00:00Cristiano Ronaldo is the most famous footballer in the world.
00:05My bad, the most famous celebrity in the world today.
00:10Based on his massive influence on social media, the Portuguese boast of almost half a billion
00:15fans and, to be honest, it is kind of a big deal.
00:21Apart from his popularity, the Juventus attacker is also doing so well financially, having
00:27been declared as the first footballer to become a billionaire.
00:32The 35-year-old father of four is currently on a $60 million a year contract and racks
00:38in millions of dollars from his numerous endorsement deals, including the $1 billion lifetime contract
00:44he signed with sportswear giants Nike.
00:47Apart from his love for football, it is vividly clear the Real Madrid record goalscorer loves
00:53his native country of Portugal.
00:56In particular, his hometown of Madeira, in Lisbon.
01:00The people there love him too.
01:03In fact, he is more of a demigod in Madeira.
01:06So much so that in 2016, after Portugal had won the Euros, he was honoured by having the
01:11airport named after him.
01:14Now Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport.
01:18What we are accustomed to are names of former politicians used at the airports, but back
01:23on the island, the five-time FIFA player of the year is everything the locals look
01:28up to.
01:29Cristiano Ronaldo owns part of the island, going by the name Canacal, within Funchal
01:35in Madeira.
01:37Not far, the private island is where he has built his family home, private museum and
01:42five-star hotel.
01:44The majestic private island offers a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean, providing everything
01:49to a man who grew up in abject poverty, only to rise to unimaginable heights.
01:55The Madeira compromises several other islands, thus making it an apokalego in south-western
02:02Portugal.
02:03Earlier in the year, when the whole world was left stunned by the coronavirus outbreak,
02:08the football star retreated back home to his island to be with his family.
02:13As you would expect, he built a super luxurious home there.
02:17The property has private access to the beach, with all the facilities that put it at par
02:22with a seven-star hotel.
02:24Ronaldo's mansion here boasts of six bedrooms and eight bathrooms.
02:29The grandiose residence has both an indoor and outdoor infinity pool, a flower garden
02:35and a small amusement park, you know, to keep the kids entertained as well.
02:41The former Manchester United attacker is not new to purchasing islands.
02:45In 2015, he bought his long-term agent and compatriot, influential sports businessman
02:51Jorge Mendez, an island as a wedding present.
02:55Can your client even do that?
02:57Apart from being, of course, his agent, Jorge and Ronaldo go way back, making them somehow
03:03best of friends.
03:05He was the best man to Jorge.
03:08Reports indicate that Ronaldo spent in excess of $50 million to purchase the island in Greece
03:13and gifted it to the newlyweds, Jorge and Sandra.
03:18The 54-year-old also represents some of the biggest names in football, with the likes
03:22of Jose Mourinho, David De Gea and Radamau Falco being part of his clientele.
03:30When Cristiano is back in Europe making his millions through the sport he loves, his private
03:35residence in the island is usually up for lease, only for those who can afford its high
03:40charges of about €4,000 a week.
03:43His principal family residence, not far away from the private island, stands a $7 million
03:49seven-story mansion.
03:52The place used to be a warehouse until the celebrated football icon acquired it and created
03:57monstrous beauty out of it as his luxury abode.
04:01His girlfriend, the gorgeous Georgina Rodriguez, was the one who first identified the place,
04:07noting its fantastic view of the sea is irresistible.
04:12As we all know, a man in love is a man in love, and with money not being a problem,
04:17the couple decided to scoop the property and renovated it.
04:21The property was previously owned by a local designer, Nini Andrade Silva, and is just
04:27a few miles away from the famous Savoy Hotel.
04:30There is a rooftop swimming pool, eight bedrooms and two living rooms.
04:35As a fitness guru, who, by the way, has only 2% of body fat, the footballer instructed
04:41the developers to create room for two gyms, one for him, one for his equally fit girlfriend.
04:48How did you think he's managed to keep his chiseled abs for years?
04:52The guy trains like some of us eat.
04:55There is also a small football pitch, where he gets to play some football with Mini him,
04:59the nine-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.
05:02The place resembles most properties designed for romantic getaways.
05:07Imagine chilling in your living room.
05:09One glance through the window, all you see is beautiful calm ocean water.
