Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Cristiano Ronaldo. A timeline of obstacles and growth.
Cristiano Ronaldo, often nicknamed CR7, is a Portuguese professional footballer renowned as one of the greatest players of all time. Currently playing for Al Nassr and captaining the Portugal national team, he's celebrated for his exceptional goal-scoring ability and overall skill. His accomplishments include five Ballon d'Or awards, multiple UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and numerous league titles, including five UEFA Champions League titles. Ronaldo holds records for most goals and assists in the Champions League and European Championship, as well as most international appearances and goals. He is the all-time leading goalscorer in football, having scored over 900 career goals.
September 2005: Death of Ronaldo's Father
In September 2005, Ronaldo's father, José, passed away at the age of 52 due to complications from alcoholism-related liver disease.
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2005: Rape Allegation Investigation
In 2005, Ronaldo was investigated by the British Crown Prosecution Service following a rape allegation. The investigation concluded without prosecution after the accusers withdrew their claims due to lack of evidence.
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2008: Dropped from Starting Line-Up
In 2022, following a dispute with manager Fernando Santos, after their last group game against South Korea, Ronaldo was dropped from the starting line-up for Portugal's last 16 match, marking the first time since Euro 2008 that he had not started a game for Portugal in a major international tournament.
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2010: Went trophyless for the first time since 2010
At the end of the 2022 season, Ronaldo went trophyless for the first time since 2010.
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April 2017: Las Vegas Police Investigate Rape Allegation
In April 2017, the Las Vegas Police Department initiated an investigation into an allegation that Ronaldo raped a woman in 2009.
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July 2017: Tax Fraud Charges
In July 2017, Ronaldo faced charges for allegedly evading nearly €15 million in taxes between 2011 and 2014, allegations he initially denied.
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June 2018: Suspended Jail Sentence and Fine for Tax Evasion
In June 2018, Ronaldo received a two-year suspended jail sentence and was fined €18.8 million (later reduced to €16.8 million) for tax evasion after reaching an agreement with Spanish authorities.
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September 2018: Civil Lawsuit Filed for Rape Allegation
In September 2018, a civil lawsuit was filed in Nevada accusing Ronaldo of rape.
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2018: Criticism about Immobility
In 2018, Jonathan Wilson of The Guardian opined that Ronaldo had made Juventus weaker, due to "his relative immobility" in his mid-30s, even if his personal goal-scoring output remained high.
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July 2019: Rape Charges Dropped in Las Vegas
In July 2019, Las Vegas prosecutors announced they would not be pressing charges against Cristiano Ronaldo regarding allegations of rape, citing insufficient evidence to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
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October 2021: Recommendation to Dismiss Rape Lawsuit
In October 2021, a federal magistrate judge recommended dismissing the rape lawsuit against Ronaldo, citing misconduct by the plaintiff's lawyer in using privileged documents and finding no evidence of intimidation by Ronaldo's legal team.
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June 2022: Rape Lawsuit Dismissed
In June 2022, the woman's rape lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.
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