Tragedies and misfortunes in Cristiano Ronaldo’s life

• Ronaldo’s mother admitted she tried to abort him because she already had too many mouths to feed
• Ronaldo was raised in poverty on the Portuguese island of Madeira, begged for burgers  and shared a room with his three siblings
• The latest tragedy of the loss of his newborn twin son is perhaps the biggest tragedy in Ronaldo’s life
• His cousin Amilcar Miguel Dos Santos Fernandes, 32, died in a car accident a month after mudslides struck his hometown, killing 40 people

He is the gem of any team he joins, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner who appears to turn everything he touches to gold.

Tragedies and misfortune, however, have never been far from the sporting superstar.

From being born into an unhappy, impoverished family to losing some of those he cared about, the Manchester United star may reasonably believe he’s had it worse than most.

RONALDO RECENTLY LOST HIS NEWBORN TWIN SON

Ronaldo and patner Georgin Rodriguez recently lost their new born tin son. Photo: MARCA

Those who know him say that rather than allowing those experiences to destroy him, he has always used them to his advantage, allowing him to become a better, stronger person.

The 37-year-old is now dealing with perhaps the greatest tragedy of all: the loss of a child.

The footballer recently opened up about what his family means to him.

“I have millions and billions, but family is the most important thing,” he said. “Keep your family healthy and take care of them because this is the most important thing.”

Cristiano’s desire to be a better father than he is a footballer stems from his own experiences growing up with a drunk father with whom he never had a “normal conversation.”

RONALDO’S MOTHER TRIED TO ABORT HIM

Cristiano, the youngest of four children raised in poverty on the Portuguese island of Madeira, begged for burgers outside McDonald’s and shared a room with his three siblings.

Cristiano’s mother admitted that Dolores tried to have him aborted because she already had too many mouths to feed.

When her request was denied, she attempted a do-it-yourself abortion, consuming boiled black beer and running until she was exhausted. Later, she stated:

 “He is a child that I wanted to abort. God didn’t want that to happen. Now everything I own I owe to Cristiano.”

Cristiano Ronaldo with his mother Dolores Aveiro. Photo/Bleacher Report

Jose Dinis Aveiro’s father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, suffered from mental health issues after serving his country in a war against Angola, which successfully fought for independence.

He turned to alcohol to numb the memory of the atrocities he witnessed while serving because he couldn’t find a good job.

Dolores later stated that he was a good father but was abusive to her: “He was drunk almost every day.” I never got to know him well. I wished he had been present more often.

“Although he never mistreated his children, I became his victim.”

Ronaldo said he grew up “a little hungry” in an interview with Piers Morgan. He added: “We have a McDonald’s next to the stadium. We knocked on the door and asked if they had any burgers.”

He also spoke sadly about his relationship with his dad: “I don’t know my father 100%. He was a drunk person. I never spoke with him, like a normal conversation. It was hard.”

But as a child, he treasured his family. Cristiano, then 12, flew alone to mainland Portugal to join Sporting Lisbon, where he cried every day for the first year because he missed his family.

HIS FATHER PASSED ON IN 2005

Mum Dolores flew over to watch him play, but she needed sedation due to her anxiety. Jose, Jose’s father, died of liver failure in 2005 before his son could reach the pinnacle of football stardom.

Cristiano, who had been at Old Trafford for two years, was about to make his Portugal debut when coach Luis Felipe Scolari delivered the tragic news.

The Man United striker said: “I knew how it was to lose a parent. I had lost mine a few years before.

The next day, he played a marvellous game and returned to Portugal. He asked to play and said: ‘I can’t do anything for my father today, so I’ll play tomorrow, then I’ll go’.”

Ronaldo and his father, he passed on in 2005. Photo: Lifeblogger

Cristiano later revealed that his dad’s death encouraged him to go on: “It influenced everything. I knew the pain would pass, and the most important thing was to continue with my work.”

RONALDO SAVED HIS BROTHER FROM ALCOHOL AND DRUGS

He vowed to abstain from alcohol for the rest of his life due to the experience. And when his older brother, Hugo, fell into a similar cycle of alcohol and drugs, he was determined not to lose him.

Ronaldo begged Hugo for assistance after Real Madrid’s stunning 4-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final.

Cristiano rushed over to hug Hugo in the stands, telling him that now that he had lifted the trophy for his beloved club, his brother had to stop drinking to fulfil his part of a brotherly pact.

Cristiano experienced more heartbreak in 2010 when mudslides struck Madeira and his hometown of Funchal, killing 40 people and leaving hundreds homeless.

His cousin Amilcar Miguel Dos Santos Fernandes, 32, died in a car accident. “This is one of the saddest moments of my life,” Cristiano said as he rushed home to join his family.

Cristiano Junior, his son, was born in June 2010, but his mother’s identity has never been revealed. Eva and Mateo were born in June 2017 via surrogate mother, and Georgina gave birth to Alana in November.

As a sign of how deeply this latest tragedy has affected him, it’s clear that, despite his accomplishments, his children are most important to him.