A towering 12ft (3.6m) bronze statue of football icon Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled in New York City’s Times Square on his 40th birthday. Fans gathered at the event, chanting Ronaldo’s iconic “Siuuu!” in tribute to one of the greatest footballers ever.
Sergio Furnari known for his terra cotta-and-steel rendition of the iconic New York photograph “Lunchtime atop a Skyscraper” created the 12-foot-tall bronze sculpture. Even on his milestone birthday, tributes poured in worldwide,
Cristiano Ronaldo’s remarkable career
Known for his incredible goal-scoring consistency, Ronaldo remains a dominant force in football, currently leading the Saudi Pro League with 15 goals for Al Nassr. His recent brace against Al Wasl took his career goal tally to an astonishing 923.
The Portuguese superstar has set his sights on reaching 1,000 career goals, even as he continues to chase silverware with Al Nassr. Having won every major trophy in Europe with Manchester United and Real Madrid, Ronaldo remains football’s all-time leading international goal scorer with 135 goals.
Ronaldo’s career has been filled with record-breaking achievements, including scoring 450 goals for Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018. During his nine seasons in Madrid, Ronaldo won four of his five Ballon d’Or awards, consistently battling Lionel Messi for football supremacy.
He also became the first player to net in five consecutive World Cups. Ronaldo has captained Portugal to the European Championship and Nations League titles, the country’s first two major honours.
Beyond the pitch, his influence extends to social media, where he boasts 648 million Instagram followers. In a historic milestone, his YouTube debut in September made him the first individual to surpass 1 billion subscribers.
