Stream Corner

Cristiano Ronaldo, born February 5, 1985 plays winger for the English Premier League club Manchester United. As a youth player, Sir Alex Ferguson, who signed the eighteen year old to a 21.24 million contract in 2003, where in that same year he won his first cap for the Portuguese, noted Ronaldo's talent. As a delight to his fans, Cristiano reach the final of the UEFA Euro in 2004 and scored his first international goal.

During the 2006-2007 season, Christiano Ronaldo scored on both the club and international levels as the young player's career took off like a rocket. His first Premier League title was given to him that season, too, as he became the Premier League's top scorer. In 2008, Ronaldo went on to be named the FIFPro World Player of the Year and was given the Ballon d'Or award.

Maria Dolores dos Santos Averio and Jose Dinis Averiogave named Christiano "Ronaldo" after then-United States President Ronald Regan--but it wasn't for his leadership skills, rather it was for his acting skills which made him his father's favorite actor. Ronaldo also has two older sisters and a younger brother.

His early career began at the age of only eight where he played for the amateur team C.F. Andorinha-in 1995, Cristiano signed with CD Nacional, a local club. Overjoyed with his success, the Sporting CP club signed him after a three-day trial run; the amount of the signing has never been released. At the Sporting CP in Portugal, Ronaldo trained at the Alcochete, a footballer's academy and was the only player ever to play for Sporting's U-16, U-17, U-18 and B-team. In 2003, the Manchester United players begged for Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him-and so became a footballer and fan favorite.

Cristiano was now backed by a talented team as the first ever Portuguese player to sign with an English team. He asked for jersey #23, rather than take the #7 tied associated with David Beckham and Eric Cantona. Cristiano wanted to be his own player and that's exactly what he was from the start. He made his debut in the 60th minute as a substitute when his team was winning 4-0 over the Bolton Wanderers. In 2005, Christiano scored United's thousandth Premier League goal in October of that year, and in that same year fans voted for him to enter his first FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year awards.

Then in the 2005-2006 season Ronaldo did something that only two footballers, Robbie Fowler and Dennis Bergkamp in the mid-1990s, had ever done before: he won consecutive Barclays Player of the Month awards. Furthermore, Crristiano's 50th career goal helped Manchester United defeat rivals Manchester City F.C. to take their first Premier League title in four years. Thrilled with him yet again, the fans gave Ronaldo the FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year Award again. But then, fans were not breathing so easy when the Real Madrids began heavily recruiting their Cristiano Ronaldo, so in April of 2006 United responded with a $31 million a year contract, the most they've ever payed any player.

2006 saw Cristiano win three of football's top accolades: the PFA Players' Player of the Year, the PFA Fans' Player of the Year, and the PFA Young Player of the Year. Cristiano has been know to be, shall we say, hot tempered, and his antics got him banned for three matches in the 2007-08 season. However, he told his coach that in the future he would not allow rival players to get him riled up. He was made team captain for United in March of 2008 and scored 35 goals for the season, breaking the 40-year-record of George Best who had 32 in 1967-1968.

After Cristiano looked like he might head to the Real Madrid team, he stayed with United for another year. As he was scoring his 100th and 101st goals in November during United's 5-0 win against Stroke City, Ronaldo seemed destined for a greatness that most footballers dare not even dream of. Ronaldo capped his season by being awarded the first Manchester United Ballon d'Or award since it was given to George Best in 1968. The incredible Cristiano Ronaldo ended the season with 446 points. The 2008-09 season should se Cristiano wowing his fans all over the planet even more.