Childhood and Education Journey of Cristiano Ronaldo in Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Cristiano Ronaldo. From birth to education, explore key events.

Cristiano Ronaldo, widely considered one of the greatest footballers, captains both Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team. He boasts an impressive array of individual awards, including five Ballon d'Ors and a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards. His trophy cabinet includes five UEFA Champions League titles and a UEFA European Championship. Ronaldo holds numerous records, such as the most Champions League goals (140) and assists (42), European Championship goals (14) and assists (8), and international appearances (226) and goals (143). He is the only player to score 100+ goals for four different clubs and is the all-time leading goalscorer with over 960 senior career goals.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

February 1985: Born in Funchal, Madeira

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on 5 February 1985, in the São Pedro parish of Funchal, Madeira.

February 1985: Cristiano Ronaldo Born

In February 1985, Cristiano Ronaldo was born as Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro.

1992: Played for Andorinha

From 1992 to 1995, Ronaldo played for Andorinha, where his father was the kit man.

1995: Played for Andorinha

From 1992 to 1995, Ronaldo played for Andorinha, where his father was the kit man.

2000: Didn't start a knockout game since Euro 2000

In the 2022 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped from the starting line-up for Portugal's last 16 match, marking the first time Portugal had started a knockout game without Ronaldo in the starting line-up at an international tournament since Euro 2000.

August 2003: Debut for Portugal

On 20 August 2003, at the age of 18, Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal as a substitute against Kazakhstan.

2004: First International Goal at UEFA Euro 2004

In 2004, at UEFA Euro 2004, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first international goal in a 2–1 group stage loss to Greece, during his eighth international appearance. Despite Portugal losing to Greece again in the final, Ronaldo made the team of the tournament, with two assists and two goals.

September 2005: Death of Ronaldo's Father

In September 2005, Ronaldo's father, José, died at the age of 52 due to an alcoholism-related liver condition when Ronaldo was 20 years old.

2006: Opening of CR7 Fashion Boutique in Madeira

In 2006, Cristiano Ronaldo opened his first fashion boutique under the name CR7 on the island of Madeira.

2006: Youngest Goalscorer for Portugal at a World Cup

In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, at the age of 21 years and 132 days, Cristiano Ronaldo became the youngest ever goalscorer for Portugal at a World Cup finals. Portugal reached the semi-finals, but lost to France, with Ronaldo being booed during their defeat, due to an incident that occurred in the quarter-finals against England.

February 2007: Captained Portugal for the first time

On 6 February 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly against Brazil.

2007: Publication of Autobiography 'Moments'

In 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo's autobiography, titled 'Moments', was published.

July 2008: Libel Damages Over Drinking Article

In July 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo received libel damages over a Daily Mirror article that reported him drinking heavily in a nightclub while recovering from an injury.

2008: UEFA Euro 2008

Ahead of UEFA Euro 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo wore the number 7 shirt. Despite scoring eight goals in qualifications, he scored just one goal in the finals, netting the second goal of Portugal's 3–1 win in the group stage game against the Czech Republic. Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 3–2 loss to Germany.

2008: Opening of Second CR7 Boutique in Lisbon

In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo opened a second fashion boutique under the CR7 brand in Lisbon.

2008: Didn't start for Portugal in major tournament since Euro 2008

In the 2022 World Cup, Cristiano 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.

June 2010: Birth of Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.

On 17 June 2010, Cristiano Ronaldo became a father to a son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., who was born in the United States. Ronaldo has full custody of the child and has not publicly revealed the identity of the mother.

2012: UEFA Euro 2012

In UEFA Euro 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo was joint top scorer with three goals, earning him inclusion in the team of the tournament.

2013: Adapting style with reduced off-the-ball movement

From 2013 onwards, under manager Carlo Ancelotti, Cristiano Ronaldo effectively adapted his style to the physical effects of ageing with increasingly reduced off-the-ball movement and general involvement, completing fewer dribbles and passes per game, and instead focusing on short-distance creating and goalscoring.

