From begging for McDonald’s burgers to global superstar… How Cristiano Ronaldo is STILL chasing World Cup glory at 41

HE is the highest-paid football player in the world, with a net worth of over £229million and a portfolio of luxury properties across six countries.

It’s a level of wealth that Cristiano Ronaldo could never have imagined when, aged 12, he relocated to mainland Portugal from Madeira to join the Sporting Lisbon academy.

The father-of-five’s humble upbringing was a million miles away from the Hollywood lifestyle he now enjoys, with the star admitting that food and money was scarce when he was a child and that he had to beg for burgers after training.

Ronaldo – who turns 40 tomorrow – recalled how free fast food kept him and his friends going, revealing: “Late at night, 10.30 or 11, we are a little bit hungry.

“So we have a McDonald’s next to the stadium where we lived.

“And we always go to the back door and knocked on the door: ‘Hey, any burgers left?’”

Fabio Paim, who was one of Ronaldo’s pals at the Sporting academy, confirmed: “At night we used to go to McDonald’s to pick up the burgers that no one wanted anymore so they weren’t good to sell.

“We were there every night.”

Ronaldo made an appeal in an emotional interview with Piers Morgan to find the McDonald’s staff who had taken pity on him.

He said: “Edna and two more girls, they were unbelievable.

“I never found the girls again. They closed that McDonald’s.”

But as a result of the publicity, Edna Caldas came forward to say she was one of the workers.

Edna said: “This was something that all happened such a long time ago.

“I’m really happy at what he’s gone on to become. I never thought he would remember me so many years on.

“It shows how wonderful he is that he hasn’t forgotten small things like this from his past.”

From such humble beginnings and poor nutrition emerged one of the greatest athletes in sporting history.

Pretty much from the day Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United as a skinny 17-year-old to his latest star turn as the £173million-a-year poster boy of the Saudi Pro League, he has devoted himself to self-improvement.

Former United team-mate Nicky Butt revealed he and other players would “abuse” Ronaldo at first if he dived in training.

But they never questioned his phenomenal work ethic.

Butt said: “’He was the last to leave the building.

“In fact, you couldn’t get him off the training pitch as he worked relentlessly on his techniques, as we were all walking off he was carrying a bag of balls to work on those techniques.

“We would be having lunch in the canteen or getting ready to go home and you could hear the voice of Sir Alex bellowing across the training fields at two or three o’clock in the afternoon, shouting at Cristiano that it was time to get off the pitch as ‘We have a game in two days – enough now’.”

But at times even Ferguson had to admit he was fighting a losing battle against a player so devoted to getting better.

Fergie said: “He sacrificed himself to be the best.

“I remember we were playing Arsenal on the Saturday and it was pouring with rain at Carrington.

“You know he would always practise after training and I said to him ‘We’ve got a game tomorrow and it’s too wet. The ground is too soft.’

“So I went into my office, looked out of the window and what did he do? He went on the Astroturf.

“I had no argument. I couldn’t say anything to him. He’s beat me.”

To have that mentality he had at 18, he deserves everything he’s got

Nemanja Vidic

When Ronaldo arrived at United in 2003, Wayne Rooney was the Premier League’s young superstar and would join him at Old Trafford a year later.

But by the time Ronaldo left Old Trafford for Real Madrid in a world-record transfer in 2009, he was the better player, with his first Ballon d’Or already under his belt.

Former United defender Nemanja Vidic was in no doubt why the Portugal star went on to become one of the game’s all-time greats – and why Rooney fell short.

Vidic said: “You see Cristiano on Instagram, it’s all flashy stuff but he deserves it.

“At that age – 18, 19, to 21 – to have that mentality to work hard, not go out, fight for your dream, the way he did it, he deserves everything he got.

“For me, Wayne Rooney, he failed in terms of that.

“In one moment they are similar, the same. What brought Cristiano Ronaldo much higher was his mentality to change, to work hard, to improve, to have goals.

