awarded the Silver Ball, an award given to the second best player in the tournament, finishing runner-up to Wayne Rooney.[193] On 12 January, he became the first Premier League player ever to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year, in addition to being the first Portuguese player to win the award since Luís Figo in 2001.[194]

On 27 January, Ronaldo scored two goals in a 5–0 win against West Bromwich Albion,[195] before scoring a penalty in a 1–0 win against Everton four days later.[196] He again scored the winning goal, this time against Blackburn Rovers on 21 February with a free-kick which helped put United eight points clear at the top of the table.[197] On 5 April, Ronaldo scored another two goals against Aston Villa, but was overshadowed by debutant Federico Macheda, who scored a last-minute winner to put United top of the league following consecutive defeats to Liverpool and Fulham.[198] Another brace came on 25 April, as United came from 2–0 down at half-time to beat Tottenham Hotspur 5–2, with Ronaldo scoring the first from the penalty spot, as well as the crucial third goal.[199] On 10 May, he scored his final ever goal for United in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford with a free-kick which put United 1–0 up.[200]

On 11 March, Ronaldo scored his first Champions League goal of the season, and first since the final against Chelsea, in a 2–0 victory over Inter Milan that sent United into the quarter-finals.[201] In the second leg against Porto on 15 April, Ronaldo scored a 40-yard game-winning goal as United advanced to the semi-finals. For this goal, Ronaldo holds the distinction of being the first player to win the FIFA Puskás Award, in 2009, an honour handed by FIFA to the best goal of the year.[202] He later called it the best goal he had ever scored.[203][204] In the semi-final second leg, Ronaldo scored two against Arsenal including a free-kick from 39.1 yards as United advanced to the Champions League final,[205] where he made little impact in United's 2–0 loss to Barcelona.[206][207] He finished with 53 appearances in all competitions, which was four higher than the previous year, but scored sixteen fewer goals (26) than his career-best total of 42 from the previous season. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for a fourth consecutive year.[208]

On 11 June, Manchester United accepted an unconditional offer of £80 million from Real Madrid for Ronaldo after it was revealed that he again had expressed his desire to leave the club.[209] It was confirmed by a representative of the Glazer family that the sale was fully condoned by Ferguson.[210] When Ronaldo had eventually completed his transfer to Real, he expressed his gratitude towards Ferguson for helping him develop as a player, saying, "He's been my father in sport, one of the most important factors and most influential in my career".[211] Real Madrid 2009–10 season

I have nothing but praise for the boy. He is easily the best player in the world. His contribution as a goal threat is unbelievable. His stats are incredible. Strikes at goal, attempts on goal, raids into the penalty box, headers. It is all there. Absolutely astounding. “ ” — Alex Ferguson, after Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid.[212]

On 26 June 2009, Real Madrid confirmed that Ronaldo would join the club on 1 July 2009 from Manchester United for £80 million (€94 million) becoming the most expensive footballer in history,[213] after agreeing terms and signing a six-year contract. Ronaldo's contract was worth €11 million per year[214] and had a €1 billion buy-out clause.[215] He was presented to the world media as a Real Madrid player on 6 July,[216] where he was handed the number 9 shirt.[217] The shirt was presented to him by Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano.[218] Ronaldo was welcomed by between 80,000 and 85,000 fans at his presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, surpassing Diego Maradona's record of 75,000 fans when he was presented in Italy, after he was transferred from Barcelona to Napoli in 1984.[219] Ronaldo and Real Madrid against Diego Forlán and city rivals Atlético Madrid.

Ronaldo made his Madrid debut on 21 July in a 1–0 win over Shamrock Rovers. His first goal came a week later with a penalty in Madrid's 4–2 win over LDU Quito.[220] On 29 August, Ronaldo capped his La Liga debut with a goal, scoring Real's second from the penalty spot in a 3–2 home win against Deportivo La Coruña.[221] On 15 September, Ronaldo scored two free kicks in a 5–2 away victory over Zürich, his first Champions League goals for Real.[222] He broke a Madrid club record when he scored in a league match against Villarreal and thus became the first ever player to score in his first four La Liga appearances.[223]

An ankle injury suffered on 10 October, while Ronaldo was on international duty with Portugal against Hungary, kept him out until 25 November, which in turn caused him to miss both of Madrid's Champions League group stage matches against Milan.[224][225] Ronaldo made his first post-injury start in a 1–0 El Clásico defeat to Barcelona on 29 November. On 6 December, he was sent off for the first time in his Madrid career during Real's 4–2 victory against Almería, a match which also saw him miss a penalty. He was carded first for removing his shirt during a goal celebration, then for kicking out at an opponent three minutes later.[226]

Ronaldo was second in the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year award and also second in the 2009 Ballon d'Or award. On 5 May 2010, Ronaldo scored his first Real Madrid hat-trick in an away game against Mallorca.[227] Although his first season at Real Madrid ended trophyless, Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuaín scored 53 league goals during the course of the season and became Real's highest scoring league duo in their history.[228] 2010–11 season

With the departure of Raúl during the summer of 2010, Ronaldo was handed the number 7 shirt for Real Madrid.[229] On 23 October 2010, Ronaldo scored four goals against Racing de Santander, the most goals he had ever scored in a single match.[230] This completed a goalscoring run of six consecutive matches (three in La Liga, one in the Champions League, and two for Portugal) in which Ronaldo scored in each match, totalling 11 goals, which is the most Ronaldo has scored in a single month. On 20 November, Ronaldo scored his second La Liga hat-trick of the season in a 5–1 win over Athletic Bilbao.[231] His final match of the calendar year saw him score a hat-trick in an 8–0 trashing of Levante in the Copa del Rey.[232] Ronaldo during a friendly game against Peñarol before the beginning of the season.

Ronaldo began 2011 with a very promising outlook, especially after Real Madrid acknowledged he had broken numerous goalscoring records, previously settled and held by classic players such as Alfredo Di Stéfano, Hugo Sánchez and Manuel Alday. Ronaldo began his scoring spree by scoring two vital goals in a tight 3–2 victory away to Getafe. He then consolidated his massive performances by scoring a hat-trick and assisting Kaká in a 4–2 victory over Villarreal on 9 January.[233] On 3 March 2011, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 7–0 trashing of Málaga, but was affected by a muscle injury at the end of the match, which forced him to spend 10 days on the sidelines.[234] Ronaldo against Tottenham's (and future team-mate) Gareth Bale in the UEFA Champions League.

In April, he made another massive comeback from injury, sustaining a three-game scoring streak (including two goals in Champions League quarter-finals against Tottenham Hotspur), thus arriving to the first of a historical series of four El Clásico encounters two goals short of breaking his personal record of 42 goals in all competitions in a single season.

During the second league edition of El Clásico, Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot and took his tally to 41 goals, also taking his scoring streak to four games. On 20 April, Ronaldo scored the winning goal against Barcelona in the 103rd minute of the Copa del Rey final.[235] On 7 May Ronaldo scored four goals in a 6–2 victory against Sevilla.[236] These four goals took him to 46 for the season which surpassed his previous record of 42 in a season playing for Manchester United.[237] Three days later he reached 49 goals for the season, by scoring another hat-trick in a 4–0 home win against Getafe.[238] On 15 May, after scoring two free-kick goals in a 3–1 win over Villarreal, he equalled the La Liga record with most goals in a season with 38, a record previously held by Telmo Zarra and Hugo Sánchez.[239]

On 21 May, he scored two goals in the last league match of the season against Almería, taking his Pichichi total to 41, and La Liga total to 40, becoming the only player to score 40 goals in a La Liga season.[240][241] By doing this, he won the European Golden Shoe award once again, becoming the first player to win the trophy in two different leagues.[242] The sports newspaper Marca, which awards the Pichichi Trophy, included the goal scored on 18 September 2010 against Real Sociedad in Ronaldo's goal count, which had been officially attributed to Pepe.[243] Ronaldo also broke Zarra's record of most goals per minute, with a goal scored every 70.7 minutes. Ronaldo's record-breaking figures became a source of major attention from public media, such as being included in the Sports Illustrated World XI,[244] rating him as one of the world's best footballers. Ronaldo ended his second season at Real Madrid with a total of 53 goals in all competitions.[245] 2011–12 season Ronaldo against Ajax during their group stage match in the UEFA Champions League on 27 September 2011

