Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Real Madrid and captains the Portugal national team. Ronaldo became the world's most expensive player when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 in a transfer worth �80 million. Ronaldo's contract with Real Madrid, under the terms of which he is paid ?21 million per year, makes him the highest-paid footballer in the world, and his buyout clause is valued at ?1 billion. He is regarded by some in the sport to be currently the best player in the world, and one of the greatest of all time. Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years, before moving to C.D. Nacional. In 1997, he made a move to Portuguese giants Sporting CP. In 2003 he caught the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who signed him for �12.2 million. In 2004, he won his first trophy, the FA Cup. In 2007, Ronaldo was the first player in England to win all four main PFA and FWA awards. 

February 5th, 1985 in Funchal (Age 39) as Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro