Cristiano Ronaldo’s Career on the Brink: 11 Controversies that Almost Ended It

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players ever in the world of soccer. The Portuguese has achieved huge success over the years during his career with different clubs and national team. But he has not been away from controversies as he has emerged to be one of the most controversial players ever.

Today we’ll take a look at 13 of Ronaldo’s controversies that shocked the fans. From his interview with Piers Morgan to the rape allegations against him, we have got it all for you:

11. Accused of drinking heavily in a nightclub

Ronaldo is known to be one of the most disciplined athletes of all time. The Portuguese has been praised throughout his career for his training ethics as he is the first to turn up to the training ground. But Ronaldo’s discipline was questioned in 2008 as he was reported to have drunk heavily in a nightclub.

This came as a surprise for the fans as the player is known for his nonsmoking and drinking policy. This is because Ronaldo lost his father due to an alcohol problem. The news was reported by The Daily Mirror but was termed false later on.

Cristiano Ronaldo drinking water.
Cristiano Ronaldo drinking water. (Credits: The Athletic & Business Insider)

Ronaldo’s fans were relieved after the news was termed false and so was Ronaldo. It had been reported that the rumors had massively hurt his mental health as he has never indulged in such activities.

10. Mother of Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.

Ronaldo is a father to 5 kids whom he is currently raising alongside his partner, Georgina Rodriguez. He announced the birth of his twins to a surrogate mother in 2017 but he had already become a father before this. This was in 2010 but the identity of his mother has never been revealed.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. (Credits: The US Sun & People)

In a bizarre set of events, a young girl aged 20 claimed to be the mother of Ronaldo’s son. She accused Ronaldo of taking away her child from her and giving her money in return. This doesn’t seem to be convincing and could be a case of false accusation for monetary gains.

9. Comments on MSN relationship

Ronaldo was pissed with the way the trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar Jr, was portrayed in the media. This was at a time when the rivalry between BBC (Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale & Cristiano Ronald) and MSN was at its peak.

The Portuguese believed that BBC didn’t need to have a cute friendship like MSN. He suggested that such things that didn’t matter when it came to the on-field performance.

He said: “Does it matter that I don’t go out for dinner with Benzema or that Bale does not come around my house? It is not important. This thing about the little meals, the little hugs, the little kisses. To me, that doesn’t mean anything. How do we know that [MSN’s relationship] is that way? Only because that is what gets written.”

Ronaldo also hinted at biased reporting by the media as he claimed that only nice things were written about the MSN. This created a stir among fans who accused Ronaldo of jealousy and bitterness towards Barcelona’s star trio.

8. Arrested on suspicion of rape in 2005

The sky came falling on Cristiano Ronaldo in 2005 when he was in the early stages of his career. This was after the Portuguese was accused by a woman of raping her in a hotel in London. It was alleged that Ronaldo was accompanied by another man when he did the gruesome act.

The charges were dropped by the Scotland Yard after they stated a lack of evidence. This came as a relief for Ronaldo whose career would have ended had the case gone forward. He went on to achieve huge success with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.

7. Wayne Rooney red card

Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo were at the heart of Manchester United’s attack during their peak years from 2006 to 2009. The duo raised various trophies for the club side by side but they had a history between themselves.

Rooney was famously sent off in the World Cup 2006 against Portugal for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho. Ronaldo vehemently appealed for marching orders towards the English forward and the referee obliged.

Ronaldo was seen caught winking by the cameras later on which sparked a controversy. It seems like the duo hasn’t forgotten this bitter incident as they were in a war of words again recently.

6. Alleged gay affair with Moroccan boxer Badr Hari

Ronaldo is known for his handsome looks as he has a huge fan following among girls. The star forward has thus dated many celebrities over the years including Irina Shayk and Georgina Rodriguez.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Badr Hari.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Badr Hari. (Credits: Yahoo Sports & FIGHTMAG)

But in a shocking set of events, he was rumored to be in a gay relationship with Moroccan boxer Badr Hari. This was in 2016 after it was rumored that the Portuguese regularly travels to Morocco.

It was also stated that the duo used to cuddle after Ronaldo’s hard training sessions. But the news was termed to be fake after some time before Ronaldo announced his relationship with Georgina Rodriguez.

5. 30th birthday party

Ronaldo is known for how he maintained the level of his performance after the age of 30. But the player didn’t like the day when he turned 30 as his team suffered a loss. Real Madrid suffered a humiliating defeat to Atletico Madrid just before the party.

Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo. (Credits: talkSPORT & Twitter)

Even though Ronaldo was quite upset and didn’t want to celebrate, he was compelled to as the party was pre-planned. He was massively criticized after videos of him performing karaoke got viral as Madrid fans thrashed him for celebrating after a defeat.

4. Comment on Iceland’s tactics in Euro 2016

Iceland impressed one and all during the Euro 2016 but they failed to impress one man, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese was left breathing fire against the team’s tactics after a 1-1 draw against them.

He said: “It was unbelievable, we tried hard to win the game and Iceland didn’t try anything. This, in my opinion, shows a small mentality and they are not going to do anything in the competition.”

This ‘small mentality’ comment didn’t go well with fans who thrashed Ronaldo for criticizing the tactics. Iceland’s coach didn’t hold back either as he slammed back at the 5-time Ballon d’Or winner.

3. Tax evasion

Ronaldo is one of the highest-earning athletes on the planet with his earnings crossing $1 Billion recently. But the Portuguese was in the middle of a tax crisis after he was alleged of tax evasion in 2019.

The charge against Ronaldo was proven and he was sentenced to jail time for around 23 months. But convicts in Spain do not receive jail time if the sentence is less than 2 years and the offense is non-violent.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez. (Credits: News18 & AP News)

This came as a relief for Ronaldo who struck a deal with the court. He was fined around $20 million to avoid this jail time which Ronaldo happily gave. His rival, Lionel Messi, was also accused of tax evasion by the Spanish authorities.

2. Piers Morgan interview

This one is one of the most recent controversies of Cristiano Ronaldo which happened late last year. The Portuguese gave a tell-all interview to Piers Morgan wherein he attacked Manchester United’s manager, board, and owners.

The player accused Erik ten Hag of disrespecting him and benching him in crucial games. This led to huge controversy as Manchester United and Ronaldo mutually terminated the contract which made Ronaldo a free agent.

This led to huge chaos around Ronaldo’s next club during the World Cup. The former Real Madrid man chose Al-Nassr as he bid adieu to Europe as one of the greatest players the continent has ever produced.

1. Rape allegations in 2009

The rape accusations in 2005 might have not hurt Ronaldo but he was again alleged of the same offense in 2009. This time a lady named Kathryn Mayorga accused Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel on July 13, 2009.

She alleged that Ronaldo had paid her off with a sum of $375,000 to remain silent. The lady lodged a case against the superstar and thus the police investigated the case. After completing the investigation in 2019, Ronaldo was deemed innocent due to no evidence against him.

Kathryn Mayorga and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Kathryn Mayorga and Cristiano Ronaldo. (Credits: Super Stars Bio & The Sun)

This was the second time Ronaldo got lucky with a rape accusation. His career might have ended had the accusations been proved in court but it was not to be. It was alleged by Ronaldo’s fans that these accusations are a plot to defame and bring down the star soccer player.

A huge earthquake which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale shook the country of Nepal in 2015. This resulted in widespread devastation as the country reeled naked under the sky while the citizens of Nepal suffered massively.

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly donated a huge amount of $8 million towards rescue operations in Nepal. This news was termed fake later on as it was confirmed that Ronaldo hadn’t spent any money on donations.

Even though he asked his fans to donate to the cause, he didn’t donate any amount. He has also been reported to have donated money towards Palestine but the news has been termed fake multiple times. Although this wasn’t a controversy that almost ended Ronaldo’s career, it is often where we see one of the biggest athletes get involved in such an incident.

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