On 17 August 2011, Ronaldo scored his 100th goal with Real Madrid with a first-half equaliser against Barcelona in the second leg of the 2011 Spanish Supercup in the Camp Nou. On 27 August 2011, he opened the 2011–12 La Liga season with a hat-trick in a 6–0 win at Real Zaragoza.[246] On 24 September, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, including two penalties in Real Madrid's 6–2 win over Rayo Vallecano.[247] This was his ninth La Liga hat-trick and tenth hat-trick for Real Madrid. On 27 September, Ronaldo scored Real's opening goal in a 3–0 victory over Ajax in the UEFA Champions League.[248]

After not scoring in his previous three games, Ronaldo scored his tenth La Liga hat-trick in a match away to Málaga on 22 October, which Real Madrid won 4–0.[249] His twelfth Real Madrid hat-trick followed on 6 November in a 7–1 victory over Osasuna.[250] On 26 November 2011, Ronaldo scored two penalties in a 4–1 defeat of Atlético Madrid in the Madrid derby,[251] and then scored another hat-trick in a 6–2 win away to Sevilla on 17 December 2011 to put Real Madrid back on top of the league.[252]

Ronaldo was third in the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, behind Lionel Messi and Xavi, and second in the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or, behind Lionel Messi and ahead of Xavi. In Real Madrid's next game in La Liga at home to Granada Ronaldo scored the fifth goal in a 5–1 win. On 22 January 2012, Ronaldo scored two penalties in a 4–1 win over Athletic Bilbao, and on 28 January scored Real Madrid's second goal in a 3–1 win against Zaragoza. Ronaldo also scored two goals against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey Quarter-finals, which Real lost 4–3 on aggregrate. On 12 February 2012, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 home win over Levante which stretched Real Madrid's lead over Barcelona to 10 points.[253] Ronaldo playing against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League last 16 in February 2012

On 24 March 2012, Ronaldo reached more than 100 goals in La Liga in just three seasons at Real Madrid when he scored the first of his two goals in the match against Real Sociedad, the second quickest La Liga player to reach that milestone in the league after Isidro Lángara, reaching the milestone in 92 matches and breaking the previous club record held by Puskás.[254]

On 11 April, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Atlético Madrid in a 4–1 win, as well as assisting the last goal.[255] His hat-trick, one goal from a free kick, one from 30 yards on the left wing and one penalty, gave him 40 league goals in the season, making him the only player in La Liga history, or in any other major European league, to score 40 goals in two seasons. Ronaldo officially broke his previous record of 40 goals in a La Liga season on 14 April, scoring in a 3–1 win against Sporting Gijón. On 25 April, in the second leg of the semi-finals in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich, Ronaldo scored two goals, including a penalty. Extra time ended with the tie level at 3–3, and Real Madrid were eliminated in the shootout with Ronaldo's kick being saved by Manuel Neuer.[256]

On 13 May 2012, the last matchday, Ronaldo scored against Mallorca which made him the first player ever to score against every team in a single season in La Liga.[20] He ended his third season at Real Madrid by winning his first league title with the club, with a record 100 points, notching a total of 46 league goals and 60 goals in all competitions, breaking the Real Madrid record he had set the previous season. Real Madrid's attacking trio of Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain became the most prolific trio in Spanish league history, scoring 89 league goals, and surpassed the 72 league goals of Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry from the 2008–09 season.[257] 2012–13 season Ronaldo during a friendly game against Milan before the beginning of the season.

Ronaldo started the season by lifting the Supercopa de España with Real Madrid, scoring two goals in a 4–4 away goals aggregate win against Barcelona. The goal in the first leg made him the first Madrid player in the history of El Clásico to score for the fourth game in a row at the Camp Nou,[258] with the winning goal in the second leg, Ronaldo equalled the Real Madrid record of Iván Zamorano of scoring in five consecutive El Clásico matches.[259] On 30 August, Ronaldo was second (tied with Lionel Messi) in the 2011–12 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award with 17 votes, behind winner Andrés Iniesta.[260]

On 2 September 2012, Ronaldo scored his first two league goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Granada, with the second being 150th goal for Real Madrid.[261] This goal made him the 10th highest scorer for Real Madrid in all competitions. Ronaldo was substituted at the 63rd minute by team mate Gonzalo Higuaín, due to a minor thigh injury. Afterwards, Ronaldo claimed that he was unhappy with a "professional issue" after he refused to celebrate his 149th and 150th goals for the club. This led to reports of controversy between the player and the club, with coach José Mourinho believing that UEFA's decision to elect Iniesta as the best player in Europe in 2011–12 could have been one of the reasons behind Ronaldo's unhappiness.[262]

On 18 September, Ronaldo scored his first Champions League goal of the season in a 3–2 victory over Manchester City. On 30 September, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick (including two penalties), his first La Liga hat-trick of the season in a 5–1 win over Deportivo de La Coruña. On 4 October, Ronaldo scored his first career hat-trick in the Champions League as he led Real Madrid to a 4–1 victory over Ajax.[263] He hit a brace four dats later against Barcelona in a 2–2 draw at Camp Nou, making him the first and only player to score in six consecutive El Clásicos.[264] On 1 December, after not scoring in his previous three games, Ronaldo scored a goal from a free kick and assisted Özil to score the second goal in a 2–0 victory over Atlético Madrid.[265]

If Messi is the best on the planet, Ronaldo is the best in the universe. If you are going to give out the Ballon d'Or because a player is the best, give it to Cristiano or Messi. But I ask: if the two are on the same level, is it normal that one wins four and the other one? It is not. “ ” — José Mourinho, when asked about the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or.[266]

On 6 January, following the 2012–13 winter break, Ronaldo scored a brace to lift 10-man Real Madrid to a 4–3 victory over Real Sociedad. The match represented the first time that Ronaldo captained Real Madrid in an official match,[267] but received his fifth yellow card of the season and was suspended for the team's next league game at Osasuna serving a one-game ban. This was the first time Ronaldo was suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards, having only previously missed games when being given a straight red card.[268] On 7 January, he was second in the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or, for the fourth time behind Lionel Messi.[269] On 9 January, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Celta Vigo in the second leg of a Copa del Rey game.[270] Following a first leg victory over Valencia in the Copa del Rey on 15 January, Ronaldo got into an argument with manager José Mourinho.[271][272] On 27 January, Ronaldo scored a perfect hat-trick against Getafe in a 4–0 win, including his 300th club goal.[273] On 30 January, against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, Ronaldo made his 500th club appearances. He was the first non-Spanish to captain Real Madrid in a Clásico in the last 60 years.[274]

Ronaldo faced his former club Manchester United for the first time on 13 February in the Champions League Round of 16 and scored the equaliser in a 1–1 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu.[275] On 21 February, Ronaldo scored another hat-trick against Sevilla, his 21st hat-trick of his career and his 17th in La Liga.[276] On 26 February, Ronaldo scored twice against Barcelona in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals, making this the sixth consecutive trip to the Camp Nou in which he had scored.[277] Ronaldo then scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory against Manchester United on 5 March, which was his return to Old Trafford for the first time since his world-record £80 million move to Real Madrid in 2009.[278] Thereafter, Ronaldo stated he was "sad" and had a "strange feeling" after his goal knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League.[279]

On 10 March, Ronaldo struck twice against Celta Vigo to send Real Madrid above city rivals Atlético into second place in La Liga.[280] The second goal, his 138 goal in La Liga, earned him a place in the top 25 goalscorers in the history of La Liga in just 127 games, recording an average of 1.08 goals per game, the highest of all the top 25 goalscorers.[281] On 16 March, Ronaldo scored the equaliser in a 5–2 victory against Mallorca, which was his 350 goal in his career.[281][282] On 3 April, Ronaldo scored the opening goal against Galatasaray in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.[283] On 9 April, Ronaldo scored twice in the second leg against Galatasaray to send Real Madrid to the semi-finals in the Champions League, winning 5–3 on aggregate.[284]

