In the world of international sports, it’s hard not to know the name and face of Cristiano Ronaldo, recently awarded his third FIFA Ballon D’Or, acknowledging him as the best football player in the world for 2014.
This year, his home country of Portugal is looking to capitalize on his global superstardom by making him the official ambassador for the Portuguese Tourist Office’s new marketing campaign in China. Already a huge name in the sport and the region, in 2007 his popularity in Asia was given a big boost after he visited Macau and other cities. Now with the new tourism campaign, we can expect to see much more of this mega talent.
We take this opportunity to take a closer look at Cristiano Ronaldo, the player, the man, and now the face of Portugal’s tourism industry. Along the way, we’ve also commissioned a group of artists to draw their impressions of the football phenomenon also known as CR7.
First he takes Europe, then he takes China. Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the best football player in the world at present, is also an internationally acclaimed celebrity, with huge popularity in this part of the world, especially in China, where his known as ‘C Lou’.
Acknowledging his fame, the Portuguese Tourist Office has just launched a one-year campaign in China using Ronaldo’s image to promote the country under the slogan ‘Visit Portugal’.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is the most well known Portuguese in China, so using his image intends to be an important and effective way to sell Portugal as a destination,” the President of the Portuguese Tourist Office, João Cotrim de Figueiredo, tells CLOSER.
The campaign images show Ronaldo doing what he does best – playing football – or simply standing with a smile in front of some of the most famous Portuguese landmarks such as Belém Tower, in Lisbon. The whole initiative was launched in Shanghai last November, during the China International Travel Market.
“The main Chinese tourism players have shown great enthusiasm for this campaign,” says João Cotrim de Figueiredo.
The campaign represents an investment of 450,000 euros (around MOP4.1 million). Ten Chinese tourist operators partnering with the Portuguese Tourist Office will be its main channels, targeting the cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
Investing in the Chinese market by associating with one of the most famous Portuguese celebrities ever, is happening at a time when both the influence of China and the number of Chinese tourists is growing in Portugal. Even without any direct flight connections between the two countries, according to Portugal’s Nation Institute of Statistics, the number of Chinese visitors during the first six months of 2014 went up 69 percent compared with 2013, to 55,400. A similar increase was seen in the number of hotel overnight stays, rising 65.3 percent, to 100,300.
Tourism World Organization predicts that China will become the biggest source of tourists by 2020, and with this in mind, the Portuguese officials confirm they will keep on investing in this market.
Unfortunately, there are no plans to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Macau or Mainland China as part of this campaign. CR7, however, has already left his mark in this city of ours.
A joy for Macau fans
More than seven years ago, Ronaldo was making his way to becoming one of the best players in the world and a goal-scoring machine. He was also touring Asia with Manchester United, his team at the time. Macau was part of that summer tour.
On June 23, 2007, Ronaldo, Rooney, Ryan Giggs and other world-class players under the command of Sir Alex Ferguson ran on to the field at Macau Stadium to play against the Shenzhen Xiangxue Eisiti, in front of thousands of delighted fans.
Manchester won 6-0, Ronaldo scored the fifth goal of the match, and the evening was all joy and entertainment.
“Sometimes Cristiano would exaggerate and loose the ball, but one could see how valuable his performance was for the team,” wrote the Portuguese-language local newspaper Ponto Final about the match. “Cristiano Ronaldo was playing devilishly and almost scored before the break, hitting the bar after a superb free kick shot,” added another daily, Hoje Macau.
His visit to China happened right after Ronaldo scored 23 goals in his fourth season with the Red Devils, having had an outstanding year. By that time, an important question was already being commonly asked: when would he receive the award for FIFA’s Player of The Year?
At a press conference in Macau during his visit, CR7 answered one of the reporters: “I’ve said this many times, it’s not an obsession for me. Things have been happening naturally. We were champions in England, something I was looking forward to for a while. About being the best, I think things come naturally, obviously I won’t lie and say I wouldn’t like to be [awarded], but if it doesn’t happen this year, my ambition is to always work more and better, so one day I can get there. But obviously I would love to be [recognized as the best player in the world]”, he told the cameras.
In 2007, Brazilian AC Milan star Kaká took the Ballon D’Or, followed by Ronaldo and Messi as the most voted. CR7’s turn would arrive one year later, with him becoming the third Portuguese to receive the prize, after Eusébio (1965) and Luís Figo (2000).
Now Ronaldo has three Ballon d’Or. The last one was awarded to him just last month and, as usual, he wants more.
