From Being Accused of Rape to Smashing a Fan's Cell Phone: Meet the Ugly Side of Cristiano Ronaldo
06:52 GMT 11.04.2022 (Updated: 11:44 GMT 10.12.2022)
© REUTERS / TOBY MELVILLE
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Cristiano Ronaldo may be football's greatest scorer with 807 goals to his name, but at times his out of order attitude, including sulking on the field and taking potshots at fans, has created an image of an "arrogant superstar". Once again, the limelight is back on CR7 for the wrong reasons.
There's little doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is among the greatest footballers in history and holds a plethora of world records, including most goals (115) at the international stage.
Yet, over the years, he has shown his dirty side too, featuring brawls with opposition players, quarreling with referees, and even undermining the achievements of his fierce rivals like Lionel Messi.
On Saturday, Ronaldo's temperamental character was back on full display as he smashed an Everton supporter's phone on the ground following Manchester United's 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park.
Though the 37-year-old football superstar later apologised to the fan, acknowledging his failure to deal with his "emotions", the Merseyside police have now begun an investigation into the matter and the Portuguese ace could be charged under British law.
But this isn't the first time he has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. In the past, Ronaldo has been accused of rape and even tax evasion.
Let's take a look at the ex-Real Madrid star's past controversies:
Yet, over the years, he has shown his dirty side too, featuring brawls with opposition players, quarreling with referees, and even undermining the achievements of his fierce rivals like Lionel Messi.
On Saturday, Ronaldo's temperamental character was back on full display as he smashed an Everton supporter's phone on the ground following Manchester United's 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park.
Though the 37-year-old football superstar later apologised to the fan, acknowledging his failure to deal with his "emotions", the Merseyside police have now begun an investigation into the matter and the Portuguese ace could be charged under British law.
But this isn't the first time he has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. In the past, Ronaldo has been accused of rape and even tax evasion.
Let's take a look at the ex-Real Madrid star's past controversies:
US Woman Accuses Ronaldo of Raping Her
An American woman named Kathryn Mayorga accused the legendary footballer of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009 while he was playing for Real Madrid.
While Ronaldo has publicly denied the allegations, the matter is still under judicial consideration, after Mayorga went public with her story in 2018.
Earlier this year, there were reports that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's lawyers had threatened Mayorga with "public exposure" and "humiliation" if she continued to record her statements with law enforcement agencies.
Spanish Court Fines Ronaldo for Tax Fraud
In 2019, a Madrid court handed a 23-month jail term to Ronaldo for evading taxes on his earnings as a Real Madrid player. However, the sentence was suspended after Ronaldo cut a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to pay a $21.6 million fine.
The Portugal skipper was accused of dodging taxes worth as much as $16 million in Spain between 2010 and 2014.
Remarkably, Ronaldo is the first billionaire in the sport. Last year, he topped the Forbes list of the "World's Highest-Paid Soccer Players", earning a staggering $125 million in the past 12 months.
The former Juventus talisman rejoined Man United last summer in a two-year deal worth $70 million.
Having Kids With Surrogate Mothers
One of the biggest controversies that has been associated with Ronaldo for more than a decade is that he has paid thousands of dollars to have children with unknown women through surrogacy.
Past reports even suggest that the name of his eldest son Cristiano Ronaldo Junior's mother remains unknown.
Things seem to have changed for good on this front for him in recent years though as he has been in a steady relationship with lingerie model Georgina Rodriguez since 2016. The pair has a daughter together and are awaiting the birth of twins later this year.
