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*

It's called the beautiful game

for a reason.

A distinction accurately painted

by the game's legendary artist-- Pelé.

Football, or soccer as it's known in the US,

is the number one sport in 93 countries.

Most important is to do, for the--

the foreigners,

for the people who gonna be there, nice show,

and the-- and they receive it well, the people there.

And one can link its worldwide popularity

to its simplicity.

No financial obstacles,

because all you need is a football.

I think it's the only game in the world

that brings every single country together.

Yes, it's one language, it's football,

but what sport does is, it brings everyone together.

It gets everyone talking.

From back alleys and side streets,

to muddy fields and scorched sand,

it can be played anywhere by anyone,

boys and girls, rich and poor.

It's inviting to all walks of life.

Football now is a sport which is taken very seriously.

For 3,000 years, this has been the world's game.

And for many centuries, every legend started from the same point.

From Beckham to Pelé and Sir Bobby Charlton,

their journey began the same manner as everyone else.

For 3,000 years,

this has been the world's game.

And for many centuries,

every legend started from the same point.

Cristiano Ronaldo, star player for Real Madrid and Portugal,

was molded from the same humble beginnings.

*

On the fifth of February, 1985,

a baby boy was born

to Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro,

and José Dinis Aveiro.

They were simple people, making their way through life

as a cook and a gardener in Santo Antonio, Funchal.

This small town is located

on the island of Madeira, Portugal,

overlooking the ocean.

Santo Antonio means Saint Anthony,

and on that day, a saint was indeed delivered

into the world of football.

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro.

Named after his father's favorite actor,

US President Ronald Reagan,

Ronaldo's early life hardly resembled a Hollywood movie.

His rag to riches story begins with a childhood

rooted in severe poverty.

His Catholic family, like many others in the town,

struggled to survive.

Food and shelter were considered luxuries.

And at Christmastime,

there was rarely any sign of Santa Claus.

Their house was a tin-roofed shack

which would often leak

due to the warm and powerful thunderstorms

that graced the Portugal coast each summer.

A lot of guys do come out from,

from poverty, hard upbringings,

and that's their motivation.

A lot of that is the motivation that keeps them pushing.

Cristiano was the youngest child.

Having an elder brother Hugo

and two elder sisters, Elma and Liliana Catia.

Quarters were tight,

as Ronaldo, his brother, and two sisters shared one room.

The dirt floor was their bed.

Crumpled clothing served as a pillow.

In addition to the financial hardships of this family,

he also found it hard to make friends his own age.

He was a lonely boy,

and his only companion

became a tattered football he found in an alleyway.

He would take the ball to a nearby wall,

and there, between the cement and stone,

he practiced.

He'd spend every waking hour with his friend,

skipping meals, and sometimes school.

What inspired you to take up soccer?

What inspired you to start playing?

Well, that one is a tough question, good question.

Hmm... I don't know why I had football.

Maybe because the sports that I,

since when I was a kid,

it's what, um... made me motivation.

Maybe because of my brother,

my father, my cousins.

Because they all play football.

Ronaldo's childhood mirrored

that of another football great,

Edison Arantes do Nascimento.

You probably know him simply as Pelé.

Before becoming a three-time champion at the World Cup,

and scoring over 1,300 goals,

Pelé's career started with an old sock

stuffed with rags.

His father, a minor league footballer, taught Pelé.

And with his unmatched dedication, he flourished.

Pelé would become the youngest player ever to win the World Cup

at just 17 years old, scoring six goals for Brazil.

Love!

Love!

Love!

Love!

And for Ronaldo, much like Pelé,

if it wasn't about football, it was a nuisance.

Football was his life.

He molded his skills playing against everyone

and anyone, young and old.

Without application,

your talent doesn't mean anything.

You've got to have the two.

Application without talent

is difficult, but you can still maybe get by.

Um, talent without no application,

you've got no chance.

At the age of eight,

Ronaldo joined amateur local team Andorinha.

At that age, this young child was a far cry

from the muscled athlete that commands the pitch today.

And even though he was skinnier

and less developed than his competition,

Ronaldo's talents were recognized immediately.

Ronaldo, he started off at a really young age.

I mean, you know, like we all do when we're starting football.

And then when you get to sort of an age of 10, 11, 12 years old,

you'll then start finding that these clubs will be,

and professional clubs, will be looking at you

to see whether they can actually move you forward.

Ronaldo's skills

were creating a great deal of buzz.

Smaller football clubs in Spain, Portugal, and England

are always on the lookout for their next star,

and the competition is tough.

Having the ability to occasionally strike the ball

into the goal is not enough to get you noticed.

The first thing we look for in any player

is what natural ability he's got.

Now, it's not what we can coach him,

it's what has he got that he shows us?

What does he bring to us?

And then after that, you know,

does he got a love for the game,

does he love training, does he love coaching?

Has he got a passion for the game?

And is he full of enthusiasm?

But first and foremost is his own natural ability.

However, this was not a problem

for the young Ronaldo.

At just 12 years of age, he moved 600 miles

from his poor small town to the city of Lisbon

where he had an offer from Sporting.

He had the opportunity then to move to a sizeable,

very big club in Portugal,

which then allowed him with his family

to progress and push him forward.

