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Many people consider Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo the best football player of all time, and he is on track to earn over $1 billion from his salary and sponsorships. Regarding professional athletes, Cristiano Ronaldo is the third-highest paying player and is loved by many because of some of his philanthropic ventures. His moniker, CR7, is the name of a fashion business he owns and operates in addition to his professional soccer career with Manchester United and the Portugal national team.
His estimated wealth is $690 million, and what does he do with it? He bought an island like any other wealthy person. Since not everyone can afford to own their island, the news of Cristiano Ronaldo purchasing one caused a media frenzy. According to Business Insider, the football player likely spent between $3.4 million and $55 million on the island, while the exact cost is unknown.
CR7's Private Island Lies On The Rocky Mountains
Ronaldo's new island is near Madeira's coast, one of Portugal's two autonomous regions. Madeira is a rich little universe of Rocky Mountains and verdant slopes smacked by Atlantic surges off the coast of Africa, and its geography and culture are genuinely unique. Residents of the capital city take great pride in their yearly flower, organ, philharmonic, and wine festivals, as well as the parade of hundreds of meticulously restored historic cars that are often passed down through families. Although the mountain is not included in the 10 most intimidating mountains in the world.
Finding your way around the island was a chore until lately. This nation of mountains and rough coastlines featured dangerous routes and few safe harbors. The locals had to travel over steep and rocky mountain trails to visit their neighbors in the neighboring valleys. The modern road system resembles Switzerland's, with many tunnels and elevated roadways. Engineering has made it possible to cut straight through mountains rather than climb them, making it easy to get from the southern to the northern coast.
Five million years ago, volcanic eruptions formed the island, but people didn't revisit it until 1419, when Portuguese ships began making the journey. During this time, explorers like Henry the Navigator, Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, and Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Portugal to discover new parts of the world.
Black sand beaches are scarce on this island, but plenty of trees exist. There are tons of stunning beaches in the world but the beach on the island is exclusively owned by Ronaldo. Since flat land is low, Contractors built the additional runway at Funchal Airport on piers over an existing shipyard. However, the island's seven picturesque cable cars use the island's terrain to provide passengers with breathtaking views of the island's mountains. Misty, serrated ridges hidden in greenery are a common sight.
The Footballer Is Worshipped Like A Demi-God On His Island
Barnaby Lane of Insider claims that Ronaldo is worshiped like a demi-god on his island. Tourists can't help but notice the island was designed with Cristiano Ronaldo in mind, from the airport to their contemporary hotel. The Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (Madeira) in Santa Cruz serves as the primary access point to the island.
The major European airlines utilize it frequently. It's hard not to be impressed with the airstrip, an awe-inspiring feat of civil engineering. The Madeira International Airport is without peer among the island's artificial landmarks. The airport honors Cristiano Ronaldo, a native of Madeira and one of the sport's all-time greats. In 2017, at the airport's renaming ceremony, a now-infamous bust of Ronaldo was unveiled.
Because of its strategic remote location and impressive runway design, this airport is among the world's riskiest. In 2004, the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering honored it with its Outstanding Structure Award. According to the History Channel's Most Extreme Airports, it is the ninth most dangerous airport in the world and the third most dangerous airport in Europe. Landing at an airport requires pilots to complete additional training.
There is a statue of Ronaldo at a public plaza called Praça CR7. He received the Regional Government's highest honor, the CordoAutonómico de Distinço. The sculpture was created by Madeira-born sculptor Ricardo Veloza and installed in Funchal's Praça do Mar as part of a joint endeavor between the Jornal da Madeiraand Funchal's CR7 Museum. Tourists can find the Pestana CR7 Hotel in Funchal's, the capital of Madeira, the central plaza.
The $7.4 Million Luxurious Mansion Built On The Island
Everything about the island is incredible, not just the Ronaldo-themed hotel, airport, and square, but most importantly, the seven-story Funchal mansion Ronaldo reportedly built in 2020. Having fallen in love with the estate's stunning sea view and features like two Olympic-sized swimming pools, a jacuzzi, and a football pitch, Ronaldo is rumored to have dropped roughly $7.4 million to reclaim the dream home for himself and Georgina.
Ronaldo purchased the building in 2015 from local designer Nini Andrade Silva for an undisclosed fee. The structure is located near the luxury Savoy Hotel and at the entrance to the harbor of Funchal. After the renovations were finished in 2019, he moved back with his mother and brother Hugo, who runs the nearby CR7 Museum.
Sources: Insider, Visit Madeira, Republic World