“I’m not saying Wayne didn’t have a mentality, but he played pure on his talent.

“He didn’t invest in his body, invest in extra training, the physical side.”

At Real, Ronaldo found new levels of achievement and recognition, breaking the club’s all-time goalscoring record, lifting the Champions League four times and winning four more Ballon d’Or crowns as the world’s best player.

The Portugal winger claimed the first of his two La Liga titles under countryman Jose Mourinho.

Although the two Portuguese would sometimes clash over Mourinho’s tactical demands, the former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss could only marvel at the player’s dedication under him and throughout his career.

Mourinho said: “Cristiano Ronaldo is the epitome of dedication.

“His commitment to training is extraordinary. He’s the first to arrive and the last to leave.

“He has a professional approach to every aspect of the game, from his physical fitness to his diet.

“This relentless pursuit of perfection is what makes him exceptional. I’ve seen very few players with his level of determination and focus.”

For him, there is no match more important than the one he’s playing

Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti must have thought he had seen it all in his glittering career as a player and manager.

But even he was taken aback by Ronaldo’s commitment to excellence and self-improvement.

Ancelotti said: “Although I heard many compliments about Cristiano, I was still surprised.

“For him, there is no training more important than the one he’s doing and no match more important than the one he’s playing.

“He plays every match as if it was his last. It surprised me a lot.

“One late night, we returned from an away game and we all wanted to go back home to sleep except for Cristiano who went to Valdebebas to take an ice bath as a recovery.

“I was in total shock as I had never seen this much dedication from a player and couldn’t speak a word.”

Ancelotti managed Ronaldo in two of the greatest seasons of his career.

In 2013/14, he fired Real to La Liga glory and La Decima, their tenth European title, and in 2014/15 hit 61 goals in 54 club appearances – the highest tally of his career.

But perhaps the most telling verdict came from Zinedine Zidane.

As one of Real Madrid and football’s all-time greats, and the manager who led Real and Ronaldo to three Champions League titles in a row, the Frenchman knows a player and competitor when he sees one.

Zidane said of Ronaldo: “I think Cristiano is much better, although I had a good career.

“There are no more words to define him. What he does every day, every game, is phenomenal.

“There have been many players who have made history at this club. But nobody has done what he has – the statistics speak for that.

“He is the best player I have had as a coach.”

Yet Real allowed Ronaldo to leave in 2018, not long after he had become the first player to win the Champions League five times.

The £105m Juventus paid for him was the biggest fee ever for a player over the age of 30.

Yet boss Max Allegri detected a deterioration in Ronaldo’s form, urging the club to move him on at the end of his first season despite a Serie A title.

One of his plates was quinoa, avocado and a couple of boiled eggs. This guy is in incredible shape

Lee Grant

It was Allegri who left, however, and Ronaldo added another Italian championship to his tally of trophies.

But after Allegri returned in 2021, the writing seemed to be on the wall. So Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United in the most sensational transfer of the summer.

And his ongoing dedication to staying fit and healthy, especially through his diet, made a big impression on the United dressing room.

Back-up goalkeeper Lee Grant said: “To give you one instance of the impact he is having on the group, this was Friday night in the hotel.

“So, as you guys will be aware, you finish your dinner and usually on a Friday night you’ve got some cheat stuff out. You’ve got some apple crumble and custard or you’ve got a bit of brownie and cream.

“I tell you now, not one player touched the apple crumble and custard, not one player went up for that brownie because everybody was sat down.

“One of the lads said to me, ‘What has Cristiano got on his plate?’ Obviously it is the cleanest, most healthy plate you can imagine.”

Grant added: “I’ll tell you one of his plates – he had several. One of them was quinoa, avocado and a couple of boiled eggs.

“This guy is in incredible shape.”

Ronaldo has sometimes shared details of the regime that has built and maintained his incredible physique and kept him going into a third decade as a professional footballer.