2014: 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification and Tournament

During qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo scored eight goals, but Portugal did not qualify directly. In the play-off against Sweden, Ronaldo scored all four goals to secure qualification. At the tournament in Brazil, Ronaldo assisted a last-minute equaliser against the United States and scored an 80th-minute winner in a 2–1 win over Ghana.

January 2015: End of Relationship with Irina Shayk

In January 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo's five-year relationship with Russian model Irina Shayk ended.

2016: UEFA Euro 2016 Victory

In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to their first-ever trophy at the UEFA Euro 2016, although he was subbed off in the 25th minute in the final against hosts France. He received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer, which gave him his fourth Ballon d'Or later that year. With the win, Portugal qualified and made its only appearance in the FIFA Confederations Cup held in Russia, where they finished in third place, with Ronaldo being named man of the match in all three of Portugal's group stage matches.

June 2017: Birth of Twins via Surrogacy

On 8 June 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo became a father to twins, born in the United States via surrogacy.

November 2017: Birth of Daughter with Georgina Rodríguez

On 12 November 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo's partner Georgina Rodríguez gave birth to a daughter.

2017: More of a free-roaming centre forward

Since 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo adapted his style of play yet again to become more of a free-roaming centre forward under manager Zinedine Zidane, a role in which he continued to excel and maintain a prolific goalscoring record; in this position, he earned praise in the media for his intelligent movement both on and off the ball, positional sense, link-up play and finishing, as well as his ability to lose or anticipate his markers, find space in the box and score from few touches or opportunities.

2018: Joined Juventus in 2018

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus aged 33 in 2018.

2018: 2018 World Cup achievements

In the 2018 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match, in a 3–3 draw against Spain. In the following match, Ronaldo scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Morocco, breaking Puskás' record as the highest European goalscorer of all time, with 85 international goals. For his performances in the tournament, Ronaldo was named in the World Cup Dream Team.

2019: UEFA Nations League Victory

In 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to victory in the inaugural UEFA Nations League, receiving the top scorer award in the finals.

2020: Euro 2020

Cristiano Ronaldo received the Golden Boot as top scorer of Euro 2020 and also became the first player to score at five European Championships.

June 2021: Breaking Men's Goalscoring Record

On 23 June 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals in the Euro 2020 match against France, breaking the men's goalscoring record previously held by Ali Daei.

2021: Mother's Interview

In 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo's mother stated in an interview that he would have been a bricklayer if he hadn't become a footballer.

2022: Expecting Twins

In 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez were expecting another set of twins. Tragically, the male twin died during childbirth, while the female twin survived.

2022: Scoring at Five World Cups

On 24 November 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score at five World Cups, netting a penalty against Ghana. He was later dropped from the starting line-up for Portugal's last 16 match after a dispute with manager Fernando Santos.

March 2023: Most Capped Male Footballer of All Time

On 23 March 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace against Liechtenstein as he earned his 197th overall cap to become the most capped male footballer of all time.

October 2023: Ronaldo Invests in Medialivre

On 26 October 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo, through his company Expressão Livre, became part of a group of investors in Medialivre, the publisher of Correio da Manhã, Record, and Jornal de Negócios.

2024: First Player to Feature in Six European Championships

During Portugal's UEFA Euro 2024 opener against the Czech Republic, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to feature in six European Championships, having previously been the first player to appear in five.

June 2025: Wins second Nations League title

On 8 June 2025, Ronaldo won his second Nations League title, helping Portugal defeat Spain in the final, scoring eight goals in nine games in the tournament.

August 2025: Engagement Announcement

On 11 August 2025, Georgina Rodríguez announced her engagement with Cristiano Ronaldo via Instagram.

November 2025: Wish to Meet Donald Trump

In a November 2025 interview with Piers Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo expressed a desire to meet with U.S. president Donald Trump, citing admiration and a shared desire for world peace. He also joked he was "seriously more famous" than the president.

February 2026: Acquisition of Ownership Stake in UD Almería

On 26 February 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo acquired a 25% ownership stake in Spanish club UD Almería through CR7 Sports Investments.

2026: Reaching record goals in World Cup Qualifying

On 14 October 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in a 2–2 draw against Hungary in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, reaching a record 41 goals in World Cup qualifying.