Ronaldo picked up an a thigh muscle injury while warming up for the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg on 24 April, where he scored an away goal in a 4–1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.[285] He was absent from Real Madrid's next game against Atlético Madrid, but returned to action on 30 April for the 2–0 second leg victory against Dortmund (a 4–3 aggregate defeat).[286] On 4 May, Ronaldo scored two headers against Real Valladolid in a 4–3 home win.[287] The British media reported that Manchester United chief executive David Gill was in Madrid to talk with Ronaldo's agent about a return to Old Trafford,[288] but other media outlets reported that United would struggle to re-sign him after the announcement of Alex Ferguson's retirement as manager of Manchester United.[289]

Ronaldo scored his 200th goal for Real Madrid on 8 May in a 6–2 win against Málaga. This figure made him sixth in the list of the club's all-time top scorers and the player that took fewest matches (197) to reach 200 goals.[290] On 17 May, Ronaldo headed the opening goal from a Mesut Özil corner in the 14th minute of the eventual 2–1 Copa del Rey final defeat to Atletico Madrid, which was also his 111 goal (201 overall) in his 100th home appearance.[291] He was shown a straight red card in the 114th minute of extra time of the final for an altercation with Gabi.[292] He was charged for the accumulation of yellow cards and violent conduct by the RFEF, banned for the two games in the last 16 of the 2013–14 Copa del Rey.[293]

Ronaldo ended his fourth season at Real Madrid as the Champions League top goalscorer for a second time in his career with 12 goals. In the league, Real Madrid failed to defend their La Liga title, finishing runners up to arch-rivals Barcelona, and were eliminated in the semi-finals in the UEFA Champions League for the third consecutive year. Accounting for all competitions, Ronaldo ended the season with a total of 55 goals, having scored 19 goals with his right foot (excluding free kicks and penalty kicks), 16 with his left foot and 9 with his head.[294] 2013–14 season Ronaldo against Galatasaray during their group stage match in the UEFA Champions League on 17 September 2013.

Real Madrid's failure to win major silverware last season and reports of division in the dressing room had prompted speculation that Ronaldo, whose contract runs until June 2015, might be seeking a move away from the Spanish capital.[295][296][297] On 8 June, Ronaldo moved to quell the speculation over his future by insisting that he would reach a deal to renew his contract with Real Madrid.[298] On 3 July, Ronaldo admitted that he was missing the English Premier League, but ruled out an imminent move back to Old Trafford.[299]

On 18 August, Ronaldo made his 200th competitive appearance for Real Madrid in a 2–1 home win over Real Betis.[300] Ronaldo had not scored during the first two league games, but against Athletic Bilbao on 1 September 2013, he scored his first of the season in a 3–1 home victory.[301]

After months of speculation surrounding his future,[302] Ronaldo signed a new contract with Real Madrid on 15 September that would keep him at the club until 2018, with a salary of €17 million (after taxes), making him the highest paid player in football.[303][304]

On 17 September, Ronaldo scored the second Champions League hat-trick of his career in Real Madrid's opening group match of the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League, a 6–1 away win against Galatasaray.[305] On 22 September, Ronaldo scored twice in a 4–1 home victory against Getafe CF, with his second goal coming from a backheel which made him the fifth highest scorer in the club's history with 208 goals.[306] In his 100th game in the European competitions against Copenhagen on 2 October, Ronaldo scored a brace as Real Madrid went on to a 4–0 home victory.[307] On 5 October 2013, Ronaldo scored a 94th-minute winner against Levante.[308] On 23 October, Ronaldo scored twice in a 2–1 home victory against Juventus to become the Champions League's third all-time highest goalscorer with 57 goals.[309] On 30 October, Ronaldo scored his 18th La Liga hat-trick in a 7–3 home win against Sevilla.[310]

In a debate at Oxford Union in October, when asked whether FIFA president Sepp Blatter preferred Messi or Ronaldo, Blatter paid tribute to the work ethic of the Argentine before taking a swipe at Ronaldo, claiming "one of them has more expenses for the hairdresser than the other". Real Madrid demanded – and promptly received – a full apology, and the Portuguese issued his own riposte with a mock-salute celebration after scoring a penalty against Sevilla, after Blatter had described him as a "commander" on the pitch.[311]

In his 106 away appearances for Real Madrid on 2 November, Ronaldo scored his 100th away goal as he hit a brace in a 3–2 away victory against Rayo Vallecano, averaging 0.94 per game.[312] On 5 November 2013, Ronaldo broke the record held for Champions League goals scored in a calendar year with 14 goals, after he equalised for Real Madrid in a 2–2 draw at Juventus. On 9 November 2013, Ronaldo scored his 19th La Liga hat-trick (one from open play, a penalty and a direct free kick) in a 5–1 home victory against Real Sociedad, which made him second in the all time League hat-trick list. The direct free kick was his 20th direct free kick goal for Real Madrid, one more than free kick specialist Ronaldinho scored with Barcelona.[313]

After his strong form in the 2013–14 campaign by which he had scored 32 goals from 22 matches played for both club and country by the middle of November, including five hat-tricks, Ronaldo suggested that he could be in the "best form of his life".[314] On 23 November 2013, Ronaldo was replaced by Jesé in the 52nd minute against Almería after suffering a muscle strain, which would keep him out for one to two weeks.[315] Ronaldo made his return in a 2–0 away victory against Copenhagen in the Champions League on 10 December and went on to break the record for most goals scored in the Champions League group stages with 9 goals.[316] His final match of the calendar year saw him score a header in a 3–2 away win against Valencia, ending the year with a tally of 69 goals in 59 appearance, his highest year-end goal tally.[317][318] With the goal, he became the club's fourth top scorer in the league with 164 league goals, equalling the tally gained by Hugo Sánchez. He also become the second top scorer in matches played away from home with 72 goals, 15 behind the record holder Raúl with 87.[319]

Ronaldo is a unique player for all of his talent and his professionalism. He is a player who is extraordinarily consistent. “ ” —Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.[320]

In Real Madrid's first match following the 2013–14 winter break, Ronaldo score a brace in a 3–0 home victory against Celta Vigo, including his 400th professional career goal in 653 games for club and country. He dedicated his two goals to Eusébio, who had died two days before.[3] On 13 January 2014, Ronaldo won the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or, beating Lionel Messi, who had won the prize the previous four years, and Franck Ribéry.[321] This was his second Ballon d'Or overall, becoming the 10th multiple winner of the football's top individual prize. He also became the third player to win the award after playing at least a full calendar year at Real Madrid.[322] Ronaldo had been runner-up on another four occasions: 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012.[323] A tearful Ronaldo described receiving the accolade as "no words to describe this moment" and "it's hard to win this award".[324] The achievement fuelled media to recognise Ronaldo as one of the greatest players in football history,[325][326][327] with Pelé stating that Ronaldo must continue to maintain his exceptional high standards.[328]

On 11 February 2014, in the Spanish Cup's semifinals second leg, Ronaldo scored a brace in a 2–0 away win against Atlético Madrid to surpass Luis Aragonés as the top scorer in the history of 'Copa' games between Real and Atlético with 5 goals.[329] His seventh-minute penalty meant Ronaldo had scored in every single minute of a 90-minute football match.[330] With a brace against Schalke 04 in a 6–1 victory on 26 February 2014, Ronaldo become the first player to score 10 or more goals in 3 consecutive Champions League campaigns.[331] Ronaldo against city rivals Atletico Madrid on 28 September 2013.