That's where you need the support to actually move forward with your career.

Though he continued to turn heads,

the transition was not easy for Cristiano.

It's hard now to imagine this player

ever had a problem with popularity.

But way before the fancy cars, expensive clothes,

and supermodel girlfriends, Ronaldo was alone.

Miles from home, in a strange city,

school was a struggle,

and his only redemption came on the pitch.

Constantly bullied by classmates for his Madeirine accent,

and forced to be alone,

he lost faith in his education and teachers.

It reached a boiling point at 14

when Ronaldo threw a chair at an instructor.

He was expelled.

This was not an issue in his mother's eyes.

As his biggest ally,

Ronaldo's mother rallied around her youngest son.

She supported his aspiring football career with gusto.

And with his family's backing,

Ronaldo continued his meteoric rise

into the upper echelons of the beautiful game.

That's what it's all about, it's dedication, keep working.

You haven't got to be too old or too young,

just keep working at your physique.

We've constantly got to be trying to bring players

into the first team squad,

so the pressure's there every year

to sort of make sure that the quality's good enough.

But the next year,

Ronaldo was dealt another difficult card.

He was diagnosed

with a racing-heart condition,

Surgical ablation which is relatively new

from a minimally invasive standpoint

involves also making burn lesions on the outside of the heart

and also getting rid of that left atrial appendage,

which is the little portion of the heart where the clot forms

that then often can fire off to the body.

Thankfully for us, his mother opted

to let Ronaldo have the operation,

and the rest, as they say, is history.

*

Better than new, the stars aligned

for the young phenomenon on August 12, 2003.

Seventeen years old and already a prime target

among football scouts, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sporting

faced off against football giant Manchester United.

Old Trafford's a far cry from the dirt pitches

of Madeira, Portugal,

and The Red Devils are football icons.

Undaunted in front of the legendary coach

Sir Alex Ferguson,

and giving the performance of a lifetime,

Sporting won 3-1.

And Ronaldo was the only thing that anyone could talk about.

Manchester United was, for me, I think

that was his stepping-stone

to move his career much more forward.

Ferguson saw something there in a player

that really could progress and become something big.

And of course we all know today, that's what was the case.

Ironically, it wasn't the assistant coaches

who had the idea to sign Ronaldo to Manchester United.

It was the players.

On the way home from the match, a few of his would-be teammates

convinced Ferguson that Ronaldo should be

on their side.

But other clubs had taken notice

of the teenage phenomenon.

Ronaldo's path to Manchester United

was almost derailed by Arsenal's manager

Arsene Wegner.

In fact, Ronaldo was so close to signing with the Gunners,

Wegner gave Ronaldo his own number 9 jersey.

But Ferguson was able to snatch the Portuguese star.

Remember, he came in as a 17-year-old lad

and really developed himself here as a great footballer,

so I think we are proud of that.

Never one to mince his words,

Ferguson was a visionary

who led one of the world's best football clubs

for over two decades.

He brought home 38 trophies,

including 13 Premier League Titles.

The training session, intensity, expectation,

the level of concentration

will always manifest itself in a Saturday.

He's had a amazing career, um...

One that, you know, many managers look at

and want to achieve what he has achieved.

I owe him a lot as a manager for the way

he brought me into Manchester United,

and then he groomed me into a player

that went on to win 19 trophies.

Upon his arrival,

it was requested that Ronaldo wear a special jersey.

Cristiano Ronaldo would don

the heavily weighted number 7.

And as time would tell, he would immortalize it.

So, you're looking for a father figure

to look after you and take you under your wings,

and you as a player

would need to trust that particular person.

And that's obviously what happened.

And when you've got a manager like Sir Alex Ferguson

and the background staff, and the players of course,

help him to settle,

that would allow him then to

freely play his football.

Ronaldo signed with United

for a transfer fee of an extraordinary 15 million Euros.

You've got a manager that's been there for 20-odd years

that had won pretty much, well, everything in the game.

Unbelievable success record.

I think it's just the way I play.

Ever since I was a youngster in Madeira,

I've always been a player that enjoyed

taking someone on one-on-one.

It's in my nature, and I've always done this.

He's speedy with the ball, either foot,

manipulating it, making decisions

in and outside of fullback,

planning and moving into position and done at speed.

And everything was done at great speed.

And I think that was the thing that made me sit up.

Ronaldo wasn't the first young football star

to join Manchester and wear the number seven.

David Beckham began his career with the Red Devils

at the age of just 17.

Beckham was to quickly fulfill his potential

as one of the world's best,

winning six league titles and two FA cups

at the hallowed grounds of Old Trafford.

He always had a lovely smile, you know,

and he always presents himself well,

but as a young kid, when I got him at 12 years of age,

his great desire was to be the best footballer.

He was a fantastic trainer, practiced all the time.

And at nighttime, he'd come back with the schoolboys

and practice with them.

Much like Ronaldo,

Beckham has played the role of hero and villain.

In a 1998 World Cup second-round match against Argentina,

Beckham, after being fouled,

kicked midfielder Diego Simeone in the calf.

Beckham was given a red card and England was eliminated.

