By Jan Dizon Tech Times
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Even if you're not much of a sports fan, you would have been living under a rock not to notice such a fine specimen of a man -- and I'm not just speaking for the ladies, men admire him too for his sportsmanship and skills. And really, it is quite remarkable to watch him on the field.
Whether you are a die-hard fan or just merely curious, this 6-packed abs hunk, who sometimes may come off as arrogant, has more to offer besides being Real Madrid's player and one of the world's most decorated and popular athlete.
(Photo : Cristiano Ronaldo/Facebook)
Here are some facts you need to know about Cristiano Ronaldo.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was named after U.S. President, Ronald Reagan who was his father's favorite actor, and whom he greatly admired.
2. Cristiano is the youngest child of José Dinis Aveiro and his wife, Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro. He was born in Madeira, Portugal on February 5, 1985 making him 30 years old. Happy Birthday!
3. As a young boy Ronaldo had some not-so manly nicknames:
"When he got home from school I'd tell him to do homework but he'd say he didn't have any. I'd be making dinner and he would jump out of the window and run off until late. He used to cry when he passed and his friends didn't score. People called him 'cry-baby' and 'little bee' because nobody could catch him," Dolores Aveiro said.
4. At 15 years old Cristiano was diagnosed with a condition called racing heart. He had an operation that used a laser to cauterize the area of his heart that caused the problem. The operation enabled him to continue his training and love affair with football.
5. In his teen years, Ronaldo would train in the gym using weights on either of his feet and then dribble with the ball. He figured that training with the weights would improve his game to make him faster.
6. 130 km per hour is the speed of Ronaldo's free kick.
7. Ronaldo's jump generates five times more power than that of a wild Cheetah as it jumps in full flight. This speed allows him to reach a height of 44cm in the air, which is more than what an average NBA player can do.
8. If you think you're a gym buff - Ronaldo lifts about 23,055 kgs of total weight during his training session, which basically is like lifting a total of 16 Toyota Prius cars.
9. Ronaldo credits his start and success to his close friend Albert Fantrau who passed up a goal during a youth club game so that Ronaldo would be the one to be accepted into the Academy from Sporting (Lisbon). When Ronaldo asked him why he did it, he simply said, "You're better than me."
Even though his childhood friend is now unemployed, Fantrau now lives like a rich man with a house, and car. When asked how he maintains his lifestyle, Fantrau smiles and replies, "It's from Cristiano."
10. Ronaldo signed a profitable contract with Real Madrid that made him the highest paid football player in the world.
11. Ronaldo's is said to have paid for the cancer treatment of a 9-year-old boy showing that this man has a generous and compassionate heart.
12. "We've had some fantastic No. 7s, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, some wouldn't want that jersey but his confidence was high even at 18. When he made his debut as substitute against Bolton he took the place by storm," said Sir Alex Ferguson as he handed Ronaldo the No. 7 Shirt.
13. 2006 saw Ronaldo debut his fashion boutique in Madeira, Portugal. The shop called CR7 is his initials and his shirt number.
14. In 2008 CR7 opened a boutique in Lisbon where he included jeans with leather pockets, patented buckled loafers and diamond-studded belts.
15. Unlike many sports stars today, Ronaldo has no tattoos and has no desire to get one anytime soon as he regularly donates blood.
16. Ronaldo also does not smoke or drink alcohol as his father died at the age of 52 from alcoholism and he also deems it will affect his playing.
17. There is a university in Canada that offers a sociology course about Cristiano Ronaldo.
18. In July 3, 2010 Ronaldo announced the birth of his son and requested his privacy when he posted a reference on his official Facebook and Twitter pages. Ronaldo has full custody of his son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.
19. In June 2010 Ronaldo became the fourth footballer to be represented at Madame Tussauds waxwork in London.
20. We all know Ronaldo is fast. But did you know that he's REALLY fast. He recently went up against and defeated the Spanish sprinter Angel David Rodriquez in a zigzag spring challenge.
21. Ronaldo's talent already shined at 11-years of age.
"When he got the ball he went past two or three players. At the end of the game the players gathered around him, they knew he was a special kid," his first coach at Sporting Lisbon, Paulo Cardoso said.
22. Ronaldo does 3,000 abs per day, talk about a workout!
23. Ronaldo's achievements include, FIFA World Player of the year award, Ballon d'OR, the Golden Boot, and he has been named the UEFA Club Forward of the Year.
24. Cristiano is regarded as one of the two best players in the world within his generation. Ronaldo plays an attacking role. Most often he plays either a striker or as a winger. He is also widely known for his finishing, pace, dribbling, positioning, crossing and free kick ability.
25. Ronaldo's body fat is at 10% making him a perfect sprinting machine.
26. In November 2012, Ronaldo gave money to fund schools for children in Gaza which he got when he sold the golden boot he had won in 2011 for €1.5 million. The next month, he joined FIFA's '11 for Health' program that raised awareness among kids so they can be equipped to stay away from drug addiction HIV, obesity and malaria.
27. The Museu CR7 in Funchal. Portugal is a museum dedicated to Ronaldo and contains his rare photos, medals, trophies and other items related to him.
28. In 2008 Ronaldo set a record of goals scored at 42, this earned him the FIFA World of the Year honor.
29. In 2003 Manchester United signed Ronaldo and paid him £12 million, indeed a record amount for a player his age.
30. In December 2007 Cristiano's autobiography, Moments, was published.
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