<P> A Portuguese international, Ronaldo was named the best Portuguese player of all - time by the Portuguese Football Federation in 2015 . Ronaldo made his senior international debut in August 2003, at age 18 . He is Portugal's most capped player of all - time with over 140 caps, and has participated in seven major tournaments . He is Portugal's all - time top goalscorer . He scored his first international goal at Euro 2004 and helped Portugal reach the final . He took over full captaincy in July 2008, leading Portugal to their first - ever triumph in a major tournament by winning Euro 2016, and received the Silver Boot as the second - highest goalscorer of the tournament . One of the most marketable sportsmen, he was ranked the world's highest - paid athlete by Forbes in 2016 and 2017, as well as the world's most famous athlete by ESPN in 2016 and 2017 . </P> <P> Ronaldo was born in São Pedro, Funchal, and grew up in the Funchal parish of Santo António, as the youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, a cook, and José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener and a part - time kit man . His second given name, "Ronaldo", was chosen after then - U.S. president Ronald Reagan . He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia . His great - grandmother on his father's side, Isabel da Piedade, was from São Vicente, Cape Verde . Ronaldo grew up in a Catholic and impoverished home, sharing a room with his brother and sisters . </P> <P> As a child, Ronaldo played for amateur team Andorinha from 1992 to 1995, where his father was the kit man, and later spent two years with Nacional . In 1997, aged 12, he went on a three - day trial with Sporting CP, who signed him for a fee of £ 1,500 . He subsequently moved from Madeira to Alcochete, near Lisbon, to join Sporting's other youth players at the club's football academy . By age 14, Ronaldo believed he had the ability to play semi-professionally, and agreed with his mother to cease his education in order to focus entirely on football . While popular with other students at school, he had been expelled after throwing a chair at his teacher, who he said had "disrespected" him . However, one year later, he was diagnosed with a racing heart, a condition that could have forced him to give up playing football . He underwent an operation in which a laser was used to cauterise the affected area of his heart; discharged from hospital hours after the procedure, he resumed training only a few days later . </P> <P> At age 16, Ronaldo was promoted from Sporting's youth team by first - team manager László Bölöni, who was impressed with his dribbling . He subsequently became the first player to play for the club's under - 16, under - 17 and under - 18 teams, the B team, and the first team, all within one season . A year later, on 7 October 2002, Ronaldo made his debut in the Primeira Liga, against Moreirense, and scored two goals in their 3--0 win . Over the course of the 2002--03 season, his representatives suggested the player to Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier and Barcelona president Joan Laporta . Manager Arsène Wenger, who was interested in signing the winger, met with him at Arsenal's grounds in November to discuss a possible transfer . </P>

Who started playing soccer first messi or ronaldo