Cristiano Ronaldo
The birthplace of icons: where Sporting CP forged its greatest talents.
The Academia Cristiano Ronaldo, originally called the Academia de Alcochete, stands as the premier football training facility of Sporting CP. Located outside Alcochete in Portugal's Setúbal District, this complex houses the club's youth system, which famously developed Cristiano Ronaldo. The site is also home to the Estádio Aurélio Pereira, a 1,128-capacity stadium where Sporting CP B formerly played until its dissolution in 2022, and which the women's first team uses only occasionally.
Quick Facts
- Full Name
- Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
- Birth Date
- 1985-02-05
- Birth Place
- Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
- Height
- 1.87 mVaries between 1.85 and 1.89 metres by source. FIFA gives 1.85, Real Madrid 1.87, and the Portuguese Football Federation 1.89 m.
- Position
- Forward
- Currentclub
- Al-Nassr
- Clubnumber
- 7
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Inaugurated in 2002 on the opposite bank of the Tagus River from Lisbon, the facility was built as a brand new infrastructure for Sporting CP's football training and youth development. It quickly gained prominence, serving as a training ground for the Portugal national team during UEFA Euro 2004 under its original name, Academia de Alcochete. In 2006, the academy adopted the name Sporting/Puma Academy following a sponsorship contract with Puma that lasted until 2012. On 21 September 2020, it was officially renamed the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo to honor the player who emerged as the most decorated footballer ever produced by the club's youth system.
Reader's Guide
Visitors to the Academia Cristiano Ronaldo can observe the Estádio Aurélio Pereira, named after long-serving head youth player scout Aurélio Pereira. This stadium holds a seating capacity of exactly 1,180 and hosts matches for the reserve men's team, Sporting CP B, as well as the main women's football team. The facility represents the culmination of a development system that transformed young talents into world-class athletes, maintaining its status as a critical infrastructure since its opening in 2002.
Did You Know?
- The academy was renamed Academia Cristiano Ronaldo on 21 September 2020.
- The Estádio Aurélio Pereira within the complex holds a seating capacity of 1,128.
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