Amid World Cup Fever, Cristiano Ronaldo Tops Twitter in Asia

Portuguese national soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo in action during an open training session with 8,000 people in the stands, at Moises Lucarelli Stadium in Campinas, Brazil, on June 12.

 

European Pressphoto Agency

Portugal may not emerge from the 2014 World Cup victorious, but the team’s star captain Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world’s best – and legendarily egotistical – soccer players can take comfort in knowing he is already the most-tweeted player at the tournament among fans in several Asia-Pacific markets.

Mr. Ronaldo, who has 26.7 million Twitter TWTR +1.32% followers – many of them in Asia – was mentioned in the region by name and Twitter handle, @Cristiano, more times than any other player participating in the World Cup, according to data compiled by the social media platform between Jan. 1 and June 6.

The countries surveyed include Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

Across the Asia-Pacific region, Ronaldo beat out fellow Real Madrid and Portugal teammate Pepe (second most tweeted); England’s Manchester United MANU +1.66% star Wayne Rooney (third); Luis Suarez, a standout for Liverpool playing for Uruguay in the World Cup (fourth); and Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard, who is playing for Belgium (fifth).

Rounding out the top 10 most tweeted players were David Luis (Brazil and Chelsea), Sergio Ramos (Spain and Real Madrid), Nani (Portugal and Manchester United), Mesut Ozil (Germany and Arsenal) and Diego Forlan (Uruguay and Cerezo Osaka).

Twitter provided The Wall Street Journal with the rankings, but was unable to provide the numbers of tweets per player.

Social networks like Twitter and Facebook are likely to play a significant role in the way fans watch and follow the action on the field during the month-long sport’s tournament, the world’s biggest.

In a bid to capitalize on global interest, Twitter has launched a special World Cup hub, and users can now tweet using “hashflags,” or hashtags that incorporate World Cup nations’ flags.

Twitter is using the World Cup as a chance to sign up new users, encouraging them to join by declaring their allegiance to a country and picking a pre-made image as their avatar.

Courtesy of Twitter

So, what explains Ronaldo’s Twitter dominance? One factor may be his club team’s global appeal. Real Madrid is one of the world’s most storied outfits, and last month it won European soccer’s crown jewel, the Champions League, with Ronaldo in fine form throughout the season.

Ronaldo also posts frequently on Twitter, often inviting fans to attend games or tweeting photos of himself with teammates – unlike his Argentina and Barcelona nemesis Lionel Messi, who many regard as the world’s top player, with Ronaldo second best.

Twitter’s country-level data also contains some interesting outliers. In India, Manchester United and Netherlands star Robin van Persie is among the top five, perhaps due to the Premier League side’s popularity there. In Australia, Spain’s David Villa is also in the top five – likely because he is set to debut in the coming months for Australian club side Melbourne City.

Meanwhile, the top tweeted player in Japan was Diego Forlan. The Uruguayan, who won the Golden Ball as the best player of the 2010 World Cup, recently joined Japanese side Cerezo Osaka.

Cristiano Ronaldo Portuguese football player

Cristiano Ronaldo, in full Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (born February 5, 1985, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal), Portuguese football (soccer) forward who was one of the greatest players of his generation.

Ronaldo’s father, José Dinis Aveiro, was the equipment manager for the local club Andorinha. (The name Ronaldo was added to Cristiano’s name in honour of his father’s favourite movie actor, Ronald Reagan, who was U.S. president at the time of Cristiano’s birth.) At age 15 Ronaldo was diagnosed with a heart condition that necessitated surgery, but he was sidelined only briefly and made a full recovery. He first played for Clube Desportivo Nacional of Madeira and then transferred to Sporting Clube de Portugal (known as Sporting Lisbon), where he played for that club’s various youth teams before making his debut on Sporting’s first team in 2002.

A tall player at 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 metres), Ronaldo was a formidable athlete on the pitch. Originally a right-winger, he developed into a forward with a free-reined attacking style. He was able to mesmerize opponents with a sleight of foot that made sufficient space for openings in opposing defenses.

