Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese forward who plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He was born in Funchal, on Madeira, came through Sporting CP's academy and made his name abroad with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, before a second spell at Old Trafford and a move to Al-Nassr at the start of 2023.

He began as a winger who beat defenders with pace and step-overs, and has spent the later part of his career as a penalty-box striker, valued for his movement, his heading and his finishing more than for his work out of possession. That change sits behind most of the debate around him now, at club level and with Portugal.

He made his Portugal debut as an 18-year-old in 2003 and has long captained the national team. Under Jorge Jesus, who also coached him at Al-Nassr, his place in the side has become a story of its own, and in September 2026 he left the squad's camp in Copenhagen after being told he would not start.