Beckham was blamed for the defeat,

and he and his family received death threats.

He was demonized in the media.

Crazed fans hung and burned an effigy of him outside a pub.

You'd much rather have your own fans--

you do expect a lot of stick from opposition fans,

but you'd much rather have your own fans with you

than against you.

And fans help much more when you're having a bad time.

It's easy to cheer,

to cheer your team when you're doing well,

but when you're having a bit of a rough time,

you need your fans to get through it.

Beckham's the link, if you like,

with these players in the countries

then there's a good chance that he may come over, Ronaldo,

to participate in the US League, the MLS.

And if he does, I certainly think that that would be

a huge coup for the US.

I'm excited about bringing the team and being part

of the MLS and continuing to be a part of the MLS.

Cristiano Ronaldo's United career

proved to be successful from the get-go.

In his first season, Ronaldo scored the opening goal

in United's 3-0 FA Cup final victory over Millwall.

The first ever Portuguese footballer

to play for Manchester United,

Cristiano Ronaldo had not only arrived,

but also became Player of the Year.

Ronaldo is heralded as a master striker.

He plays an attacking role better than anyone,

often referred to as "The Sultan of the Step-over,"

showing unmatched skill with both feet

and the ability to beat players one-on-one

unparalleled in the rest of the game.

The whole game of the football has changed.

It's completely changed.

You know, you've got all this different dietician-y

type of food that you have to eat now,

and they monitor your heart rate,

your pulse rate, everything.

His height, strength, and vertical leap

give him an edge in aerial challenges,

and the majority of his goals are, in fact, headers.

I think he's been a fantastic advert for the game.

His scoring record, ratio to games played,

is second to none.

Ronaldo, tremendous player.

One of the best players in the world,

if not the best goal-scorer in the world.

And when he scores goals... left foot, right foot,

he can head a ball,

he can take people on, his step-overs.

At the height of his success

at Manchester United in 2005,

Ronaldo was dealt a significant blow.

His father passed away.

Jose died due to a chronic liver condition

brought on by years of struggling against alcoholism.

He was only 52 years old.

Ronaldo, only 20 at the time, was hit hard by the loss.

But, as at every moment of hardship in his life,

Ronaldo's mother Maria was there for him.

She's been an unwavering pillar of support and love in his life,

and he's said often that he would not be

where he is today without his mother.

Ronaldo still carries a lingering heartache

for his father's passing, as he never got to share

any of his success with his father.

To this day he never forgets how his dad was instrumental

in getting him started in this sport.

Many think him too much of a peacock,

preening and flashy,

concerned completely with his image.

He doesn't make it easy, turning many viewers off

with his arrogance and over-confidence.

Where I think he's toned it down, I think,

by hanging with models and other sports stars

that are on the kind of salary that he's on,

um, it has taught him a lot for how to, you know,

look good, but keep it minimum, which he's never done well.

He loves the bling-bling, he loves the solid tan.

But I think he's learned a lot and he's matured a lot.

And that's seen through his fashion

and his clothing choices.

The guy is a total professional.

What he does in his own time is up to him, I mean, that's--

He is obviously, I think he gives quite

a good image for a footballer.

Other fans think he dives

without the slightest contact,

and are annoyed that a player as well built as Ronaldo

would take to the turf so easily.

Ronaldo's penchant for persuading referees

was highlighted in a 2006 World Cup match against England.

Wayne Rooney, a Manchester United teammate,

was whistled for stamping on a Portugal defender.

Ronaldo immediately started to plead his case to the ref

and Rooney shoved him.

Rooney was given the red card.

And as he left the pitch,

cameras caught Ronaldo winking at his teammate.

Portugal may have won the quarterfinal match,

but Ronaldo didn't win many fans in the process.

Somebody's probably gonna break your legs,

in a-- in a nasty tackle.

Could be Rooney, you never know.

You think?

He's got, he's got to get you back for one, doesn't he?

Rumors of turmoil began to spread

that tension between Ronaldo and Rooney

following the now infamous wink

would be too much for Manchester United to overcome.

Ronaldo was taking the brunt of the blame.

CR7, as he was known,

was becoming football's greatest villain.

Soon, reports surfaced that Ronaldo wanted to transfer,

and Real Madrid was his chosen team.

He had to get there by going through Manchester United,

and the progression that he made through that club

enabled him then to move forward

into a Real Madrid team

that today is huge.

And that's the club that he wanted to go to.

His family, I think, wanted him to go to that club, as well.

His mother, and he was in a situation

where he couldn't say no.

The press told stories of a torn locker room,

and the team's chemistry in jeopardy.

No one could blame Ronaldo if he left.

He could've blamed it on the fan reaction, the resentment.

He had a built-in excuse

in that the World Cup incident was too much to overcome.

But Cristiano Ronaldo rarely takes the easy route.

There are things in life that deserve no comment.

This is one more of those that will receive no comment

on my part, for obvious reasons.

I've always respected all my coaches everywhere I've been,

and I always keep the positive things.

So I always try to learn something new from them.

To talk about people that speak ill of me,

well, it's not something that I'm used to.

People talk ill of me, especially in Portugal.

But I don't spit into the plate that I eat from.

Does he understand that? Is that correct?