His great ambition is well suited to a country the size of China, a country about to get to know him much better as the most famous Portuguese personality of the 21st century.
Brand CR7
Having begun his venture into the fashion world with the introduction of CR7 by Cristiano Ronaldo Underwear and Socks, the brand has been taken a step further with the development of a premium shirt line made available at the end of 2014.
Award-winning New York-based Richard Chai is the head designer behind the CR7 brand. Renowned for his work with labels including Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan, he is continuing his collaboration with Ronaldo on the shirt line.
Speaking of the philosophy behind his name in fashion, the player says:
“For me, a strong foundation is the most important thing throughout every area of my life. In my sporting life, a strong foundation enables me to perform at my very best, and I apply the same principle to my personal life, business life and the way I dress.”
Dressing well gives me confidence to be the best that I can be and underwear with a great fit and modern, stylish shorts are the starting point of every look.”
In 2006, Ronaldo opened a fashion boutique under the name “CR7” in his hometown of Funchal on the island of Madeira. A second clothing boutique in Lisbon followed in 2008. The stores include diamond-studded belts, jeans with leather pockets and patented buckled loafers, as well as slinky outfits for women.
Man of many Brands
In addition to his own growing fashion empire, Ronaldo has followed in the steps of another famous footballing mannequin, David Beckham, by taking over from him as an Armani model in 2010.
But fashion brands are just the tip of the iceberg for the Portuguese player. Nike, Coca-Cola, KFC, Castrol, Toyota, Jacob & Co, Herbalife, Banco Espirito Santo are other companies that use his image in their marketing campaigns.
Nike signed a five-year deal with the Real Madrid player in 2010 and recently renewed the endorsement deal for another five worth upwards of US$64 million.
When that contract is up, it looks likely he will be a global ambassador for Nike, just like tennis legend John McEnroe and basketball icon Michael Jordan, meaning he will rake even more money in from that union.
In March 2014, he became the brand ambassador for the ubiquitous Middle Eastern airline, Emirates where he appeared in a commercial with the legendary endorser and footballer, Pele.
And in the following month, Ronaldo joined the Swiss watch brand TAG HEUER as one of their celebrity ambassadors.
Family First
Ronaldo’s father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, passed away at the age of 52 due to alcoholism, but his mother, Dolores Aveiro, has been a pivotal person in his life to this day. The player is also close to the two sisters and brother he grew up with.
In her autobiography, Mãe Coragem (Mother Courage), published in 2014, the player’s mother revealed that she attempted to abort Cristiano while she was pregnant with him.
Aveiro claims that doctors disagreed with her decision to terminate her pregnancy and refused to carry out the procedure. She apparently turned to hard exercise and home remedies – including drinking warm beer and “running until she dropped” – in desperation.
Speaking at the launch of the autobiography in Lisbon in July, she said that Ronaldo already knew about his past and even joked about it.
“He told me when he found out, ‘Look mum, you wanted to abort and now I’m the one who’s pulling the purse-strings in the house,’” she reportedly said.
In 2010, the player had a son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., with an unknown woman in the US and little more is known, or likely to be revealed as ‘Cristianinho’ is in Ronaldo’s custody full-time, unaware of who his mother is and according to Cristiano Senior, she will never be known as his child’s mother.
In the same year, Ronaldo also started dating Irina Shayk, a Russian model and actress known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue between 2007 and 2014. The couple allegedly met through their Armani Exchange campaigns. Just last month however Ronaldo confirmed that they had ended their relationship.
A softer side
Many people know about the player’s awards and goal tally, however few are aware that Ronaldo has a long list of causes that he supports including abuse, adoption, AIDS & HIV, cancer, disaster relief, education, health, human rights, poverty, slavery and human trafficking. He doesn’t boast that he is a part of many honourable foundations and causes.
In 2014, Ronaldo was contacted by the parents of a 10-month old Spanish boy named Erik Ortiz Cruz who required a brain operation in order to save his life. Erik’s parents only asked for the donation of a football shirt and boots to a charity auction to raise funds for the surgery, but Ronaldo went one step further and told them he would pay for the procedure and accompanying treatment. He eventually paid for the entire £50,000 operation and the bill for further treatment that cost £5,000 per session.
At the Brazil 2014 World Cup, Ronaldo was seen sporting a zig-zag style haircut which also attracted negative criticism from many. Little did they know the gesture was to honour Erik who came out of his surgery with similar scars on the right side of his head.
