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Cristiano Ronaldo Fast Facts

(CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of professional soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo.

Personal

Birth date: February 5, 1985

Birth place: Funchal, Portugal

Birth name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro

Father: Jose Dinis Aveiro, gardener

Mother: Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, cook

Marriage: Georgina Rodriguez (August 11, 2026-present)

Children: with Georgina Rodriguez: Alana Martina, 2017; Bella Esmeralda and male twin (name unreleased, died in childbirth), 2022; via surrogate: Eva and Mateo (twins), 2017; with mother’s name unavailable publicly: Cristiano Jr., 2010

Other Facts

All-time leading male goalscorer in international football.

First male player in history to score a goal in five different World Cups.

Portugal’s all-time top international goalscorer.

Winner of the Ballon d’Or footballer of the year award five times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017), and the European Golden Shoe four times (2007-08, 2010-11, 2013-14 and 2014-15).

One of his acts of charity was paying for the brain surgery of a 10-month-old boy. Other acts have included raising money for survivors of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami and paying for treatment for a 9-year-old cancer patient.

His father named him after US President Ronald Reagan.

Timeline

Early 1990s – Joins local amateur team Andorinha.

Late 1990s – Joins Clube Desportivo Nacional da Madeira, one of Portugal’s leading professional football clubs.

Early 2000s – Signs with Sporting Clube de Portugal.

August 12, 2003 – Signs with Manchester United for £12.24 million ($19.7 million).

August 20, 2003 – Debuts for Portugal’s national team.

June-July 2004 – Represents Portugal in the UEFA Euro and scores a goal in the tournament opener. This is his first major international tournament.

July 2004 – Plays for Portugal during the Summer Olympics. Portugal is eliminated in the group stage.

2005 – Wins the FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year award.

October 2005 – Comes under investigation for an alleged sexual assault but is not charged.

June 17, 2006 – Scores his first World Cup goal against Iran. Portugal wins 2-0.

2008 – Wins the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

2009 – Transfers to Real Madrid. The deal includes an £80 million (more than $130 million) transfer fee.

December 15, 2013 – Opens a museum dedicated to his football career in his hometown of Funchal, Portugal.

January 6, 2014 – Scores his 400th career goal.

January 20, 2014 – Is named Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry.

October 17, 2015 – Officially becomes Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer in the club’s 3-0 victory over Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

November 9, 2015 – The documentary “Ronaldo” premieres in London.

November 8, 2016 – Signs a “lifetime” endorsement deal with Nike.

January 2017 – Is named the inaugural Best FIFA Men’s Player of 2016.

June 13, 2017 – Is accused of defrauding Spanish authorities of $16.4 million in tax between 2011 and 2014.

August 14, 2017 – According to the Spanish Football Federation, Ronaldo is banned for five games following his red card in Real Madrid’s 3-1 victory over rival Barcelona. On top of the one-game ban for the red card, he will miss four further games for pushing referee Ricardo De Burgos Bengoetxea as he was leaving the field.

October 23, 2017 – Wins the FIFA Best Men’s Player Award for the second year in a row.

December 7, 2017 – Claims his fifth Ballon d’Or, equaling the record set by eternal rival Lionel Messi.

July 10, 2018 – Leaves Real Madrid to join the reigning Serie A champion Juventus, based in Turin, Italy, on a four-year contract and a reported $117 million transfer fee.

September 27, 2018 – Kathryn Mayorga files a lawsuit in Clark County, Nevada, accusing Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009. She seeks to void a settlement and nondisclosure agreement she says she was coerced to sign by Ronaldo and his legal team. Ronaldo denies the allegations.

January 10, 2019 – Las Vegas police spokeswoman, Officer Laura Meltzer, confirms that in the course of investigating a rape allegation against Ronaldo they have sent a warrant to authorities in Italy requesting a sample of his DNA.

January 22, 2019 – Ronaldo agrees to settle his tax fraud case with Spanish authorities by paying a fine of $21.6 million and accepting a 23-month suspended prison sentence. Under Spanish law, first-time offenders can avoid prison time if the sentence is under two years.

April 20, 2019 – Juventus defeats Fiorentina 2-1 to claim the Italian championship Serie A title. Ronaldo becomes the first player ever to win titles in the Premier League (with Manchester United), La Liga (with Real Madrid) and Serie A (with Juventus).

