📍Santo António, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
1985 – 1997“Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal, the capital of Madeira, in February 1985, the youngest of four children of José Dinis Aveiro, a gardener for the city council and part-time kit man at a local club, and Maria Dolores, a cook and cleaner. The family lived in a small, tin-roofed house in the Quinta do Falcão neighbourhood of Santo António, on the steep hills above the city, and Cristiano shared a bedroom with his brother and sisters. Money was very tight, and his parents worked long hours. He was football-mad from the start, playing in the streets and on the steep, uneven pitches of the neighbourhood, chasing frogs in the gullies with his cousin, and dribbling a ball everywhere he went. He was so skinny and fast that he was nicknamed abelhinha, little bee, and he cried when he lost. At eight he joined Andorinha, the amateur club where his father was the kit man, and at ten he moved to CD Nacional, Madeira's top club, where his talent soon drew attention from the mainland. At twelve he left Madeira alone to join Sporting's academy in Lisbon, a lonely, homesick time when he was teased for his Madeiran accent and phoned home in tears. At fifteen he was diagnosed with a racing heart condition and had a minor operation, returning to training within days. He made his debut for Sporting at seventeen, joined Manchester United in 2003, and became one of the greatest footballers in history. Funchal honours him with a museum, a statue and an airport bearing his name.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
📍 Street view today