05:13Isn't that heavenly?
05:16From the rooftop, the view of Port of Funchal is crystal clear, and for whatever reason,
05:21no one would resist getting quarantined at this fantastic place.
05:26Outside of the property, Cristiano Ronaldo is an icon for the people of Madeira.
05:31After all, the sun of the soil has turned the area into a booming tourist attraction,
05:36thanks to his formidable force in the world of sports.
05:40The living legend is immortalized in his hometown, with a massive statue of him erected where
05:45everybody visiting the island can be able to see it with ease.
05:49As much as there were murmurs from the residents about the statue not quite looking like the
05:53superstar they adore and admire, the real intention still remains unscathed.
05:58The gigantic bronze statue was unveiled in March of 2017, and was handcrafted by sculptor
06:04Emmanuel Santos.
06:07Ronaldo had another statue of him unveiled in Santiago Bernabeu, in Spain, only that
06:12this time the Spanish sculptor Jose Antonio Navarro got everything perfectly on point
06:18in terms of design.
06:19Back in Portugal, right at the centre of Ronaldo's birthplace stands his much-frequented museum.
06:25The CR7 museum is where the player has kept all his accolades, the trophies, the signed
06:31jersey, all his matchday balls given after scoring hat tricks, all of his essential memorabilia
06:37is held at the museum for the visitors to see.
06:40The facility is also the official sponsor of a local team, Unal de Madeira, a place
06:46where the famous footballer started his journey to stardom.
06:50Another smaller statue of the player is erected right in front of the museum, this time built
06:55by Brazilian sculptor Ricardo Veloso.
07:01Everything on this island is about this guy Ronaldo.
07:04Another aspect with a now notorious CR7 touch on the island of Madeira is Ronaldo's hotel
07:10investments, Pastana CR7 Hotels.
07:13The brand name itself acts as enough advertisement to lure guests into booking the hotel.
07:19Apart from being a mercurial footballer, Cristiano has proved himself to be an astute businessman,
07:25making $1 billion from on-field encounters alone can be likened to searching that needle
07:30in a bunch of haystacks.
07:32So when he wanted to invest, he didn't see a better place to start than his hometown.
07:38He partnered with Pastana, one of the biggest hotel chains in Portugal, to create a much
07:43successful investment in the hospitality industry.
07:47The hotel is built right at the edge of the sea, giving dwellers a spectacular view of
07:52the ocean.
07:54The business has since grown with the hotel expanding operations in Lisbon, New York and
07:59Paris.
08:01We all agree Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved significant milestones through hard work,
08:06determination and perseverance.
08:10If only all heroes can be accorded the respect he is granted in his hometown, the world would
08:15definitely be a better place.
08:18It is this love that drove Ronaldo to buy a piece of this place.
08:22In fact, in local hotels in Madeira, visitors are served a special menu named Ronaldo Cocktail,
08:29a beverage dedicated to their true son.
08:32So imagine going for a vacation in Madeira.
08:34You will land at Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, book in at CR7 Pastana Hotel, drink
08:41Ronaldo Cocktail and finally visit the CR7 Museum.
08:45Still want to guess who the real legend is?
08:48To cap it up, Ronaldo, despite owning several properties, luxurious cars, private islands
08:54and investing heavily, he still remains one of the most charitable celebrities around
08:58the world.
08:59In 2011, he auctioned his golden boot for 1.5 million euros, so that he could build
09:06a school for poor children in Gaza.
09:09He is also a UNICEF ambassador and consistently donates his bonus to the organisation.
09:15He also funds a cancer centre in hometown Madeira, where at one point his mother received
09:21treatment.
09:22In 2015, he was named the world's most charitable sportsman after donating 5 million euros to
09:28assist in relief work after a devastating earthquake in Nepal, where 8000 people lost
09:35their lives.
09:36It is through his selflessness that the President of Portugal awarded him with a rank of Grand
09:41Officer of the Order of Prince Henry.
09:44Well, who is your favourite athlete?
09:47And do you think he is wealthy, successful and loved as much as Cristiano is?
09:52Let us know and we will shed light on their lives.
09:54So there you have it, inside Cristiano Ronaldo's private island.
09:59What would you do if you were to spend a weekend on this island?
10:03Let us know in the comments below.
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