On 15 March 2014, after he scored the only goal of the match against Málaga, Ronaldo become the first player to score 25 goals in five consecutive league seasons.[332] On 18 March 2014, Ronaldo scored two goals against Schalke 04 in the second leg of the Champions League's round-of–16, allowing him to surpass his personal record of 12 goals in a single UEFA Champions League season, putting him just one behind Lionel Messi's record of 14 goals from the 2011–12 season. On 29 March 2014, with a goal against Rayo Vallecano, Ronaldo equalled Lionel Messi's record of scoring in 10 consecutive games.[333]

In Ronaldo's 100th Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund on 2 April 2014,[334] he scored his record-equalling 14th Champions League goal of the season in a 3–0 home victory, which also tied him with Alfredo Di Stéfano as Real Madrid's joint second top scorer in European competition with 49 goals, behind only Raúl with 66 goals.[335] With the goal, Ronaldo also became the first player to score in 8 consecutive Champions League matches.[336] Ronaldo was substituted with 10 minutes to play due to a thigh injury, and missed four matches, including Real Madrid's Copa del Rey final victory against Barcelona at Mestalla Stadium.[337]

Ronaldo made his return on 23 April 2014 in the Champions League semi-final first leg win over Bayern Munich.[338] He scored a brace in the next match against Osasuna, his 100th and 101st league goals at the Santiago Bernabéu.[339] On 29 April 2014, with his two goals against Bayern Munich in a 4–0 away win at the Allianz Arena for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, Ronaldo set a new record by becoming the first player to score 16 goals in a single Champions League/European Cup season.[340]

On 4 May 2014, Ronaldo scored a last-minute backheeled volley in the 2–2 home draw with Valencia, to bring his goals total to 50 for the fourth consecutive season.[341] For this goal, Ronaldo holds the distinction of being the first player to win the LFP Best Goal, in 2014, an honour handed by LFP to the best goal of the season.[342] In the Champions League final against cross-town rival Atlético Madrid, he became the first player in history to score in two European Cup finals for two different winning teams, as Los Blancos won their tenth European Cup.[343] Ronaldo was the competition's top goalscorer for the second consecutive season and third overall, with a record 17 goals in a single season as well as a total of 67 goals.[344] In a 2014 UEFA poll, he was named the greatest goalscorer to play in the UEFA Champions League.[345]

Ronaldo finished the season with 31 goals in 30 league games, winning the Pichichi as the top goalscorer in Spain, and shared the European Golden Shoe with Liverpool striker Luis Suárez.[346] 2014–15 season

In your life you do not win without sacrifices and you must take risks. If I had stopped I would have been fine. I did not want to miss the final of the Champions League or the World Cup. I was not fully fit, but I forced the issue. “ ” —Ronaldo, on his patellar tendinitis problems.[347]

Following his patellar tendinitis problems that troubled him during the last few games of the 2013–14 season and at the 2014 FIFA World Cup,[348] Ronaldo scored twice in Los Blancos' first competitive game of the season (a 2–0 victory) against Sevilla in the 2014 UEFA Super Cup.[349] With his two goals, Ronaldo tied second in the list of top scorers in European club competitions with 70 goals.[350] After the opening game of the La Liga season, where he scored the second in a 2–0 home win against Córdoba, Carlo Ancelotti announced that Ronaldo would do "specific work to improve his condition."[351] On 28 August 2014, Ronaldo won the 2013–14 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, after making the final three nominees in each of the four years that the accolade was held.[352] He returned to action in a 2–1 defeat to Atlético Madrid on 13 September, where he played on the right wing and provided 10 crosses into the penalty box.[353]

On 20 September, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Deportivo in an 8–2 away win,[354] scoring his first goal at the Estadio Riazor.[355] It was his 20th La Liga hat-trick, two away from Telmo Zarra and Alfredo Di Stéfano's all-time record of 22 hat-tricks.[356] Ronaldo also equalled Lionel Messi's record of hat-tricks away from home with seven hat-tricks.[357] Three days later he scored four goals, including two penalties, in a 5–1 victory against Elche. This was his 25th hat-trick for Real Madrid in all competitions, 3 hat-tricks behind the record holder, Alfredo Di Stéfano.[358] Having scored seven goals in 72 hours his coach Carlo Ancelotti stated: "The movements he makes are very quick and that's why they come as a surprise. He is always in just the right position because he has a unique gift for movement".[359] With 186 goals in 169 La Liga matches, Ronaldo broke into the top ten scorers in La Liga.[360] Ronaldo playing against FC Schalke 04 in the Champions League on 11 March 2015.

On 5 October, he scored yet another hat-trick, this time against Athletic Bilbao in a 5–0 win.[361] With two goals against Levante in a 5–0 win, Ronaldo set a record scoring start in a Spanish league season, increasing his league-leading tally to 15 goals in eight rounds despite missing one game due to injury.[362] On 22 October away at Liverpool, where he scored the opening goal in a 3–0 win, Ronaldo become the first player to score in ten consecutive Champions League away games and equalled Messi's record of scoring in 22 different stadiums in Europe.[363] With his strike against Barcelona in a 3–1 home victory three days later, Ronaldo had scored 15 goals in his last seven league games, breaking the Real Madrid record set by Ferenc Puskas who scored 13 times across seven consecutive league matches in both the 1959–60 and 1960–61 seasons.[364] On Ronaldo's prolific goal-scoring, Manchester United icon Bobby Charlton stated; "Cristiano Ronaldo is changing the game in Spain. With all that pace and power and athleticism, he is driving Real Madrid back into dominance both there and in Europe."[365]

On 6 December 2014, Ronaldo became the fastest player in La Liga history to score 200 goals when, in his 178th La Liga game, he scored a hat-trick against Celta Vigo; his 23rd hat-trick was also a La Liga record.[22] Three days later, Ronaldo surpassed former Real Madrid team-mate Raúl's previous competition record by claiming his 72nd in the Champions League to close in on record-holder Lionel Messi.[366] On 20 December 2014, Ronaldo won the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco, winning the fourth title of the year with Real Madrid; he was awarded the Silver Ball as the second best player of the competition, behind team-mate Sergio Ramos.[367]

On 4 January 2015, Ronaldo scored the opening goal in a 2-1 defeat against Valencia CF at Mestalla Stadium to become Real Madrid's highest scorer in away La Liga games with 88 goals in 91 matches.[368] On 12 January 2015, Ronaldo won the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or;[369][370] he joined Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo in being crowned the best player in the world by FIFA for the third time.[371][372] Ronaldo was given the ninth red card of his career in a 2–1 win over Córdoba on 24 January for kicking and slapping Edimar, which resulted in a two-match ban.[373] Following the winter break, his prolific goal-scoring form dropped, which prompted speculation that he may still be suffering with the tendonitis in his left knee that hampered him at the World Cup finals in Brazil.[374][375]

On 18 February 2015, Ronaldo scored against Schalke 04 in a 2-0 Champions League victory to extend his run of scoring away in the competition to 12 matches.[376] In the round of 16 second leg, he scored twice in a 3–4 defeat to become the outright top scorer in UEFA club competitions with 78 goals, and also become the joint all-time top-scorer in the UEFA Champion's League alongside Messi, with 75 goals.[377] International career Ronaldo playing a friendly against Brazil in February 2007 at the Emirates Stadium.

Cristiano started his international youth career in 2001 being part of the under-15 Portugal team, amassing 34 youth caps and scoring 18 goals overall.[378] Apart from the under-15 team, Ronaldo also represented the under-17, under-20, under-21, and the [Olympic] under-23 national sides, scoring for each team.[378] Ronaldo earned his first senior cap for Portugal in a 1–0 victory against Kazakhstan on 20 August 2003.[379] Euro 2004 and 2004 Summer Olympics

Ronaldo was called up for Euro 2004,[380] scoring his first international goal in a 2–1 group stage loss to eventual champions Greece[381] and scoring again in a 2–1 semi-final win over the Netherlands.[382] He was featured in the UEFA Euro All-Star Team of this competition, providing two assists,[383] despite finishing with only two goals.[384]

Ronaldo also represented Portugal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, scoring a goal in the tournament, although the Portuguese Olympic football squad was eliminated in the first round, finishing bottom of their group with three points after 4-2 defeats to eventual semi-finalists Iraq and quarter-finalists Costa Rica.[385][386] 2006 World Cup

Ronaldo was the second-highest scorer in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification in the European zone with seven goals,[384] and scored his first World Cup goal against Iran (2–0) with a penalty kick in Portugal's second match in the group stage.[387]

During a quarter-final match against England on 1 July 2006, Ronaldo's United teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. The English media speculated that Ronaldo had influenced referee Horacio Elizondo's decision by aggressively complaining, after which he was seen in replays winking at the Portuguese bench following Rooney's dismissal. After the match, Ronaldo insisted that Rooney was a friend and that he was not pushing for Rooney to be sent off.[388] On 4 July, Elizondo clarified that the red card was due to Rooney's infraction and not the fracas between Rooney and Ronaldo that followed.[389]

The angry reaction from the English press caused Ronaldo to consider leaving United,[390] and he allegedly told Spanish sports daily Marca that he wished to move to Real Madrid.[391] In response to the speculation, Ferguson sent Portuguese assistant manager Carlos Queiroz to speak to Ronaldo in attempt to change his mind, a sentiment that was shared by Rooney.[392][393] Ronaldo stayed, and signed his new five-year extension in April 2007.[394]

Ronaldo was booed during Portugal's semi-final defeat to France (0–1),[395] and missed out on the competition's Best Young Player award due to a negative e-mail campaign from England fans.[396] Though the online vote only affected the nomination process, FIFA's Technical Study Group awarded the honour to Germany's Lukas Podolski, citing Ronaldo's behaviour as a factor in the decision.[397] Post-World Cup

One day after his 22nd birthday, Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly against Brazil on 6 February 2007.[398] This move was in honour of Portuguese Football Federation president Carlos Silva, who had died two days earlier. Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari explained, "Mr. Silva asked me to make [Ronaldo] captain as a gesture... [he] is too young to be captain, but Mr. Silva asked me, and now he is no longer with us".[399] Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup Ronaldo was made full-time captain of Portugal after UEFA Euro 2008.