After a successful season with Sporting that brought the young player to the attention of Europe’s biggest football clubs, Ronaldo signed with English powerhouse Manchester United in 2003. He was an instant sensation and soon came to be regarded as one of the best forwards in the game. His finest season with United came in 2007–08, when he scored 42 League and Cup goals and earned the Golden Shoe award as Europe’s leading scorer, with 31 League goals. After helping United to a Champions League title in May 2008, Ronaldo captured Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Player of the Year honours for his stellar 2007–08 season. He also led United to an appearance in the 2009 Champions League final, which they lost to FC Barcelona.

Soon thereafter Ronaldo was sold to Spain’s Real Madrid—a club with which he had long been rumoured to want to play—for a then record £80 million (about $131 million) transfer fee. His scoring prowess continued with his new team, and he netted the most goals (40) in La Liga history during the 2010–11 season (his record was broken the following season by his rival Lionel Messi of Barcelona). In 2011–12 Ronaldo helped Madrid capture a La Liga championship and scored a personal-best 46 goals during the League season. He scored a total of 66 goals in 56 appearances with Madrid and the Portuguese national team in 2013 to earn his second world player of the year award (the FIFA World Player of the Year was renamed the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2010). In 2014 he scored 52 goals in 43 games and led Madrid to a Champions League title, which resulted in Ronaldo capturing another Ballon d’Or award. In 2014–15 he netted 48 goals to lead La Liga in scoring. Ronaldo netted his 324th goal as a member of Real in October 2015 to become the club’s all-time leading goal scorer.

On his home soil, after moving through the youth and under-21 ranks, Ronaldo had made his first appearance for Portugal’s full national team against Kazakhstan in August 2003 (four days after his debut for United). He was a key player in Portugal’s fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Cup and became the full-time captain of the national team in 2008. In 2012 his stellar play led Portugal to the semifinals of the European Championship, where his team was eliminated by rival Spain in a match that was decided by a penalty kick shoot-out. Ronaldo came into the 2014 World Cup hot off of his second world player of the year win, but his play at the tournament was spotty, and the entire Portugal team struggled during a group-stage elimination.

Information About Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo in a suit Photo Credit Getty Images/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on the island of Madeira in Portugal on May 5, 1985. Known as Cristiano Ronaldo to soccer fans, he began playing soccer as a child and by the age of 10 had earned the notice of Madeira’s soccer community. Since signing with Real Madrid in 2009, Ronaldo is regularly the object of media attention for his actions on and off the soccer field. ESPN Soccernet rates Ronaldo as the second most well-known soccer player in the world after David Beckham.

Early Life and Career

Ronaldo’s parents, José Diniz Aveiro and Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, raised him in a working class community with his three older siblings. Ronaldo’s father named him for President Ronald Reagan. He started playing football at a small local soccer club where his father was the equipment manager. Ronaldo honed his soccer skills as a youth playing for Nacional da Ilha da Madeira, another local team, and gained a reputation as one of Madeira’s best soccer players. At the age of 13, Ronaldo signed with Sporting Lisbon’s schoolboy team for a monthly salary.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo hailed as 'captain and general' after Real Madrid ease to La Liga victory over Levante

Real Madrid stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo have been saluted by the Spanish media after helping the La Liga giants defeat Levante 3-0.

Marcelo opened the scoring for the hosts before Ronaldo became Madrid's all-time record goalscorer after notching his 324th goal - with the win rounded off by Jese late in the second half.

The pair were hailed as 'captain and general' by Spanish daily Marca - who also applauded goalkeeper Keylor Navas' performance in goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo were saluted by Spanish media (left) while Neymar was also praised (right)

Ronaldo became Real Madrid's all-time top goalscorer during their 3-0 La Liga win over Levante on Saturday

AS led with the headline 'three great goals, three points' while four-goal Barcelona star Neymar was also hailed by the newspaper. 

The Brazilian became La Liga's top scorer with eight goals this season, scoring twice in each half as Barcelona beat Rayo Vallecano 5-2. 

Neymar starred on Mundo Deportivo's front page, referring to him as 'the king', after helping his team secure a comfortable victory.

Elsewhere in Europe, La Gazzetta Sportiva have looked ahead to Serie A's showdown between Inter Milan and Juventus.

