Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo proudly unveiled a museum dedicated to himself in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira on Sunday.
The exhibition features a number of trophies, medals, memorabilia and numerous photos - more than enough to satisfy any fan of the Portuguese player.
His mother, Dolores, appears in many of the photos, lifting trophies alongside Ronaldo. His brothers, Hugo in particular, and his trusted agent, Jorge Mendes, have a special area dedicated to them. The only coach to feature in the photographic collection is Sir Alex Ferguson.
The shrine also includes replicas of the Champions League he won with Manchester United and the La Liga and Copa del Rey crowns he has secured so far at Real Madrid.
All the match balls from games in which Ronaldo scored at least a hat-trick are also on display.
Speaking at the opening, the 28-year-old said: “This is a very special day for me. I hope that it is for Madeira too.
"All the trophies I have here are special and I wouldn’t like to pick one out in particular because - although some are more important than others - they all have special significance.
"They're the product of hard work, both individually and collectively, because none of this would be possible without the support of my teammates.
"Without sacrifice, you don't win anything. Mine was to leave Madeira when I was 11 and try it out at Sporting. To move out to the mainland was the hardest thing in my career."
Ronaldo's 2008 Ballon d'Or award holds a prominent place in the museum, with two Golden Boots and the FIFA World Player trophy.
He added: "I have room for more trophies. I don't really want to mention specific ones. All I want is to win more awards and, if the Ballon d'Or comes, there is extra room here."
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| Cristiano Ronaldo poses with his new waxwork inside the new museum in Funchal, Madeira Photo: Jorge Monteiro/GestiFute via Facebook/Cristiano |
The museum, which officially opens to the public on December 17, occupies the ground floor of a discreet five-storey building, a few hundred metres from the Funchal city centre and with a view of the Atlantic.
The exhibition features a number of trophies, medals, memorabilia and numerous photos - more than enough to satisfy any fan of the Portuguese player.
His mother, Dolores, appears in many of the photos, lifting trophies alongside Ronaldo. His brothers, Hugo in particular, and his trusted agent, Jorge Mendes, have a special area dedicated to them. The only coach to feature in the photographic collection is Sir Alex Ferguson.
The shrine also includes replicas of the Champions League he won with Manchester United and the La Liga and Copa del Rey crowns he has secured so far at Real Madrid.
All the match balls from games in which Ronaldo scored at least a hat-trick are also on display.
Speaking at the opening, the 28-year-old said: “This is a very special day for me. I hope that it is for Madeira too.
"All the trophies I have here are special and I wouldn’t like to pick one out in particular because - although some are more important than others - they all have special significance.
"They're the product of hard work, both individually and collectively, because none of this would be possible without the support of my teammates.
"Without sacrifice, you don't win anything. Mine was to leave Madeira when I was 11 and try it out at Sporting. To move out to the mainland was the hardest thing in my career."
Ronaldo's 2008 Ballon d'Or award holds a prominent place in the museum, with two Golden Boots and the FIFA World Player trophy.
He added: "I have room for more trophies. I don't really want to mention specific ones. All I want is to win more awards and, if the Ballon d'Or comes, there is extra room here."
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