To match a demanding, carefully-tailored set of cardiovascular and strength-building exercises, he has up to six meals per day, with an emphasis on protein, wholegrains and fresh fruit and vegetables, and tries to drink six litres of water while avoiding all alcohol.

Ronaldo has a £40,000 cryotherapy chamber at home and has been known to follow a pattern of taking five naps of 90-minutes each, rather than one long sleep.

It is literally a head-to-toe approach to health and wellbeing – like other athletes, especially MMA fighters, he paints his toenails to keep out fungal and other infections.

Unlike many footballers of his generation, Ronaldo does not have tattoos, a stance that forms part of his efforts to help others’ well-being.

He is a regular blood donor and knows that having ink applied under his skin would lead to a delay in him being able to donate.

Ronaldo has also given blood and bone marrow since he was 24 after learning that the son of former international team-mate Carlos Martins required regular transfusions.

Over the years, the superstar has stepped in to help fund treatment for a number of individuals, including terminally-ill children.

He has also handed over cash or donated items for auction to raise money for good causes such as Save the Children and Unicef. In 2017, his 2013 Ballon d’Or trophy raised £530,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

But perhaps Ronaldo’s biggest contribution to other people’s health came during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He and agent Jorge Mendes provided £1million to fund life-saving equipment at hospitals in Lisbon and Porto.

Daniel Ferro, president of Lisbon’s Santa Maria Hospital, said: “We were contacted by Jorge Mendes, who volunteered with Cristiano Ronaldo to finance two intensive care units for critical patients suffering from Covid-19.

“There are fans, monitors, infusion pumps, beds … all the equipment that constitutes an intensive care unit equipped to provide care to a Covid-19 patient.”

Ronaldo also persuaded his Portugal team-mates to donate 50 per cent of their bonus for qualifying for Euro 2020, which was postponed until 2021 because of the pandemic, to Covid-19 relief.

Ronaldo’s commitment to his and others’ physical well-being is linked to harrowing experiences with his close family.

Father Dinis was an alcoholic who died from liver failure in 2005 at the age of just 52.

Older brother Hugo, 10 years his senior, suffered from addiction to drink and drugs but got sober with the help and support of Ronaldo.

Their mum Dolores, who has twice overcome breast cancer, said: “Cristiano has seen what drink and drugs can do to people close to him.

“And it’s part of the reason why he’s become who he is today.”

Ronaldo now has a family of his own. Cristiano Jr was born in 2010, with his mother’s name kept secret at her request.

The 14-year-old is attempting to follow in his father’s footsteps, scoring goals for fun in Al Nassr’s youth academy.

And it is often speculated that Ronaldo may hold off retirement until he can share a pitch with his eldest child.

In 2017, twins Eva and Mateo came into the world through a surrogacy arrangement. Later the same year, Ronaldo and glamorous partner Georgina Rodriguez welcomed their first child together into the world, Alana.

Tragedy struck in 2022 when Georgina gave birth to more twins and the boy sadly did not survive.

Ronaldo was back at United at the time and received a touching tribute from Liverpool fans during a match between the bitter rivals days later – a mark of his status and impact on the game.

Surviving Bella, Ronaldo’s youngest, will celebrate her third birthday in April.

Ronaldo and Georgina, 31, are among the most photographed and best known people on the planet, thanks to huge social media followings and high-profile roles and endorsements.

Ronaldo himself is by far and away the world’s most popular figure on Instagram, with an incredible 647million followers and counting – over 140million clear of old rival Lionel Messi in 2nd.

But even at 40, dad-of-five Ronaldo still sees his future on the pitch.

He continues to play football and score goals for Al Nassr and Portugal, long after team-mates like Rooney, who is nearly 10 months younger, hung up their boots.

And Ronaldo is still eyeing up one last go at winning the World Cup in 2026, when he would be 41.

Although CR7 is mocked for a perceived obsession with his image, there is no doubt that his devotion to his body has given him a career unprecedented in football.

Not bad for a kid who once relied on hamburger hand-outs.