Ronaldo scored eight goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign,[400] behind Poland's Ebi Smolarek, but finished with only one goal in the tournament. When Portugal's squad for the tournament was announced, Ronaldo was given the number 7 shirt for the first time in a major tournament.[401] He was named man of the match in the group match against the Czech Republic, in which Portugal won 3–1.[402] Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals with a 3–2 loss against eventual finalists Germany.[403]

After Portugal's unsuccessful performance in the European Championship, Luiz Felipe Scolari was replaced as Portugal coach with Carlos Queiroz.[404] In July 2008, Queiroz named Ronaldo as the new permanent captain of the Portugal national team.[405]

On 15 June 2010, in Portugal's opening 2010 World Cup match against Côte d'Ivoire, Ronaldo was tackled by right-back Guy Demel, which led to an argument and both being booked. The next day, Portugal contacted FIFA to suggest that Ronaldo's yellow card be rescinded since he was "pulled into" the confrontation after having already moved away from the spot where he was tackled, but the appeal was rejected.[406]

Ronaldo was named man of the match in all three of Portugal's group matches against Côte d'Ivoire (0–0), North Korea (7–0) and Brazil (0–0).[407][408][409] His only goal of the tournament came in Portugal's 7–0 group stage thrashing of North Korea on 21 June,[410] which marked his first international goal in 16 months.[411] The World Cup ended for Portugal with a 1–0 loss against eventual champions Spain in the Round of 16.[412] Euro 2012

Ronaldo scored seven goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, including two strikes against Bosnia in the play-offs for the tournament, and finished behind Germany's Miroslav Klose and the Netherlands' Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (not including the play-offs round). Portugal were drawn in Group B with Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, which was widely referred to as the "group of death" of the tournament.[413] In an interview with Kicker Magazine, Ronaldo stated that: "I will only be fully content with my career when I have lifted a trophy with Portugal".[414][415] Ronaldo against Germany in their group stage match at UEFA Euro 2012.

After the opening 0–1 defeat against Germany, Ronaldo was criticised for under performing, showing frustration at his and his team-mates' errors and for walking off into the changing-rooms straight after the match, rather than thanking the crowd with the team. Ronaldo's team-mate, Nani, later defended him, stating that he had left the pitch as he needed to instantly be treated for a possible injury, also adding that he was under excessive pressure, as football is a team sport.[416]

During the group stage match between Denmark and Portugal (3-2 win), the Denmark fans chanted Lionel Messi's name whenever Ronaldo was on the ball. Ronaldo squandered two gilt-edged one-on-one chances, and Ronaldo looked frustrated and tormented throughout.[417] Asked about the Messi chants, Ronaldo responded irritatedly: "You know where he was at this time last year? Do you know? He was being eliminated in the Copa América, in his own country. I think that's worse, no? And people say that he is the best player in the world. This sort of thing is normal for great players".[418]

In the final group match between Portugal and the Netherlands, Ronaldo scored two goals and had two other chances go against the woodwork to secure a 2–1 victory for Portugal, allowing the team to advance to the quarterfinals.[419]

Ronaldo was further praised for his performance against the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals, where he darted in from behind his marker in the 79th minute and headed a cross from Joao Moutinho, sending Portugal into the semifinals with a 1–0 victory. After scoring the winning goal, he ran to the camera and chanted "para ti" as he had dedicated the goal to his son.[420][421]

In the semi-final against Spain, Ronaldo had several chances, but he sent three shots over the bar.[422] His best chance came in the 90th minute, but shot the ball high and wide.[423] The match ended with penalties, but Ronaldo did not take a penalty in the shootout as he had been slated to take the fifth one, but it never got that far.[424] The Portugal coach, Paulo Bento, knocked back criticism of Ronaldo not being employed earlier in the shootout: "Well we had this plan and if it would have been 4–4 and he would have taken the last penalty we would talk in a different way".[425][426]

Before and throughout the tournament, Ronaldo was particularly hailed by Argentine great Diego Maradona, who described Ronaldo as "the best player on the planet" and went on to say that "[Ronaldo] has shown his countrymen that he does deserve a monument in Lisbon". Ronaldo was included in the UEFA Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament, the second time after 2004, and finished the competition as the joint-top goalscorer with three goals, along with five other players, although Spain's Fernando Torres took the Golden Boot. Though there was no third place playoff, UEFA decided for the first time to award both of the semi-final losers bronze medals.[427] 2014 World Cup Ronaldo, playing for Portugal in June 2013, taking on Luka Modrić of Croatia

On 17 October 2012, Ronaldo won his 100th cap for the Portugal national team in a World Cup qualification match against Northern Ireland (1–1) at Porto's Estádio do Dragão. He became the third youngest European ever to reach that figure in the process, after Germany's Lukas Podolski and Estonia's Kristen Viikmäe.[428]

On 14 August 2013, Ronaldo scored his 40th goal for Portugal in a 1–1 friendly draw against the Netherlands.[429] On 6 September 2013, Ronaldo netted his first international hat-trick in a 15-minute spell in the second half at Windsor Park against Northern Ireland (4–2) in a World Cup qualification match to become Portugal's second-highest scorer ahead of Eusébio. With his goals against Northern Ireland, Ronaldo also established a personal record, since it was the first time that he scored in three consecutive matches with Portugal.[430]

Ronaldo scored eight goals in Portugal's FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign, including all four of the team's goals in the two-legged play-off against Sweden which ensured Portugal's place at the finals.[431] His hat-trick in the second-leg made him tied for Portugal's all-time top goalscorer after equalling Pauleta's record tally of 47 international goals.[432]

On 5 March 2014, Ronaldo netted twice in Portugal's 5–1 friendly win over Cameroon to take his tally to 49 goals, thus becoming his country's all-time leading goalscorer.[433] Going into the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as the team's only star player, any Portugal success at the tournament largely rested on the shoulders of Ronaldo.[434] However, Ronaldo was hampered by thigh injuries towards the end of the 2013–14 season with Real Madrid,[435] and the Portuguese Football Association confirmed on 4 June 2014 that he had a "muscle injury on the back of his left thigh as well as left-leg patellar tendinitis."[436]

Ronaldo regularly trained apart from Portugal's training session in order not to further aggravate his knee and thigh problems and frequently left training early to ice his knee.[437] Though Ronaldo was doubtful for Portugal's 2014 World Cup opener against Germany, he managed to play the full 90 minutes as his side lost 4–0.[437] In relation to his knee injury, on 18 June his doctor, Jose Carlos Noronha, warned Ronaldo that he risks threatening his career by playing on for Portugal at the World Cup.[438] Despite ongoing doubts over his fitness, Ronaldo played in the second match against the United States and delivered an assist for Varela's equaliser in the fifth minute of injury time as the match finished 2–2, keeping alive Portugal's slender World Cup hopes.[439] Playing with strapping on his left knee, Ronaldo scored the late winner against Ghana in a 2–1 victory, but Portugal were kept out of the qualification spots on goal difference.[440] The strike was his 50th goal for Portugal, and he became the first Portuguese player to play and score in three World Cup tournaments.[441] Euro 2016

After missing the first game of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying against Albania due to injury,[442] Ronaldo scored the winner in stoppage time on the 95th minute to help Portugal grab a 1–0 away win in Denmark.[443] With his goal, Ronaldo became the competition's joint all-time leading goalscorer (including qualifying) with 22 goals.[444] A month later, with the only goal to defeat Armenia in Faro, Ronaldo reached a record 23 goals in the European Championship, surpassing Jon Dahl Tomasson of Denmark and Hakan Şükür of Turkey.[445] Style of play Ronaldo in action for Real Madrid against Espanyol in December 2012.

