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Cristiano Ronaldo is not only one of the greatest footballers of all time, but also amongst the most renowned celebrities on the planet. The Portuguese superstar has steadily grown in stature since bursting onto the scene at Sporting Lisbon and has shown no signs of slowing down despite entering his 30s.
The challenges Cristiano Ronaldo faced as a boy are well documented, as his family wasn't well off financially. Their misery was compounded when his dad Jose Dinis Aveiro, who was once a war veteran, succumbed to alcoholism in 2005. Nevertheless, he overcame every obstacle that came his way to realize his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
In what has been a classic rags-to-riches story, Cristiano Ronaldo's wealth, properties and cars have received worldwide attention over the years. However, some sensational tales about the Portuguese star have unraveled over the years and these stories have seemingly added to his legendary status.
Here are five such stories you probably didn't know about Cristiano Ronaldo.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo was nicknamed 'cry baby' for his tantrums
Cristiano Ronaldo has been called many things over the course of his professional career, but a story from one of his former teammates brought to light a rather hilarious nickname he was given as a teenager.
Ricardo Santos, who shared a dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo for amateur club CF Andorinha, revealed that his former teammate was nicknamed 'cry baby' due to his tantrums.
"Cry-baby, yes, because Ronaldo already loved to win like he loves today. And when he lost and when other kids didn't pass the ball to him he used to cry"
The Juventus striker has always done everything it takes to win, so Santos' claims hardly come as a shock.
#4 An irregular heartbeat nearly curtailed his career when he was 15
Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in the history of the beautiful game, but his career could have been over before it even began. While the Portuguese star faced several obstacles while growing up, he almost stopped playing football aged 15 due to an irregular heartbeat.
To put it in simpler terms, his heart used to beat abnormally fast at times, due to which he had his fair share of problems as a teenager. Cristiano Ronaldo's mother later said in an interview that her son contemplated giving up football at the time.
However, as fate would have it, he received treatment to fix the issue and returned to the pitch a couple of days after the surgery. The rest, as they say, is history!
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo used to hope for free food after training... from McDonald's!
As a teenager plying his trade for the Sporting Lisbon academy, Cristiano Ronaldo and his friends reportedly used to go to a McDonald's outlet near the training ground in the hope of getting free food.
In an interview with ITV, the Portuguese star looked back upon his days as an unknown youngster and recalled the story in his own words.
"We were a little hungry. We had a McDonald’s next to the stadium, we knocked on the door and asked have you got any burgers”
“There was always Edna and two other girls. I never found them again."
Years later, Cristiano Ronaldo said he'd love to meet the women who gave him and his mates free food after training. The Juventus talisman also promised to invite them over for lunch if he managed to find them at some point in the future.
A woman did identify herself as one of the workers involved in the incident and spoke to a local Portuguese outlet a few years ago. Click here to read about the story in detail.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo is against tattoos and drinking alcohol for a brilliant reason
It is well documented that Cristiano Ronaldo has no tattoos on his body, while he is also against cigarette smoking and drinking. The reason? He donates blood regularly, so if he were to indulge in such habits, he would not be eligible to do so.
Moreover, his father was a war veteran and took to alcoholism due to the post-traumatic stress that followed after his exploits in Mozambique. Jose Dinis Aveiro ultimately succumbed to alcoholism in 2005 when Cristiano Ronaldo was playing for Manchester United, as he was unable to put his past demons to bed.
Due to what happened to his father, the Juventus striker remains clear of alcohol and this has enabled him to become one of the fittest footballers around.
#1 Liverpool and Barcelona could have signed Cristiano Ronaldo before Manchester United
Manchester United sealed a record-breaking move for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003 after he impressed in a pre-season friendly against the Red Devils. However, if Liverpool had got their way, things could have been so, so different.
The Reds were managed by Gerard Houllier at the time and the Frenchman identified Ronaldo as one of his primary transfer targets. However, Liverpool had a strict rule against paying exorbitant transfer fees for teenagers, due to which they were unable to stump up the cash.
In the case of Barcelona, the club had just splashed a considerable amount of money to sign Ronaldinho, Rafa Marquez and Ricardo Quaresma that summer, so they opted against signing him. Barcelona president Joan Laporta — who was also involved with the club at the time — revealed that the Catalan giants came ever so close to signing the gifted attacker.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the same team? The world of football could have witnessed something truly extraordinary!