I just try to keep to the positive things.

If you watch the players, the first thing they want

to do at the end of the game is go across

to their own supporters and thank them.

But on the other hand, you've got other clubs where,

if things aren't working out, then the fans can turn on you very quick.

And that's why he's got as far as he has done today, by playing for Real Madrid,

because of his arrogance, his professionalism.

Ronaldo met manager Sir Alex Ferguson

for dinner in Portugal to discuss the situation.

Sir Alex is no stranger to handling football superstars,

and convinced the young striker to stay.

A five-year extension was inked, and Ronaldo became

the highest paid player in the team's history.

They are more or less film stars, movie stars.

The amount of money that's poured into the game now has--

has risen their status massively.

On the heels of his new five-year deal,

Ronaldo carried the Red Devils to its second of what would be

three straight English Premier League championships,

as well as taking home the UEFA Champions League trophy.

I just try to do my best all the time, season by season.

I try to, to be better, better player, better person.

I try to learn myself all the time.

And, um, I have opportunity to score goals and I score.

One of the gems of Ferguson's legendary career

was keeping Ronaldo in a United uniform for as long as he did.

Ferguson was known for cultivating talent as well as clashing with it.

Tensions between Ferguson and David Beckham

boiled over in 2003,

when following a loss to Arsenal in the FA cup,

Ferguson kicked a boot at David Beckham,

resulting in the Englishman getting stitches above his eye.

David did not have two stitches put in his head,

he had no stitches.

So it was a graze, and he's dealt with, with a doctor,

there's no problem, and we move on.

And similar to Beckham,

Ronaldo eventually was granted his request

to transfer to Real Madrid in 2009.

The £80 million transfer fee was a record at that time.

I think we have a player in the top of his game.

We have a player that left Portugal

with an incredible talent,

transformed that incredible talent

in his time in Manchester.

And now knowing a certain coach,

I think he achieved his maximum level.

He's fabulous player.

And normally this kind of players, they make,

uh, they can make a difference.

That's until current teammate

Gareth Bale joined Madrid

transferring over from Tottenham

in the Barclay's Premier League.

Our guys is doing amazing.

He start a little bit...

As I say, like with some injuries, some small problems,

it's normal because he didn't do the preseason,

and after what's happened with him,

a lot of pressure, you know.

It's hard, but I think now he's in a good way.

He helps out a lot, he's integrate more in the team.

People like him, like the supporters

and the players around him.

I think it's a-- it's a fantastic player,

and I wish that he can help us win trophies.

Cristiano Ronaldo is, for me, the best player in the world.

I think he's a massive factor.

Why I wanted to come here as well.

I think the team is full of world-class players

and there comes no better than him.

And, uh, it will obviously be an honor.

At first, everyone wondered

if these two could play together in harmony.

It's not difficult for him, but I understand.

If you, if you speak with him, you can see

that he's very exciting to play,

to help the team, to getting better and better.

But it's better to leave him alone.

Don't make him pressure, do pressure to another players.

Leave him alone.

Because I'm sure 100%

that he's gonna do well for the club.

He gonna help us a lot because he's a fantastic player.

He's a fantastic boy, and he always want to learn.

And this is the most important.

Now, after the first season,

the combination of Ronaldo and Bale

is proving to be deadly for any opposing team.

Cristiano Ronaldo soon became a worldwide phenomenon.

He's the most Google-searched athlete across the globe.

Millions idolize him, and just as many hate him.

He is the ultimate polarizing figure in sports.

I think that Ronaldo coming from a very poor background

has indeed had an effect on his career

and on his business decisions.

I think that he has had to claw his way up

and take every opportunity that's given to him,

but equally, so too

have other people that have come

from much better-off backgrounds.

But I think he's been very clever in the way

that he's used his perhaps skills

that he learned at a young age to his advantage today.

Although much of Ronaldo's skill

was shaped and molded with his fiery determination

and will and pure hard work,

one wonders if this otherworldly talent

got an assist from destiny.

Born on February 5th, 1985,

under the Aquarian sun and Leo moon,

the stars lit the path for Ronaldo,

equipping him with the relentless passion to be great.

Aquarians are brilliant communicators.

They work well with the media, so they're an absolute gift

to any corporate organization trying to push their wares.

And Ronaldo has made many endorsements

for most products you can think of.

Those born with an Aquarian sun

can be enchanting and often unhinged.

The placement of Mars could tell us that little Cristiano Ronaldo

would become a man of action, a self-sufficient born leader.

It seems even the Cosmos has made it their goal

to see Ronaldo armed with all the traits

of a superior athletic force.

Ronaldo is a really typical Aquarian.

He just loves the limelight.

And Ronaldo will always want to succeed.

He'll always want to be number one, the best.

And if money comes with it, well, money comes with it.

Aquarians can take it or leave it with money.

But when money really comes to an Aquarian,

it either comes big time, or nothing at all.

In Ronaldo's case, he's made plenty in his life.

But he's not the only one in his family to gain fame.

Ronaldo's older sister, Catia Aveiro is a singer

and signed a record deal in 2013.

Naturally, Ronaldo has always been her biggest fan

as she used to sing around the house

when they were younger.