May 8, 2019 – The lawsuit filed in Clark County, Nevada, accusing Ronaldo of rape is voluntary dismissed by Mayorga. Larissa Drohobyczer, Mayorga’s attorney, tells CNN that “The state case was dismissed by us because we filed the identical claims in federal court due to federal court rules on serving foreigners, we basically just switched venues, but the claims remain.”

July 22, 2019 – The Clark County District Attorney’s office says that Ronaldo will not face sexual assault charges in Las Vegas. The office says the allegations, which were first made in 2009, cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

August 16, 2019 – Federal court documents reveal that following Mayorga’s 2009 accusation of rape, Ronaldo paid Mayorga $375,000 in a settlement and confidentiality agreement. Mayorga is asking the court to invalidate the agreement on the grounds that Ronaldo and his legal team took advantage of her fragile emotional state to coerce her into signing it.

September 8, 2020 – Scores his 100th international goal in Portugal’s Nations League match against Sweden, becoming just the second man in history to reach the milestone.

October 13, 2020 – Has tested positive for coronavirus, according to a statement by the Portuguese Football Federation.

August 31, 2021 – Manchester United confirms the signing of Ronaldo for a second time, completing his transfer from Juventus.

September 1, 2021 – Breaks the men’s all-time international goalscoring record after scoring two goals against Ireland in the Group A World Cup qualifier in Almancil, Portugal.

October 6, 2021 – A federal judge recommends that the rape case against Ronaldo be dismissed, because Mayorga’s attorneys improperly obtained and used information from leaked documents. On June 10, 2022, the case is dismissed. In 2023, Ronaldo is reimbursed over $300,000 for legal fees he spent while defending himself. US District Judge Jennifer Dorsey ruled the attorney representing Mayorga, Leslie Stovall, pay Ronaldo. The court found Stovall owed the money after the attorney was judged to have harmed the footballer through “bad-faith lawyering.”

March 12, 2022 – Scores his 806th career goal against Tottenham, breaking FIFA’s all-time record for most goals in competitive matches in men’s football history.

April 18, 2022 – Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, announce that one of their newborn twins, a boy, has died.

November 22, 2022 – Manchester United announces Ronaldo is leaving the English Premier League club with immediate effect. The announcement comes a week after Ronaldo gave an explosive TV interview about his frustrations at the club.

November 24, 2022 – With a goal in Portugal’s opener against Ghana in Qatar, becomes the first male player in history to score at five World Cups.

December 30, 2022 – Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr announces that Ronaldo has joined the team.

March 23, 2023 – Ronaldo breaks the all-time men’s international appearance record after captaining Portugal in its Euro 2024 qualifier against Liechtenstein in Lisbon.

February 28, 2024 – The Saudi Arabian Football Federation announces Ronaldo has been suspended for one match and fined for “provoking” fans in a Saudi Pro League match.

September 5, 2024 – Becomes the first man to score 900 career goals during Portugal’s UEFA Nations League group stage match against Croatia in Lisbon. Ronaldo’s goal is his 131st for Portugal, which extends his record for most international goals in world football.

June 2025 – Signs a new two-year deal with his current club, Al Nassr, reportedly worth more than $400 million in tax free earnings.

June 23, 2026 – Becomes the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments. Ronaldo has scored during all six consecutive World Cups in which he has played.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Yasser Arafat Fast Facts

(CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of the late Yasser Arafat, president of the Palestinian Authority.PersonalBirth date: August 24, 1929 (some sources say August 4th)Death date: November 11, 2004 Birth place: Cairo, Egypt (claimed he was born in Jerusalem)Birth name: Mohammed Abdel Raouf Arafat al Qudwa al Husseini Father: Abd al Raouf al Qudwa al Husseini, a merchantMother: Zahwa Abu Saud Marriage: Suha Tawil (November 1991-November 11, 2004, his death) Children: Zahwa ArafatEducation: Cairo University, civil engineering degreeReligion: Sunni MuslimOther FactsThe nickname Yasir or Yasser means “easy-going” in Arabic. Arafat acquired it as a teenager.Arafat’s alias, Abu Ammar, was adopted in the mid 1960s.Timeline1950s - After graduating from college, Arafat founded a nationalistic group called Fatah. The group published literature that advocated armed rebellion against Israel.1964 - The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is founded as a network of Palestinian resistance groups. Fatah is one branch of the PLO. 1969 - Arafat is elected chairman of the executive committee of the PLO, which begins a campaign of guerrilla fighting to pressure Israel into retreating from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.November 13, 1974 - Addresses the General Assembly of the United Nations saying, “I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter’s gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.”1982 - As Israeli military troops close in on PLO headquarters in Beirut, Arafat flees to Tunisia. The PLO establishes a new base of operations there. December 13, 1988 - During a UN speech, Arafat renounces terrorism and says he recognizes Israel’s right to exist. 1990-1991 - Supports Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War.April 8, 1992 - Survives a plane crash in Libya that kills the pilot and two others.September 13, 1993 - Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabind and Arafat sign the Oslo accords in Washington.May 4, 1994 - Signs an accord giving the Palestinians limited self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza.July 1, 1994 - Returns to Gaza for the first time in 27 years.July 5, 1994 - Arafat is sworn in as head of the Palestinian Authority and the process of establishing autonomous rule for the Palestinian territories begins. October 14, 1994 - Wins the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Rabin and Israel’s then-foreign minister, Shimon Peres. January 20, 1996 - The first Palestinian election is held and Arafat wins the presidency.2000-2002 - Amid a wave of violent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian rebels, the two sides negotiate a series of short-lived ceasefires. The tumult culminates on March 29, 2002, when Israeli troops storm Arafat’s compound and engage in a siege that lasts for weeks. May 1, 2002 - Israeli forces begin to withdraw from Arafat’s compound. In exchange for the retreat, Arafat agrees to transfer six prisoners, who were holed up in the compound and wanted by Israel.June 5-6, 2002 - Israeli troops raid Arafat’s compound again, this time in retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed 17.June 24, 2002 - US President George W. Bush calls for Arafat’s ouster, declaring that a leadership changeover is vital to the peace process.September 19, 2002 - Israeli forces launch a third raid on Arafat’s compound, conducting the offensive to compel Arafat to turn over militants who allegedly carried out a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv. December 16, 2002 - Arafat denounces Osama bin Laden during an interview with the Sunday Times of London. He says al Qaeda has no connection to the PLO or the Palestinian cause.March 19, 2003 - Arafat meets with Mahmoud Abbas to offer him the newly created position of prime minister. The role was created as part of a larger US-led plan to promote peace. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon refused to negotiate with Arafat so the prime minister post was created, allowing Sharon to engage in peace talks with Abbas rather than Arafat.September 2003 - Abbas resigns as prime minister and Arafat nominates Ahmed Qorei to replace him.September 11, 2003 - As attacks on civilian targets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem continue, Israeli officials declare that Arafat is hindering the peace process rather than facilitating it. October 5, 2003 - Arafat declares a state of emergency in the Palestinian territories after a suicide bombing in Haifa prompts the Israeli military to launch strikes against the Palestinian group that claimed responsibility for the attack. July 2004 - After a series of violent clashes in Gaza, Arafat announces a reform program with the goals of unifying security forces and tackling corruption within the Palestinian Authority. October 29, 2004 - Suffering from a severe illness, reportedly the flu, Arafat is transported to a hospital in Paris for emergency medical treatment. November 11, 2004 - Arafat dies at age 75. He is buried in Ramallah after a military funeral in Cairo. July 4, 2012 - Arafat’s widow says she wants his body exhumed she wants his body exhumed to find out whether he was poisoned after tests showed high levels of a radioactive substance on some of his personal belongings.November 27, 2012 - Arafat’s body is exhumed to test for poisoning. While France is leading the investigation, forensic experts from Switzerland and Russia took their own samples for independent analysis.November 6, 2013 - Swiss scientists conclude that their forensic results “moderately” support a proposition that Arafat died of polonium poisoning.December 26, 2013 - The Russian inquiry findings are announced. “Yasser Arafat died not from the effects of radiation, but of natural causes,” according to the head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency. September 2, 2015 - France ends an inquiry into Arafat’s death, with the prosecutor explaining there is “not sufficient evidence of an intervention by a third party who could have attempted to take his life.”June 24, 2016 - A French court dismisses an appeal to reopen the investigation into Arafat’s death, stating there is not sufficient evidence for a murder trial. The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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