Neymar became the first Barca player other than Messi to score four in a match since Samuel Eto'o in 2008

It is reported that Inter manager Roberto Mancini 'will give space to Gary Medel, so Geoffrey Kondogbia is on the bench'.

Corrierre dello Sport hailed 'spectacular' Roma after they easily dispatched of Empoli after securing a 3-1 win. 

And the daily reported that former Manchester City manager Mancini will make sure his defence is tight: 'It'd be enough to win 1-0'. 

Corrierre dello Sport hailed 'spectacular' Roma as they look ahead to Inter Milan vs Juventus (left)

Cristiano Ronaldo Biography

Cristiano Ronaldo is a professional soccer player who has set records while playing for both Manchester United and Real Madrid.

“It means a new challenge and is going to help me be the best footballer."

Cristiano Ronaldo - Mini Biography (TV-PG; 3:37) Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo plays forward for Real Madrid. He's considered one of the greatest and highest paid soccer players of all time.

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. Manchester United paid £12 million to sign him in 2003—a record fee for a player of his age. In the 2004 FA Cup final, he scored Manchester's first three goals and helped them capture the championship. In 2008, he set a franchise record for goals scored. In 2009, Real Madrid paid a record $131 million for his services.

Born Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro on February 5, 1985, in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, a small island off the western coast of the country, Ronaldo is the youngest of four children born to Maria Dolores dos Santos and Jose Dinis Aveiro. He was named after Ronald Reagan, a favorite actor of his father's.

Ronaldo grew up in a largely working class neighborhood, his home a small tin roofed shack that overlooked the ocean. His early life was shaped by hardship; his father, a gardener, often drank too much, and eventually died from kidney problems in 2005. To help keep the children fed, and maintain some financial stability, Ronaldo's mother worked as a cook and cleaning person.

It was through his dad's work as an equipment manager at a boy's club that Ronaldo was first introduced to the game of soccer. By the time he was 10 years old, he was already recognized as a phenomenon—a kid who ate, slept and drank the game. "All he wanted to do as a boy was play football," his godfather, Fernao Sousa, recalled for British reporters, adding, "He loved the game so much he'd miss meals or escape out of his bedroom window with a ball when he was supposed to be doing his homework."

By his early teens, Ronaldo's talent and legend had grown considerably. After a stint with Nacional da liha da Madeira, he signed with Sporting Portugal in 2001. That same year, at the tender age of 16, Ronaldo turned heads with a mesmerizing performance against Manchester United, wowing even his opponents with his footwork and deft skill. He made such an impression that a number of United players asked their manager to try and sign the young player. It wasn't long before the club paid Ronaldo's team more than £12 million for his services - a record fee for a player of his age.

Ronaldo, however, did not disappoint. He showed his promise early on in the 2004 FA Cup final, scoring the team's first three goals and helping them capture the championship. In 2008, a year after signing a five-year, £31 million contract, Ronaldo again justified the high tab when he put together one of the club's finest seasons in history, setting a franchise record for goals scored (42), and earning himself the FIFA World of the Year honor. In all, Ronaldo helped steer Manchester United to three premier league titles.

But Ronaldo's time in England was marred by his mother's 2007 struggle with breast cancer as well as his father's death from alcohol-related illness. The latter was especially hard for Ronaldo as the two had been close, and the young athlete had often pushed for his father to enter rehab and address his drinking. His father, however, never accepted the offer.

As lauded as Ronaldo was on the field for Manchester United, his commitment to the club came under constant question. Speculation swirled that he wanted to play elsewhere. So in 2009, when Spanish soccer club Real Madrid agreed to pay United a record $131 million for the chance to sign him, nobody was all that surprised to see Ronaldo leave United.

"I know that they are going to demand a lot of me to be successful at the club and I know that I'm going to have much more pressure than at Manchester United because I was there for many years," Ronaldo told reporters. "But it means a new challenge and is going to help me be the best footballer."

In addition to his FIFA World Player of the year award, Ronaldo has also won the coveted Ballon d'OR, the Golden Boot, and been named the UEFA Club Forward of the Year, among other honors during the course of his career.