No matter where her career takes her, Catia knows

her younger brother will always be there to support her dreams.

As Ronaldo's legions of fans grew,

so did his critics.

Ronaldo instantly had a target on his back.

Tabloid magazines and websites

hounded his every move off the pitch.

The word to describe Cristiano Ronaldo... skimpy.

Loves skimpy.

Speedos, I don't get it.

You know, I suppose if you look that good

you can show it off, but he shows it off a lot.

Any celebrity knows

that as fame rises, privacy often falls.

Paparazzi are an issue for any star,

but for a global icon like Ronaldo,

it can be impossible to find a moment's peace.

Watch out, watch out, watch out!

Yo, you're going the wrong way. You're going the wrong way.

Back up!

What are you doing here?

- Back up! - Cristiano!

His home is stalked

by cameramen and videographers,

often provoking him with personal questions.

How's your baby?!

And Ronaldo has clashed

with a paparazzo on more than one occasion.

It's hard to blame him considering how much

they hawk his every single move.

I think the difference with the Beckhams

is that they're a partnership.

There's one of Ronaldo, there's two Beckhams.

They weren't the people that arrived on the scene

many years ago.

Ronaldo I think is equally making that effort,

but he comes from a very different culture,

a very, very different way of life.

However, his salary does allow

the striker to outrun the paps.

The footballer has some of the fastest

and most expensive cars on the planet.

Whether he's whipping by in his Bugatti Veyron,

or cruising in his Rolls Royce Phantom,

he has spent nearly $5 million on his treasured car collection.

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the highest paid sportsman

in the world, so you can imagine he's gonna have

one of the best collections in the world.

I mean, you can start off, he's got a Bugatti Veyron,

he's got plenty of Lamborghinis, McLarens,

Ferraris, Bentleys,

pretty much anything you can imagine,

Cristiano Ronaldo will have.

The lifestyle is fantastic.

There is money, there are cars,

there are houses, media exposure.

It's very difficult to live a life in the limelight,

and that's why I think you see a lot of the younger stars

sort of failing, as it would be,

in many aspects of life by the time they're mid-20's.

He likes to be seen, he's got a lot of convertibles,

so he'll pop the roof and people, you know,

he wants people to see him driving these cars.

And that's part of his character.

But he doesn't only fill

his own garage.

Ronaldo promised the five-person training staff of Real Madrid

that if he won the FIFA Ballon d'Or,

he would buy each of them a new car of their choice.

In 2013, Ronaldo went home with the award,

and true to his word,

his training staff was driving home

in their brand-new cars soon after.

Cannot expect a better night than this one ever in my dreams,

so I have to be proud of my work,

what I did during the year.

And this is gonna give me motivation

to work more, and dedicate myself more for the future.

And I hope to be here next year to try to win the third one.

Throughout his career,

Ronaldo made headlines on and off the pitch.

Recently, he announced that there is a junior Ronaldo.

The identity of the mother has never been released.

The boy, named Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.

attends every match with his grandmother.

Ronaldo says he plans to raise him with religious values

and won't spoil him

even though he's being raised in immense wealth.

Ronaldo prides himself on being

a loving and caring dad.

Ronaldo, despite his gargantuan wealth and success,

is always mindful of where he came from,

and the hardships he had to endure to achieve his dreams.

The asphalt alley and stone well

are never far from his thoughts.

If you're looking for Ronaldo

on his day off, you probably won't find him in a local bar.

Odds are he could be at a youth practice in his native Portugal.

Hello, hello.

We pass, pass, pass, pass, and we didn't shoot.

One opportunity, shoot in the net.

I think they play all in the same place.

They have to make this space huge.

Try to be fast, try to, you know, to fake him,

and try to change acceleration.

Just try to have the ball.

And good control.

Good control.

Good.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticized

for his extravagant spending and lifestyle.

But without question, his heart, support,

and generosity have saved many lives

and given hope to those that most need it.

In December of 2004,

Ronaldo's number 7 was a symbol of hope.

An earthquake off the coast of Indonesia

caused one of the most catastrophic tsunamis

in recorded history.

A six-year-old Acehnese boy named Maltunis

was swept out to sea by the massive wave.

Maltunis was carried into a mangrove swamp.

All he had to survive on was rainwater in puddles,

and packets of dried noodles

that had washed up in the wave.

He was alone like this for 19 days before he was rescued

and reunited with his father and grandfather.

News agencies broadcasted images of Maltunis

wearing a tattered blood-stained,

red football jersey, with the number seven.

The image of Maltunis in that shirt went viral,

as did his story.

The young boy lost his mother and sister in the tsunami.

Touched and heartbroken,

Ronaldo visited Maltunis in Indonesia.

He paid for the boy's education,

and made large donations to rehabilitation

and reconstruction efforts for the community.

Ronaldo also raised funds

for an improved mangrove forestation,

a key element in helping to save Maltunis' life

during the aftermath of this heart-wrenching event.

*

Ronaldo's critics perhaps ignore

the star's many philanthropic efforts.

When Ronaldo found out his biggest fan

had life-threatening cancer,

his world stopped spinning.

His mother was diagnosed with breast cancer

and fought through a series of debilitating radiation

treatments to regain her health.

