Cristiano Ronaldo - the unknown story

Cristiano Ronaldo with his mother Dolores

He may be one of the best soccer players that ever lived, and his team just reached the finals of the Euro 2016 Cup thanks to another of his goals, but Cristiano Ronaldo looks back before he was born and thanks his mother for a decision that could have changed soccer history. His mother Dolores Aveiro in a book entitled ‘Madre Coraje,’ (Mother’s Courage) says that she went to the doctor in Madeira, Portugal and told the doctor "I want to have an abortion, but the doctor did not support my decision." Having a fourth child was a problem for the difficult economic situation that was going through her family. "I am nervous and scared," she told the doctor, but his response was "In no way! You have only thirty years and no physical reason why may not have that baby. Try to see it already as the joy of your house!" Dolores went home and tried a home remedy from a neighbor to expel the embryo. But it did not work. In the end, the strength of the family’s faith won this battle and Dolores Aveiro continued with her pregnancy, a decision that would change her unborn child’s life forever. "If the will of God is that this child is born, so be it," said the mother of the Real Madrid striker. 

Cristiano (in striped shirt) with members of his family

A few months later the small Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, who brought "a certain joy to our home" as Dolores agreed. His father José Dinis Aveiro was a municipal gardener, while his mother was a cook. He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia. Cristiano spent most of his childhood playing soccer in the streets of Madeira (Portugal), and even though his teacher told him that football would not create a future for him, but he would not listen. His dream became a reality when the Sporting Lisbon signed him when he was a kid. Then he joined Manchester United in 2003, after the manager Ferguson saw him play with Sporting Lisbon against Manchester United. In 2009, he was transferred to Real Madrid, and the rest is history.