10 football superstars whose full name you might not know

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo has been brilliant since his move to Italy

Contrary to the popular belief, the Portuguese were not named after the Brazilian legend; his parents selected his second given name "Ronaldo" after the then United States President, Ronald Reagan. Ronaldo was born to Jose Dinis Aveiro and Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro. His father was a gardener with the Municipality and also worked as a part-time Kit-man, while his mother was a cook. Ronaldo started from humble beginnings, joining Sporting CP as a 12-year-old, before catching the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. He joined the Premier League giants in the summer of 2003 and was groomed into the best in the World by Sir Alex. Ronaldo later moved on to Real Madrid and is currently a part of the Juventus team in Serie A.

The Portuguese has ensured that his name is known to almost every sports fan in the world and has won a cabinet full of trophies in his career. Cristiano Ronaldo was named as per the Portuguese naming customs at birth, which means he received his mother's family name "Santos" and his father's family name "Aveiro". His full name is Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro.

#1 Lionel Messi

Messi has been in typical record-breaking form this season

Lionel Messi is a name that is synonymous with magic. His popularity is unmatched both in the world of football and off it and there's an inherent charm about him that entices every romantic in the world. A humble, quiet and withdrawn personality, who never boasts of himself, Messi is a true flag bearer of the sportsman spirit. He doesn't just score goals, he creates them, he binds his team together and churns up the impossible on the field.

Messi was born on 24th June 1987 to Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini. His father was a steel factory manager, while his mother worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. Messi's first gained recognition as a part of "The Machine of 97", the group from Newell's Own Boys who lost just 1 game in 4 years. He then joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old and the rest is history.

The Argentine Genius is of Italian and Spanish roots from his father's side, while his Mother's roots are in Italy. He was named as per Spanish naming customs, where he received his Father' family name "Messi" and his Mother's family name "Cuccittini". His full name is Lionel Messi Cuccittini, but we all know and love him as Lionel Messi.