Having seen her suffer, Cristiano generously donated

£100,000 to the hospital that saved his mom's life.

He continues to support charities related to cancer

and helped build a specialist center at Hospital Central

in his native Madeira.

This past year, Ronaldo received a letter

from the family of 10-year-old Erik Cruz Ortiz.

The little Real Madrid fan had a brain abnormality

that required surgery,

and the parents were hoping Ronaldo would

donate a jersey and some shoes

that they could auction off to save money.

Ronaldo went a few steps further.

He paid the £60,000 for the operation.

Massive inspiration to--

if you go back home to Portugal,

I mean, the whole of the country love him.

People don't know about

the philanthropic work that he does.

A lot of his money goes back into his home country.

He's massively involved

in the slums in Portugal.

He's been doing lots and lots of work there

that people don't know about.

Despite all his fame and wealth,

no one can say that Ronaldo is not a man of the people.

During Real Madrid's 3-1 victory over Chelsea

at the UEFA Champions League friendly in Miami,

a fan raced onto the pitch to give Ronaldo a hug.

I remember holding him, saying,

"Thank you, thank you, thank you for this.

"Thank you for all you've done for me.

"I wouldn't have been where I am right now

if I hadn't followed you as a role model."

I said, "I've always followed you since 2005, 2006,

before you were even famous in Madrid."

And I wish I had the jersey, like I said,

to show him that I wasn't lying.

It wasn't just for the fame, I followed him for all,

since he was a teenager just like me, what I am now.

When I knew he had the potential.

So I said, "I followed you, you helped me in life

"get through hard times because I, just like you, Ronaldo, "grew up with a single mom.

"I never grew up without a dad, either, I know what it was like."

And I think the moment that really touched him,

I said, in his ear, and I remember whispering,

not whispering, but telling him in his ear, I said,

"If I ever, ever had a father figure to help me in my life,

I always looked up to you out of everyone in the world."

Because of everything he's done.

His actions on and off the soccer field.

Ronaldo graciously chatted

with the fan and walked him off with security.

But the story didn't end there.

Ronaldo wrote a letter to the Florida judge

asking for all criminal charges to be dropped.

I said to him, "Ronaldo, you know, I followed you and everything.

Please, you know, please, don't let the cops take me."

And he said, "Don't worry, I'm gonna take care of you."

In the letter, Ronaldo wrote,

"By all accounts he has a bright future ahead of him,

"and I'd hate see this future ruined

by an error of judgment."

The charges were dropped the next day.

Cristiano is an athlete who admittedly

takes a lot of pride in the way he looks.

But after all, he does know that it's all about branding.

Ronaldo opened a boutique called CR7 in his native Madeira,

and another in Lisbon in 2008.

Last year, Ronaldo designed his own undergarment line

for men under the CR7 banner,

giving his critics plenty of ammunition.

CR7 is the Cristiano Ronaldo brand,

and I think it's very significant.

I don't think it's as big as Beckham, but then again,

Beckham is the number one known footballer in the world.

Cristiano Ronaldo, I-- wasn't born into fashion,

let's be real, because in the early days

when we saw him with way too much hair gel,

I mean Dippity-do was like his go-to.

It was just to the extremes.

He's used very block, bold colors, which is very much

Ronaldo's way of using his fashion externally

as well as internally on his underpants and socks.

To Beckham, there is no comparison as footballers.

Looks, Beckham, well in front.

Even though a lot of people might have you think different.

He didn't care.

Profits experienced a huge boost

as his brand continues to grow in record numbers.

You have to be in a situation where

you are a role model for the children,

and so as long as they see that that's what you are,

then these companies that want to advertise you to,

well, advertise their brands, then that's what they'll do.

And then, of course, they're in a situation

where they can make their own brand.

They can have their own brand and sell that through.

And then people will buy it.

The amount of money that's poured into the game now

has risen their status massively.

And that also obviously will incorporate

that businesses will want to be linked with them

and sponsorship deals on top of that obviously

helps to increase their income.

Following in the footsteps of a former Man U player,

Cristiano was on the road to becoming a legend.

You know, I've always liked fashion, you know.

It's something that, I like to look nice,

whether it be on the pitch or whether it's, uh,

you know, out having dinner with family.

Complete with a high-profile girlfriend to match.

Irina Shayk.

When you're earning the amounts of money

these guys are earning now, especially Cristiano,

then what else does he probably got to spend his money on?

The supermodel and Cristiano

have been an item since 2010.

Another soccer icon, Lionel Messi,

faces the similar daunting task

of performing on the grand stage of the World Cup.

FC Barcelona's Messi is shorter

and without the marketable good looks of Cristiano Ronaldo.

I just think the way he plays the game

and the goals he scores

and he just looks,

you know, spectacular.

A lot of kids, probably because

of his physical appearance as well,

would want to be Ronaldo more than Messi.

Messi is a great player. Everyone talks about the Messi-Ronaldo.

Messi is a fantastic player,

but he's a great player in a very good team, and I think

Ronaldo's an exceptional player in a not so good side.

Ronaldo looks like

he was constructed in a footballer factory

while Messi is the everyman's player,

which is why many fans gravitate to him.