Widely regarded as one of the two best players in the world within his generation (the other being Lionel Messi)[446][447] and as one of the best players to ever play the game,[448] Cristiano Ronaldo plays an attacking role, most often playing as either a striker[449] or as a winger,[450] and is known for his finishing, pace, dribbling, positioning, crossing and free kick ability.[212][451] He is able to play on either wing as well through the center of the pitch, making him a versatile attacker, capable of playing in any offensive position.[452]

Tactically, Ronaldo plays a powerful attacking role, often drifting from the left wing into the centre when moving off the ball.[453] Ronaldo is known to be mentally sharp, with good vision, predicting certain plays, and also possesses quick reactions, opportunism, balance, and agility.[453] Although right footed, he is also able to control the ball, cross, and finish well with his left foot.[453]

Ronaldo is known for his acceleration, technical skill, control and dribbling ability, as well as his flair in beating players during one on one situations.[449] A prolific goalscorer, he is able to finish well both inside the area and from distance with an accurate and powerful shot.[212][454] He is also an accurate penalty kick and set piece specialist, who is renowned for his powerful, bending free kicks.[455] His height, strength, jumping ability and heading technique have given him an edge in winning aerial challenges for balls, with many of his goals often being headers.[449][456] He is also known for his stamina, and in particular, his great pace and acceleration, both with and without the ball; he is currently one of the fastest football players in the world.[457]

Following his arrival at Manchester United, Ronaldo underwent a major body transformation, from a slender youth to an athletically built adult. His well-built, muscular body type allows him to retain possession of the ball.[458] Some figures in football, such as Mike Clegg (former Manchester United strength and conditioning coach) and French great Zinedine Zidane, have praised Ronaldo's work ethic and dedication to improvement on the training field.[459][460] His drive and determination is fuelled by a desire to carve his name in history alongside footballing legends such as Pelé and Diego Maradona,[461] but he has also stated that he would rather be remembered as a role model than one of world football's best players.[462] Ronaldo controlling the ball on his chest during a La Liga game against UD Almería

Ronaldo has also undergone several tactical evolutions throughout his career. While at Sporting Lisbon, and during his first season at Manchester United, in his youth, he was deployed as more of a tricky, "classic" winger, on the right side of midfield, although he would occasionally drift into the centre or switch onto the left wing. In this position, he was able to use his pace, agility, quick feet, and technical skills to take on opponents in one on one situations, often displaying creativity and an array of tricks and feints, such as stepovers; after beating defenders on the wing, he would subsequently play accurate curling crosses into the penalty area.[449] He often undertook individual dribbling runs during his youth.[453] Despite his talent, he was also criticised at times by manager Alex Ferguson, team mates and media for being selfish or overly flamboyant.[463][464] During the next few seasons, however, Ronaldo developed into more of a team player, and his work-rate, strength, and ability to find the net with more consistency improved drastically on the left wing, where he was able to participate in build-up plays, and move into the centre to take shots on goal, after beating defenders. He also began to play a more creative role for his team, functioning as a playmaker at times due to his vision and passing ability.[453] During the 2006-07 season, he managed 19 assists in all competitions.[465] In his final seasons at Manchester United, he began to play an even more prolific, attacking, and central role, playing both as a striker and as a supporting forward, or even as an attacking midfielder on occasion.[453]

At Real Madrid, Ronaldo continued to play a more offensive role for his team, shown by his record breaking goalscoring feats, while his creative and defensive duties became more limited.[453] He also became a more efficient and consistent player at Real Madrid where he was also able to excel due to their counter-attacking style of play.[466] While he was initially deployed as a centre-forward, he was later moved back onto the left wing, but in a free tactical role, which made it harder for defenders to track his runs Into the penalty area, allowing him to find the back of the net more often.[467][468]

Ronaldo has at times been criticised for diving when tackled, about which José Mourinho responded, "Cristiano is a player who does not have the culture of the swimming pool, he has no culture of simulation, he is a British-trained player, Ferguson trained. In some cases, the simulators are given more protection, and those who are honest are often the losers. I'm not a hypocrite if I say that they (defenders) hit Cristiano very hard, and that the yellow cards do not arrive or are slow in coming".[469]

Earlier in his career, Ronaldo had been described as having an "arrogant image" on the field with Ronaldo stating that he had become a "victim", because of how he was portrayed in the media.[470] He is often seen moaning, gesticulating and scowling while trying to inspire his team to victory, with Ronaldo insisting that his competitive nature should not be mistaken for arrogance.[470] His managers, team-mates and various journalists have commented that this reputation has caused an unfair image of him.[471][472][473][474][475][476] In 2014, Ronaldo told France Football that he had made a "mistake" when he said in 2011, "People are jealous of me as I am young handsome and rich", adding that he had matured since then and fans understood him better.[477]

Ronaldo's direct football style, skill and goalscoring ability have been his most noticeable traits throughout his career, and his overall talent has at times led him to be considered a decisive player who stands out it games, and who can be a match changer.[478] “ 	"Maturity brings many things. When I went to see them play against City, some of his decision-making in terms of passing was brilliant. One-touch passing, good crosses. In the six years we had him, you just saw his game grow all the time, and he was a fantastic player. Now you see the complete player. His decision-making, his maturity, his experience, plus all the great skills he has got, they all make him the complete player".[479] 	” — Alex Ferguson on the 27-year-old Ronaldo, January 2013 Comparisons to Lionel Messi Main article: Cristiano Ronaldo–Lionel Messi rivalry Ronaldo with Lionel Messi before an international friendly between Portugal and Argentina in Geneva, Switzerland, on 9 February 2011.

Both players have scored in two UEFA Champions League finals and have regularly broken the 50 goal barrier in a single season. Sports journalists and pundits regularly argue the individual merits of both players in an attempt to argue who they believe is the best player in modern football.[480] It has been compared to legendary sports rivalries such as the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier rivalry in boxing which culminated with the Thrilla in Manila, the Borg–McEnroe rivalry in tennis, and the Ayrton Senna-Alain Prost rivalry from Formula One.[481][482]

It's part of my life now. People are bound to compare us. He tries to do his best for his club and for his national team, as I do, and there is a degree of rivalry with both of us trying to do the best for the teams we represent. “ ” —Cristiano Ronaldo commenting on his rivalry with Messi.[483]

Some commentators choose to analyse the differing physiques of the two,[484] while part of the debate revolves around the contrasting personalities of the two players: Ronaldo is sometimes depicted as an arrogant and theatrical showoff, while Messi is portrayed as a shy, humble character.[485][486][487][488]

In a 2012 interview, Ronaldo commented on the rivalry, saying "I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high",[489] while Ronaldo's manager during his time at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson, opined that "I don't think the rivalry against each other bothers them. I think they have their own personal pride in terms of wanting to be the best".[490] Messi himself denied any rivalry, saying that it was "only the media, the press, who wants us to be at loggerheads but I've never fought with Cristiano".[491] Responding to the claims that he and Messi do not get on well on a personal level, Ronaldo commented; "We don't have a relationship outside the world of football, just as we don't with a lot of other players", before adding that in years to come he hopes they can laugh about it together, stating; "We have to look on this rivalry with a positive spirit, because it's a good thing."[483] Representing arch rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid, the two players face each other at least twice every season in the world's biggest club game, El Clásico, which had a global audience of 400 million viewers in March 2014.[492] Outside football Personal life Ronaldo during his spell at Real Madrid.