In 2012, he sold the Golden Boot he won in 2011 for €1.5million and donated the funds to Palestinian school children in Gaza. He is also involved in FIFA’s ‘11 for Health’ which aims to raise awareness in children regarding drug addiction, HIV and obesity.
The Portugal captain donated £100,000 to the hospital in Madeira that saved his mother’s life in 2009, which led to the development of a cancer centre in the archipelago.
But his endeavours don’t stop at saving lives; the environment is another cause he directs attention to. In 2013 he travelled to Bali to accept the role of Mangrove Care Forum ambassador for Bali Mangrove Care, which raises awareness about the importance of conserving the ecosystems of mangroves in Bali.
‘Miracle boy’ Martunis
Martunis is a survivor of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. He was eight when he was found alive, stranded in a swampy area near the beach, 21 days after a giant tsunami hit and devastated Indonesia’s northern province of Aceh on December 26, 2004.
His survival story made him famous, not only because of his nearly unbelievable experience, but also because he was wearing a fake Portugal national soccer jersey at the time he was found.
Martunis was playing soccer with his friends in his village of Tibang about 7km north of the provincial capital Banda Aceh when the magnitude 9.3 earthquake struck Aceh. He went home to check on his family, but was swept away by the tsunami that followed the quake.
The earthquake – which unleashed 1,500 times as much energy as the Hiroshima atomic bomb – and the tsunami that followed, killed about 220,000 people in 14 countries around the Indian Ocean. In Aceh alone, 170,000 people were killed or unaccounted for.
Martunis’ mother and two sisters were among those missing, caught in the tsunami in front of his eyes.
He clung to a school chair, then a mattress, then a big log and finally a sofa as he was pulled into the ocean and then deposited in the swamp by the returning waves.
For 18 days, surrounded by bodies, Martunis, who could not swim, survived on packs of instant noodles, bread, soft drinks and bottled water washed out to sea and floating around him.
“I was not afraid at all at that time because I still wanted to be alive to meet my family and to be a football player,” Martunis said last December to Kyodo News.
By the 19th day, no food or water was washing up any more, leaving the boy dehydrated and near death when someone found him and delivered him to a British television journalist.
The journalist took Martunis to a Save the Children staff member who got him to hospital.
Martunis, wearing the Portugal team shirt, appeared on television screens across the world and attracted the attention of Cristiano Ronaldo, then playing for Manchester United in England. A member of Portugal’s national team, Ronaldo raised money to rebuild the house where Martunis now lives.
Five months later, Ronaldo also invited Martunis and his father Sarbini to Portugal to meet him and other soccer stars. A couple of months later, Ronaldo visited Martunis in Aceh, and gave him a cell phone with contact numbers for all the members of Portugal’s national team.
Since then, Martunis has received invitations from international celebrities, including singers Madonna and Celine Dion.
Martunis, now 17, just graduated from senior high school. Like many others his age, he doesn’t really know what he wants to do in his community, although his miraculous survival has certainly made him appreciate life more.
Now, his focus is on his dream to be a professional soccer player like his idol Ronaldo, attending English classes three times a week and playing soccer every day at Banda Aceh’s Real Madrid Soccer School, built by the Real Madrid Foundation.
When he turned 17 in October, he joined a selection to be chosen for the Indonesian national team and passed the first stage, but failed at the second.
But Martunis clings to his dream. He met Ronaldo in Bali in June where the star told him “to study hard, to practice hard.”
Ten years ago, he fought for 21 days to survive the tsunami, never giving up. Now, “the miracle boy” believes that kind of determination will get him into professional soccer as long as he fights for it and perseveres.
A letter from Martunis Ronaldo
Portuguese journalists from the sports newspaper Record visited Indonesia last year to meet Martunis and tell the story of his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo. On the last day of their visit, Martunis asked them a special favor: he had been writing a letter to his idol and wanted the reporters to take it with them and deliver it to the Real Madrid star. Not only did they do this, they also published the letter in their daily edition (see image). Here’s the message Martunis wanted to give to Ronaldo:
“I really miss you and I want to see you again. I’ve been playing and training a lot, as you told me to. I followed you during the 2014 World Cup. You played well and before that you became European Champion. I couldn’t be happier, believe me. I love Portugal and its people, whom I have had the chance to meet. I would be happy living in your country and, who knows, trying to be a professional football player. For now I’m facing some problems. My father is sick and I had to quit school to help him. All this is hard, but I won’t give up. I wish you all the best. Thank you, Portugal.
Martunis Ronaldo”