These two often finish one and two in most

of the Player of the Year Awards,

and are constantly compared with one another.

With Messi being the build that he is,

he relies purely and simply on his footballing ability.

And for that reason, I give it to Messi.

I think you've got your obvious Messis and your Ronaldos,

but what I quite want to see is someone, not necessarily random,

but coming up through the ranks

and maybe a Gonzalo Higuain from Argentina.

You know, a star player, but someone who isn't necessarily

as well known as he probably should be.

Ronaldo's transfer to Real Madrid

only acerbated the comparisons.

Messi would take home the FIFA Ballon d'Or

for three straight years

before Ronaldo broke his streak in 2013.

Good evening.

There are no words to describe this moment.

I want to thank all my colleagues

and companions at Real Madrid.

The Brazilian and the Portuguese team,

and my family, who is here with me today.

It's a very important prize and, like I said

in the press conference before, I'm very happy to be amongst

the three best players.

For me it's a prize, like I said,

Cristiano won it, and he deserved to win.

Messi and Ronaldo

may be highly regarded in the world of football,

yet on the international stage, both come up short

in comparison to the all-time greats.

Pelé won three World Cups, the only player to do so.

Pelé is the, in my opinion, the best player I've ever seen,

and I've got no reason to change that.

So I put Pelé in front of Ronaldo,

but Ronaldo in front of Beckham, as players.

Looks-wise, I'd put that reverse.

Beckham, Ronaldo, Pelé, in the oil painting.

The other Ronaldo,

Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima,

won two World Cups and is the leading

World Cup goal scorer with an astonishing 15.

Diego Maradona captained Argentina

to a World Cup victory in 1986,

and Sir Bobby Charlton became a legend

for helping England to victory in 1966.

Bobby's one of the reasons

that I existed as long as I did

in the early days at Manchester United

because he believed in me.

He believed in the route, the direction

that Manchester had taken

in terms of producing our young players again.

And Bobby played an integral part in that,

and I thank him today for that.

This is the international stage

where football's elite become legends.

With an audience of over 700 million people

watching from all corners of the globe,

it's on this stage that the stars

of the game really shine.

World Cup defeats have placed a lot of pressure

on this summer's 2014 campaign

for Ronaldo and Messi alike.

Well, when the draw happened,

I was not watching.

I was actually sleeping.

I think I have to be honest with you.

It's an extremely difficult group with Germany,

who are always one of the favorites for the title,

and the others, the United States and Ghana,

who also have great teams.

That's why I think it is a difficult group.

Portugal came through the playoffs

after the qualification for the World Cup,

so there's a good chance that they could be

the dark horses of the World Cup.

I think in that group,

Russia will be more constant than has.

They play better, and, um, we drop.

Not in a few moments, points,

that you should don't-- don't lost.

But it's the past, so we play the playoffs,

it was good for us.

We win both games, we play very, very good.

But for Messi and Ronaldo

to establish themselves as two of the game's all-time bests,

they will have to win.

Important-- all competitions is important,

and this one is a special one because it was in Brazil,

will be in Brazil.

For us, Portuguese country, it's very important

because you know, we-- we have history with Brazil,

the culture, and...

And we speak the same language. So it's fantastic.

We are so proud to be part of this big event.

I think Cristiano's chances of becoming a legend

this World Cup will unfortunately

not be solely determined by him and him alone.

It will depend on how the team as a whole performs.

If he can do that again,

then he will earn that legend status.

And rightly so, if he could take Portugal through to win the World Cup.

Portuguese is the same language,

we have a lot of Portuguese there,

and we are very happy for that.

And we, we try to enjoy the,

you know, World Cup, it's, uh,

the main competition for national teams

so we try to enjoy.

In addition to any pressure

placed on the players, the host country

had its own set of issues to sort through.

Though Brazil was excited about hosting the World Cup,

the cost of the event, with the massive security

to not only protect the players but the fans as well,

the stadium construction costs well over $3 billion.

Regardless, countries heavily vied for the chance

of becoming the host country.

England sent its own football legend and a future king

to seal the deal, but to no avail.

Even after winning the bid, but years before the actual event,

problems arise, as in the case of Qatar.

However, with Pelé as the face of Brazil's World Cup event,

this one is sure to become an event for the record books.

Was a surprise to everyone

what happened Brazil

because, uh,

this is a political problem,

'cause I mention about the--

the football is the big promotion

of Brazilian country.

Then when you have an event

like, uh, World Cup,

like Confederation Cup,

uh, you have Olympics, you know,

then I think everybody should be together.

But this is a political problem.

We have that, but no doubt, no doubt,

the World Cup will be fantastic.

Love him or hate him, you can't deny

that Ronaldo's impact on the sport is immense.

He moves the needle.

Whether you're cheering his every goal

or cursing his name, he triggers a reaction.

He's one of the faces of the game.

And that face will once again be placed under the microscope

in Brazil, where the game's best and brightest

will compete in front of 700 million viewers.

In the World Cup, questions are answered,

and the pressure to perform is nothing short of daunting.

Once you reach a World Cup, this...

you know, anything can happen.

To play at the World Cup is an honor,

and one that players take incredibly seriously.