Ronaldo's father, José Dinis Aveiro, died of an alcoholism-related liver condition at the age of 52 in September 2005 when Ronaldo was 20.[493][494] Ronaldo has said that he does not drink alcohol and he received libel damages over a Daily Mirror article that reported him drinking heavily in a nightclub while recovering from an injury in July 2008.[495]

In October 2005, a month after his father died, Ronaldo was arrested on suspicion of raping a woman in a London hotel and released on bail.[496] Ronaldo denied the allegations and charges were dropped by Scotland Yard in November 2005 due to "insufficient evidence". Ronaldo issued a statement saying: "I have always strongly maintained my innocence of any wrong-doing and I am glad that this matter is at an end so that I can concentrate on playing for Manchester United".[497]

Ronaldo became a father on 17 June 2010 following the birth of a son.[498] The child, named Cristiano, and nicknamed by the family 'Cristianinho',[499] was born in the United States,[500] and Ronaldo announced that he had full custody.[501] Ronaldo has never publicly revealed the identity of his son's mother.[502]

Ronaldo has previously dated English models Alice Goodwin[503] and Gemma Atkinson. In 2010, he began dating Russian model Irina Shayk, who he allegedly met through their Armani Exchange campaigns.[504] The couple ended their relationship in January 2015.[505] He is a Roman Catholic.[506] Ronaldo does not have tattoos as it would prevent him from donating blood, which he does several times a year.[507] Philanthropy

Television footage of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami showed an eight-year-old boy survivor named Martunis wearing a No. 7 Portuguese football shirt who was stranded for 19 days after his family was killed. Following this, Ronaldo visited Aceh, Indonesia, to raise funds for rehabilitation and reconstruction.[508][509] After accepting undisclosed damages from a libel case against The Sun newspaper in 2008, Ronaldo donated the damages to a charity in Madeira.[510] In 2009, Ronaldo donated £100,000 to the hospital that saved his mother's life in Madeira following her battle with cancer, so that they could build a cancer centre on the island.[511] In support of the victims of the 2010 Madeira flood, Ronaldo pledged to play in a charity match in Madeira between the Primeira Liga club FC Porto and players from Madeiran based clubs Marítimo and Nacional.[512]

In 2012, Ronaldo and his agent paid for specialist treatment for a nine-year-old Canarian boy with apparently terminal cancer.[513] In November 2012, Ronaldo sold the golden boot he had won in 2011 for €1.5 million and gave the money to fund schools for children in Gaza.[514] In December 2012, Ronaldo joined FIFA's '11 for Health' programme to raise awareness amongst kids of how to steer clear of conditions including drug addiction, HIV, malaria and obesity.[515][516]

In January 2013, Ronaldo became Save the Children's new Global Artist Ambassador, in which he hopes to help fight child hunger and obesity.[517] In March, Ronaldo agreed to be the ambassador for The Mangrove Care Forum in Indonesia, an organisation aiming to raise awareness of mangrove conservation.[518]

In November 2014, Ronaldo appeared in FIFA's "11 against Ebola" campaign with a selection of top football players from around the world, including Neymar, Gareth Bale, Xavi and African superstar Didier Drogba.[519] Under the slogan "Together, we can beat Ebola", FIFA's campaign was done in conjunction with the Confederation of African Football and health experts, with the players holding up eleven messages to raise awareness of the disease and ways to combat it.[519] Wealth

In May 2014, Forbes ranked Ronaldo first in their list of the world's highest paid football players, with earnings of $73 million in combined income from salaries, bonuses and off-field earnings for the previous 12 months.[520]

On the most recently published ranking of 'The World's Highest-Paid Athletes' by Forbes, Cristiano Ronaldo was second (behind boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr.) with total earnings of $80 million over a 12-month period.[521] Endorsements

One of the most marketable athletes on the planet, Ronaldo has signed many endorsement deals as his reputation rapidly grew from his time at Manchester United.[522][523] In October 2009, Ronaldo was named the new "spokesmodel" for Emporio Armani men's underwear and jeans.[524] In February 2010, he re-upped his endorsement contract with American sportswear company Nike until 2014.[525]

He has worn Nike Mercurial boots his entire career,[526] alternating between the Vapor & Superfly models depending on which is the top tier Nike boot at the time. Since 2010 Nike have created signature Ronaldo boots, the first the Superfly II Safari CR7,[527] and the latest in 2014 the Mercurial Superfly CR7.[528] Ronaldo's other endorsement deals include Coca-Cola, Castrol, Konami, Banco Espirito Santo, Motorola, Jacob & Co., KFC, Tag Heuer, Fly Emirates, Samsung and Sacoor Brothers.[523][529][530][531][532][533][534] Fashion

In 2006, Ronaldo opened a fashion boutique under the name "CR7" (his initials and shirt number) on the island of Madeira, Portugal. Ronaldo expanded his business with a second clothes boutique in Lisbon in 2008. The stores include diamond-studded belts, jeans with leather pockets and patented buckled loafers. The store also sells slinky outfits for women.[535]

In 2013, in partnership with Danish company JBS Textile Group and the New York fashion designer Richard Chai, Ronaldo co-designed a range of underwear.[536] He later grew his CR7 fashion brand by launching a line of premium shirts[537] and shoes.[538] Media

Ronaldo's autobiography, titled Moments, was published in December 2007.[539] In June 2010, during the build-up to the World Cup, Ronaldo became the fourth footballer – after Steven Gerrard, Pelé and David Beckham – to be represented as a waxwork at Madame Tussauds London.[540] In December 2013, the Madrid Wax Museum represented a waxwork of Ronaldo.[541] Ronaldo is sponsored by the U.S. sportswear company Nike and features in their television advertisements.[542]

Ronaldo was featured on the front cover of the video games FIFA Street 2 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008. He was later featured on the cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 and was involved in promotional campaigns for the game.[543] In December 2011, Ronaldo launched an iPhone game called Heads Up with Cristiano. The game is created by developer RockLive.[544] He was then the face of Pro Evolution Soccer 2013, and was also involved in the motion capturing and the trailers.[545] Ronaldo also features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series as well as the spin-off franchise FIFA Street, appearing in every game since FIFA Football 2004.

In August 2010, Ronaldo became the first sportsperson to reach 50 million followers on Facebook;[546] In October 2014, Ronaldo became the first sportsperson, and the second person after Shakira, to reach 100 million followers on Facebook.[547] He also tops the list of most-followed athletes on Twitter with over 30 million followers.[547] According to Forbes, Ronaldo had the 5th highest social rank in the world in 2012, bettered only by Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Katy Perry.[548]

In September 2011, Ronaldo's physical performance was subject to scrutiny by world media, after Castrol released a television film named Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit where he was tested in several fields, including mental and physical tests.[549] In July 2012, computer security company McAfee produced a report ranking footballers by the probability of an internet search for their name leading to an unsafe website. Ronaldo's name led the list.[550] The opening of the Cristiano Ronaldo Museum, "CR7", in Funchal, Madeira, on 15 December 2013.

In 2012, SportsPro rated Ronaldo as the fifth most marketable athlete in the world,[551] but he slipped to eighth position in 2013 with Brazilian star Neymar topping both lists.[552] A January 2014 report on the market value of Lionel Messi rated Messi as "five times more marketable" than Ronaldo.[553] In May 2014, international sports market research company Repucom named Ronaldo the most marketable football player in the world.[554]

In December 2013, Ronaldo opened a museum, Museu CR7, in his hometown of Funchal, to house trophies and memorabilia of his life and playing career,[555] and launched a dedicated social networking website and mobile app.[556]

At a ceremony held at the Belém Palace in January 2014, President of Portugal Aníbal Cavaco Silva raised Ronaldo to the rank of Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry, "to distinguish an athlete of world renown who has been a symbol of Portugal globally, contributing to the international projection of the country and setting an example of tenacity for future generations".[557] In April 2014, he was named in the Time 100, Time Magazine '​s annual list of the most influential people in the world.[558] In May 2014, Ronaldo appeared with his then-Russian model girlfriend Irina Shayk on the front cover of Vogue's Spanish edition.[559]

A bronze statue of Ronaldo, designed by artist Ricardo Madeira Veloso, was unveiled in his hometown of Funchal on the island of Madeira on 21 December 2014.[560][561] Career statistics Club

