FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo returned to his home town of Funchal in Madeira, Portugal, on Sunday to attend the unveiling of a statue sculpted in his honor.
The Real Madrid star traveled to the Portuguese island from Marrakesh, Morocco, where he helped his club lift the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday, their fourth trophy of the year.
“This is a very special moment, to have a statue of me,” an emotional Ronaldo said at the ceremony where he was joined by members of his family and thousands of fans.
Photo: AFP
“Ronaldo has never forgotten his origins,” said his mother, Dolores Aveiro.
The 3.4m statue is part of Ronaldo’s personal museum, housing his haul of trophies, including two Ballon d’Ors, with a third possibly on its way as he is favorite to win the FIFA award again.
Ronaldo is on the shortlist for the accolade after scoring a record 17 goals in a UEFA Champions League campaign as Real Madrid went on to win their 10th tournament last term.
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