He became a star in Barcelona and could be described as one of the best players to ever grace the Nou Camp. During his time at Barcelona, he won everything in sight including the treble of Champions League, La Liga and Copa Del Rey. But sadly, he was involved in an altercation with the club manager Pep Guardiola at the end of his final season with the club, which resulted in his departure. He was shipped off to Manchester United in a then world record transfer. It was thought that the Premier League would be his next destination, but he returned to Spain for a short time and rejoined Barcelona in a loan deal. His La Liga return with Barcelona, however, turned out to be his most successful stint with the club to date.

Cristiano Ronaldo Career

The youngster made his debut for the Barcelona B team at the age of 16, but it was only four years later in 2004, aged 19, that he made his debut for the club’s first team in a friendly against Villarreal. It was the following year that he made his official debut for the first team, becoming the club’s youngest ever player. Ronaldo’s first Champions League goal for Barcelona came in a Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, aged 20, and it was with the club that he won his first league title, La Liga, at the end of the 2004-05 season. He would later go on to win the Champions League again with Barcelona, adding the Liga in 2006.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo Early Life

Cristiano Ronaldo is the son of Jose Maria Ronaldo and Dolores Mendes. His parents were both former footballers. His father was a player for Benfica in the late ’70s and then a technical director in the 90s, while his mother was a member of the Lisbon football team. Though he initially planned to become a musician, Ronaldo’s parents both got to see how much of a celebrity their son became. Real Madrid acquired Ronaldo as a teenage talent from Sporting Lisbon, and he has now won practically everything there is to win in the game. Diligent Self-Taught Soccer Player Ronaldo is known to be very good on the pitch. But it took him a long time to get where he is. Indeed, he had to study hard at school.

Cristiano Ronaldo Sporting Lisbon

When you think of Real Madrid, there is always a certain amount of expectation. They have been a successful team for years and the fans have every right to expect success from the side. That being said, Ronaldo’s transfer was controversial and the Brazilian agent broke the £100m transfer record. Sporting Lisbon were angry because they had been promised him a much higher salary and it was reported that he had walked out on his deal. Since then, many argue that the club should have recouped their original fee for Ronaldo and there has been quite the dispute. That being said, Ronaldo joined up with the Spanish club and was just 18 years old. He was being paid £4.5m, which at the time was a large sum of money.

Cristiano Ronaldo Benfica

Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut for Benfica at the age of 16. Having been a relative unknown at the time, Ronaldo instantly hit it off with Portuguese manager Joao Pinto and became an instant star, having picked up the 1999 Portuguese Footballer of the Year award. With the team winning the Primeira Liga, Ronaldo was linked with moves to several of Europe’s biggest clubs, but this transfer eventually fell through. While he may have been slightly disappointed, a year later, a move to Manchester United was announced and it was this that finally brought Ronaldo international attention. Manchester United It was during his time in England that Ronaldo really took off. At the age of 18, Ronaldo won the Champions League. Two years later, he won the first of what would become five Ballons d’Or.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo Barcelona

It was at Barcelona that Cristiano Ronaldo first established himself as a world-class player, helping the Catalans to three consecutive Spanish Super Cups (2004/05/06) and one UEFA Super Cup (2005/06). However, it wasn’t just Barcelona that would set Ronaldo on his path to stardom. Like the team itself, Ronaldo would take his career to some of the highest peaks in football. Winning consecutive Champions Leagues in 2006/07/07 and 2007/08 with the Catalan giants. Ronaldo shone at Barcelona, dominating games with his pace, strength and devastating finishing. He often played out wide and became known for his pace, athleticism and even his penalties.

Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid

The Bernabeu is where he made his name in European football, breaking a number of scoring records and winning the Champions League on a number of occasions. It is not difficult to see why he has been crowned the best in the world. The youngest member of the Real Madrid team when he made his debut, he was already a club legend by his mid twenties. The leader of the Real Madrid team that won the Champions League again in 2012 and 2014, he was also the first Real player to win the Ballon d’Or (the World’s Best Player) in 2008. There are some, however, who argue that his achievements are not up to scratch when compared to those of Barcelona icon Lionel Messi.

Conclusion

In the next edition of this series, we will look at the history of one of the greatest strikers in the world’s history. In the meantime, how would you go about getting more of the young footballers you manage into the national team? Let us know in the comments section below.