As of match played 22 March 2015

Club statistics Club 	Season 	League 	National Cup 	League Cup 	Europe[a] 	Other[b] 	Total Division 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals 	Apps 	Goals Sporting CP 	2002–03[562] 	Primeira Liga 	25 	3 	3 	2 	— 	3 	0 	0 	0 	31 	5 Total 	25 	3 	3 	2 	— 	3 	0 	0 	0 	31 	5 Manchester United 	2003–04[563] 	Premier League 	29 	4 	5 	2 	1 	0 	5 	0 	0 	0 	40 	6 2004–05[563] 	33 	5 	7 	4 	2 	0 	8 	0 	0 	0 	50 	9 2005–06[563] 	33 	9 	2 	0 	4 	2 	8 	1 	— 	47 	12 2006–07[563] 	34 	17 	7 	3 	1 	0 	11 	3 	— 	53 	23 2007–08[563] 	34 	31 	3 	3 	0 	0 	11 	8 	1 	0 	49 	42 2008–09[563] 	33 	18 	2 	1 	4 	2 	12 	4 	2 	1 	53 	26 Total 	196 	84 	26 	13 	12 	4 	55 	16 	3 	1 	292 	118 Real Madrid 	2009–10[564] 	La Liga 	29 	26 	0 	0 	— 	6 	7 	— 	35 	33 2010–11[565] 	34 	40[c] 	8 	7 	— 	12 	6 	— 	54 	53 2011–12[566] 	38 	46 	5 	3 	— 	10 	10 	2 	1 	55 	60 2012–13[567] 	34 	34 	7 	7 	— 	12 	12 	2 	2 	55 	55 2013–14[568] 	30 	31 	6 	3 	— 	11 	17 	— 	47 	51 2014–15[569] 	25 	31 	2 	1 	— 	8 	8 	5 	2 	40 	42 Total 	190 	208 	28 	21 	— 	59 	60 	9 	5 	286 	294 Career total 	411 	295 	57 	36 	12 	4 	117 	76 	12 	6 	609 	417

Includes appearances in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup. Includes appearances in the FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Community Shield and Supercopa de España.

Does not include one goal scored on 18 September 2010 against Real Sociedad. Marca, which awards the Pichichi Trophy, attribute it to Ronaldo, while La Liga and UEFA attribute it to Pepe.[243]

International Ronaldo (left) playing against Argentina in Geneva, Switzerland on 9 February 2011.

As of match played 29 March 2015.[570][571]

National team 	Year 	Apps 	Goals Portugal 	2003 	2 	0 2004 	16 	7 2005 	11 	2 2006 	14 	6 2007 	10 	5 2008 	8 	1 2009 	7 	1 2010 	11 	3 2011 	8 	7 2012 	13 	5 2013 	9 	10 2014 	9 	5 2015 	1 	0 Total 	119 	52 International goals

Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first.[572]

[show]Goal 	Date 	Venue 	Opponent 	Score 	Result 	Competition Honours Club

Manchester United[573]

Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09 FA Cup: 2003–04; Runner-up: 2004–05, 2006–07 Football League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09 FA Community Shield: 2007 UEFA Champions League: 2007–08; Runner-up: 2008–09 UEFA Super Cup Runner-up: 2008 FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Real Madrid[573]

La Liga: 2011–12 Copa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14; Runner-up: 2012–13 Supercopa de España: 2012; Runner up: 2011, 2014 UEFA Champions League: 2013–14 UEFA Super Cup: 2014 FIFA Club World Cup: 2014

International

Portugal

UEFA European Championship:

Runner-up: 2004 Bronze: 2012

Individual Ronaldo holding the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or at the Bernabéu in January 2015.

FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2013,[573] 2014[574] FIFA World Player of the Year: 2008[573] UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2004, 2012 Bravo Award: 2004 UEFA Team of the Year: 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08 PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09 PFA Young Player of the Year: 2006–07 PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08 FWA Footballer of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08 Barclays Player of the Year 2006–07, 2007–08 Premier League Player of the Month: November 2006, December 2006, January 2008, March 2008 ESM Team of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 Premier League Golden Boot: 2007–08 European Golden Shoe: 2007–08, 2010–11, 2013–14[573] FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 UEFA Champions League top scorer: 2007–08, 2012–13, 2013–14 UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2007–08 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007–08 FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2008, 2014 Ballon d'Or: 2008[573] FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2008[573] Onze d'Or: 2008, 2013 World Soccer Player of the Year: 2008, 2013, 2014 FIFA Puskás Award: 2009 La Liga top scorer: 2010–11, 2013–14[573] Copa del Rey top goalscorer: 2010–11 Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 UEFA Euro Top scorer: 2012 La Liga Player of the Month: November 2013 LFP Most Valuable Player: 2012–13 IFFHS World's Best Top Goal Scorer: 2013[575] ESPY Awards Best International Athlete: 2014[576] UEFA Best Player in Europe Award: 2013–14 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2013–14 LFP Best Player: 2013–14 LFP Best Forward: 2013–14 LFP Best Goal: 2013–14 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: 2014

Orders

PRT Order of Prince Henry - Officer BAR.png Officer of the Order of Prince Henry[577] PRT Ordem de Nossa Senhora da Conceicao de Vila Vicosa Cavaleiro ribbon.svg Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Bragança)[578] PRT Order of Prince Henry - Grand Officer BAR.png Grand officer of the Order of Prince Henry[579]

Records

(As of 14 November 2014) World

The most expensive footballer in history: 2009–2013[580] Most international goals in a calendar year: 25 (in 2012, shared with Vivian Woodward and Lionel Messi)[581] First footballer to reach 40 goals in a professional league for two consecutive seasons[582] Only player to score in every minute of an official football game[330] Only player to win the League title, Domestic Cup, Domestic Supercup, Champions League, Club World Cup, League Player of the Year, Golden Shoe and Ballon d'Or at two different clubs (Manchester United and Real Madrid) [583][584] Most appearances in the FIFPro World XI: 8 times (2007-2014) (shared with Lionel Messi)[585] First and only player to appear in the FIFPro World XI for two different clubs.

Europe

Most goals scored in European competitions (club football): 78 goals [586][587][588] Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League: 75 goals (shared with Lionel Messi)[589] Most goals scored in a UEFA Champions League/European Cup season: 17 goals in 2013–14[590] Most goals scored in the UEFA Champions League group stage: 9 goals in 2013–14 (shared with Luiz Adriano)[316] Most goals scored in UEFA Champions League knockout phase: 37 goals[591] Most UEFA Champions League goals scored in a calendar year: 15 goals in 2013[592] Only footballer to have won the European Golden Shoe in two different leagues: English Premier League (2007–08) and Spanish La Liga (2010–11, 2013–14) [593] Most goals scored in the UEFA European Championship, including qualifying: 23 goals, for Portugal[445] First footballer to ever score more than 10 goals in three consecutive UEFA Champions League seasons: 2011-12 to 2013-14[594] Only footballer to score for two different winning teams in the European Cup: Manchester United (2007–08) and Real Madrid (2013–14)[595] Most away goals scored in Champions League history: 38 goals[596] Most consecutive UEFA Champions League away games scored in: 12[597] Most wins in the UEFA Champions League Knockout phase: 28 wins[598] Most braces scored in the UEFA Champions League: 18[599] Most consecutive UEFA Champions League matches scored in: 8 matches in 2013–14[600] Most European Golden Shoe awards: 3 (shared with Lionel Messi)[593] Most UEFA Team of the Year appearances: 9 times[601] Most consecutive appearances in the UEFA Team of the Year: 8 (2007-2014)[602] Only player to be among the finalists for all the editions of the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award (2010-2014)[603]

Spain

Fastest La Liga player to score 150 league goals[604] Fastest La Liga player to score 200 league goals[22] Most consecutive Clásicos matches scored in: 6 matches[605] Best scoring start in a Spanish league season: 15 goals in eight rounds[362] Fastest footballer to score 20 league goals: 12 games (missed one game due to injury)[606] Only player to reach 30 goals in five consecutive La Liga seasons[607]

Real Madrid

Fastest player to reach 50 league goals[608] Fastest player to reach 100 league goals[609] Fastest player to reach 200 official goals[610] Most goals scored in seven consecutive league matches: 15 goals[364] First player to score in eight consecutive matchdays[611]

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"Ronaldo, the first Madrid player to score in eight consecutive matchdays". Real Madrid C.F. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.

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Official website Real Madrid official profile Cristiano Ronaldo – UEFA competition record Cristiano Ronaldo – FIFA competition record Cristiano Ronaldo at National-Football-Teams.com Cristiano Ronaldo career statistics at Soccerbase BDFutbol profile

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