The pressure of playing for your country is much greater

than playing for your club for the simple reason

that you've got-- you're not only pleasing

one set of supporters, you're trying to please

the whole, um, obviously, the whole country.

And that, hence, there's pressure with that

in that respect, and you've also got the pressure

of trying to make people understand and believe that you should be there,

possibly in front of their own favorite player that plays for their club.

We deserve to win 100%.

Fast forward a couple of months and we find Ronaldo

on the practice pitch with his Real Madrid teammates.

His performance at the 2014 World Cup is now a distant memory.

Fresh from winning the UEFA Champions League Cup,

there were high hopes for the Portuguese striker

as he scored 17 goals in that tournament.

And that's not counting the assists.

Well, it was an unbelievable night to win "La Decima" here in Portugal

with all this beautiful crowd

and it's something that we're looking many, many years of.

Cristiano Ronaldo does it again.

Every year, I tried to do my best. I score goals,

and I help the team.

He also took a lot of punishment,

irritating a chronic injury.

An injury that would follow him to Brazil.

Ronaldo's arrival was coupled with both excitement and speculation.

He was in great spirits upon arriving.

But it was a different story during practice sessions in full view of the press.

We wanna win. We can win.

We know it's gonna be difficult, but I think we are in good shape.

He played brilliantly during team qualifiers,

but it was not the same Ronaldo who took the pitch against Germany

in Portugal's opening match.

And the look on Ronaldo's face said it all.

With a 4-0 defeat and a red card for Pepe,

Portugal's hopes for victory were all but gone.

Obviously, it was

a difficult situation to accept.

But there is body language that many, many times

pushed the referees to have these kind of decisions

and to leave a team playing with ten men

for such a long time

is obviously a big handicap for the team.

Ronaldo may have had the game-changing assist

in the game against the USA.

Here's Cristiano Ronaldo, oh it's a great cross!

and it is an equalizer!

But it was too late to change the outcome.

USA and Germany would advance

and Ronaldo would return back to Europe.

Now back with Real Madrid and in better shape,

the old Ronaldo has truly returned

as he scored both goals in a UEFA game against Seville.

Gets it on to Benzema, on it goes to Ronaldo.

Oh, yeah!

It was amazing. A fantastic evening.

We win a very important trophy,

and I didn't play fantastic.

I scored two goals, which in my opinion,

it was very important for me to give me confidence

to start well the season.

So I'm good, I feel happy, one trophy.

So very good.

However, even with this promising outcome,

his injury came back to haunt him.

Many say it's time for this legendary footballer to take a break.

If the injury persists, Ronaldo's career in football

could come to an untimely end.

And there are other teams that have Ronaldo in their sights.

As Beckham builds momentum for football in the US.

We don't want public funding. We will fund the stadium ourselves,

create a stadium. We wanna create a soccer team, a football club

that is the people's football club.

It's simple as that. You know, I've worked

for some of the biggest clubs in the world

with some of the greatest players in the world,

and this is a dream.

If someone would have turned around to me at 11 years old

and said, "You're gonna play for Manchester United.

You're gonna represent England. You're gonna play for Real Madrid,

AC Milan, the Galaxy

and then become an owner," I probably wouldn't have believed them.

Don't be surprised

if Ronaldo decides to cross the Atlantic too.

- The girls love you. - No, love you because maybe I play good football.

Yeah, what about Galaxy? Are you gonna join the Galaxy?

Yeah, you know,

- Beckham and Abel Xavier played there. - Yeah.

And I spoke with him a few times. He says it's great.

You should play here, maybe in the future. You never know.

He's such a talent. He's such a great player and a good person.

You know, he's one of the best if not the best player in the world.

So watching him is

a huge pleasure for many Real Madrid fans.

Believe it or not, this footballer may also have

his sights set on a different sort of stage.

The silver screens of Hollywood.

And he always has time for charity.

Proving that even a freezing shower of ice

isn't enough to make him flinch.

Ronaldo accepted the Ice Bucket Challenge

and lent his support to the ALS Association

in order to raise money for this worthy cause.

Following in the footsteps of some of the world's biggest names,

ranging from director Steven Spielberg.

Oh, man!

To David Beckham.

Even top fashion editor, Anna Wintour of "Vogue."

The idea is to have a freezing bucket of ice water poured on your head,

and bring attention to a very worthy cause.

In America, the disease is known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

and in the UK as motor neuron disease,

but the symptoms and effects are the same

and devastating to sufferers and their families.

- For the past two weeks... - For the past two weeks...

- For the past two weeks... - You have been reading about the bad break I got.

- Yet today... - Yet today I consider myself...

- I consider myself... - I consider myself...

the luckiest man

on the face of the Earth.

It's of great importance that people like Ronaldo

bring such a high volume of attention to this disease.

As it is thought with the right funding and the right direction,

this disease could be beaten.

Regardless of what the future holds,

Ronaldo had made his mark in history.

One of the best if not the best player in the world.

So for me it was a fantastic year

and I win all the individual awards.

This trophy is for collective awards. I'm really, really happy.

Whether it's a football pitch, red carpet or magazine cover,

one thing is certain-- Ronaldo is here to stay

and he certainly has the world at his feet.