Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo Birthday Tribute Controversy Explained
- Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his 41st birthday on February 5, receiving warm messages from across the global football community
- The Portuguese superstar remains active with Al Nassr and continues his pursuit of 1,000 career goals, having already scored 961, with nearly half coming during his Real Madrid years
- Real Madrid’s absence of a public birthday post on major social media platforms sparked backlash from fans, who felt the club failed to properly acknowledge one of its greatest legends
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Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his 41st birthday on Thursday, February 5, 2026, and was flooded with heart-warming messages from across the football world.
Born on February 5, 1985, Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of Real Madrid’s greatest modern icons. He left the Spanish giants in 2018 to join Juventus, bringing an end to one of the most successful eras in the club’s history.
Source: Getty Images
While Ronaldo’s professional journey began in England with Manchester United, many believe he is most closely associated with the iconic white shirt of Real Madrid. His most dominant and trophy-laden years came in Spain, where he cemented his status among football’s all-time greats.
Now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, Ronaldo turned 41 with no visible signs of slowing down. He still has personal milestones he is eager to achieve, including the extraordinary target of reaching 1,000 career goals. He currently stands on 961 goals, moving ever closer to that historic mark. Remarkably, just under half of those goals were scored during his time at Real Madrid.
Despite the celebrations, some fans expressed frustration after noticing that Real Madrid did not post a public “Happy Birthday” message for Ronaldo on their official social media platforms.
Source: Getty Images
As the day came to an end, supporters accused Los Blancos of disrespecting one of their greatest legends by failing to acknowledge his birthday online.
However, that criticism may not tell the full story. While it is true that Real Madrid did not publish a birthday post for Ronaldo on platforms such as X or Instagram, the club did not completely ignore the occasion.
Instead, Real Madrid paid a touching tribute to Ronaldo by releasing a compilation video of all 451 goals he scored for the club. The video was uploaded to the club’s official YouTube channel and attracted over 200,000 views within its first day.
Despite Ronaldo’s somewhat bitter departure from the club in 2018, Real Madrid continue to hold him in high regard, and the release of the video served as a clear gesture of appreciation for his immense contribution.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 451-goal video
In the video description, Real Madrid highlighted Ronaldo’s extraordinary impact at the Santiago Bernabéu, where he became the club’s all-time leading scorer. During his spell in Madrid, he helped the club win four UEFA Champions League titles and two LaLiga trophies.
The compilation features some of the most unforgettable moments of his career, including his iconic bicycle kick against Juventus in 2018, numerous goals in El Clásico clashes against FC Barcelona, and many other strikes that defined an era of European football.
Source: YEN.com.gh
