Cristiano Ronaldo has gone from a small island in the middle of the ocean to the top of the soccer world. Kidzworld checks out one of the world's most exciting soccer superstars.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Growing Up
Soccer star, Cristiano Ronaldo, was born on February 5, 1985 on the island of Madeira, which is a few hundred miles south of Portugal. He grew up in a small house in the city of Funchal and began playing soccer for a youth team in Madeira, where his dad was the team's equipment manager. Cristiano Ronaldo was a huge soccer star on the Island but he moved 600 miles to Lisbon when he was just 12 years old to play for Sporting Lisbon's youth team. The move was a difficult one for Cristiano, since he was away from his family and many of his teammates made fun of his Madeiran accent.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Teenage Soccer Star
While some kids chose to tease Cristiano about his accent, no one was teasing him about his soccer skills. His dazzling footwork and goal-scoring touch made him a teenage star. He played his first game for Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Super League when he was 17 and quickly became known as one of the most exciting young soccer players in the world.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Teenage Millionaire
Cristiano Ronaldo's talent caught the eye of Manchester United manager, Alex Ferguson, who bought him from Sporting Lisbon for a mind-boggling $20 million US! Cristiano Ronaldo has had success playing for both Manchester United and for Portugal. He scored the opening goal for Manchester in their 2004 FA Cup victory and helped Portugal advance to the finals at Euro 2004. His fabulous footwork and good looks have now made Cristiano Ronaldo one of the most popular players in Europe. The teenage millionaire now wears number seven, the number of former Manchester star, David Beckham.

Cristiano Ronaldo - Did U Know?
Ronaldo was named after former US President, Ronald Reagan, who was greatly admired by Ronaldo's dad. His full name is Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro.
Cristiano Ronaldo's favorite actress is Angelina Jolie.
When Cristiano Ronaldo was a kid, he once hit a teacher with a chair because she made fun of his Madeiran accent (Kidzworld doesn't recommend you hit your teachers with chairs).