“My neighbours called me… ‘Crybaby’” - Cristiano Ronaldo shares what he ‘hated’ during childhood

Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that his neighbors used to call him 'crybaby' as a child. The Portuguese superstar is among the best players of his generation and has redefined the standards in professional football.

CR7 is now a brand, revered and respected across the world. The 39-year-old has achieved tremendous success in his career with club and country so far and has shown no signs of slowing down.

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, and grew up in the rugged neighborhood of Funchal in Madeira. He came from humble beginnings; his father Jose Dinis Aveiro was a gardener, while his mother Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro was a cook.

Encouraged by his father, who was also a kit man for local club Andorinha, he started his football journey at the club, before moving to Nacional. He eventually joined Sporting CP and caught the eye of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Speaking about his childhood in a recent interview with Edu Aguirre, as cited by MARCA, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner added that he hated losing as a child.

"I was always very hot-headed. I hated losing and I cried. My neighbors called me... 'Crybaby'," said Ronaldo .

Manchester United signed Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2003 from Sporting, in a deal worth £12.24 million. He went on to become one of the club's most famous sons.

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How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored in his career?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 921 goals from 1260 appearances for club and country to date. The Portuguese superstar plies his trade with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr and has been in fine form this season as well.

CR7 has registered 21 goals from 24 games across competitions so far. While his contract with the Riyadh-based club expires at the end of this season, recent reports have suggested that he has already agreed to a renewal.

Ronaldo has scored 786 goals from 1043 games in his club career, while also setting up 220 more. He is Real Madrid's record goalscorer, with 450 goals from 438 games for the LaLiga champions.

The Portuguese has found the back of the net 135 times in 217 games for his country and is the footballer with the most international goals. He has also been quite successful with Portugal, winning the Euros in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019.