‘I was small, feeble and had crooked teeth,’ Cristiano Ronaldo once confessed of his 18-year-old self who arrived at Old Trafford in 2003.
But of course now, the 40-year-old soccer superstar who – finally – proposed to longtime partner Georgina Rodriguez with an obscene diamond ring this week, is far from feeble. Nor is he small. And his teeth certainly aren’t crooked any longer.
Since bursting on to the scene at Manchester United as a spotty teenager with gappy smile, Ronaldo – who is worth a reported $1 billion – has undergone a transformation on his journey to cementing himself as one of the best soccer players in history.
Now plying his trade for Saudi side Al-Nassr, Ronaldo is a chiseled specimen of a man whose imposing physique secured has him five Ballon d’Or awards – and an underwear modelling job on the side.
His vigorous, high-intensity conditioning regime is no secret, but that’s not to say the Portuguese international hasn’t had a helping hand.
In the 22 years since his Old Trafford debut, the forward has allegedly undergone multiple plastic surgery procedures to perfect his hulking good looks. That’s according to Dr. Elie Levine, one of New York City’s top plastic surgeons.
Cristiano Ronaldo has come along way since arriving at Manchester United in 2003 (pictured then with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson)
The now 40-year-old soccer star looked as youthful as ever as he proposed to partner Georgina Rodriguez this week
Ronaldo’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
Though Dr. Levine has not examined or treated him, the first thing that stands out to him in before and after photos of Ronaldo is the ‘significant changes’ in his nose.
Dr. Levine, the Director of Plastic Surgery at Plastic Surgery & Dermatology of NYC, believes Ronaldo’s nasal bridge is more ‘refined’ and that the nose’s side walls have been ‘narrowed considerably.’
‘This is consistent with a rhinoplasty where not only tip work was done – because the tip is definitely more refined – but the entire upper portion and the dorsum is also much more sculpted,’ he tells the Daily Mail. ‘It indicates that in addition to likely cartilage work, there’s a high likelihood that his nasal bones were broken and reshaped.’
One of Ronaldo’s most standout features – and the most obvious difference over the years – comes in the form of his blinding smile.
Ronaldo first gingerly touched down in the UK with braces, crowding, gaps and discoloration in his grin – but after just two years at United, it appears veneers improved his smile.
Yet, Dr. Levine believes that Ronaldo’s dental work may not have ended with the porcelain coverings.
‘Before his gum was showing but later you don’t see it at all,’ Dr. Levine claims. ‘It definitely speaks for something that reduces the amount of gum show.’
Dr. Levine explains that there are two ways to address the gum issue. The first being Botox combined with veneers. However, he believes that Ronaldo may have also undergone a surgical procedure to reduce the upper gum area.
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He has undergone a staggering transformation since he burst onto the scene (pictured in 2004)
Ronaldo’s picture-perfect smile was on display when he won the LaLiga Golden Boot in 2014
The soccer WAG took to Instagram to show off her enormous diamond ring this week
‘He may have reduced some of the bone in that area and moved that whole upper teeth area up higher, which can also get rid of that kind of gummy smile,’ he says.
Aside from his dazzling teeth, one of Ronaldo’s most distinguishable facial features is, of course, his shiny, smooth forehead, which Dr. Levine claims is too perfect for a man entering his 40s.
Ronaldo’s lower eyelids, cheeks and forehead look pristine for a 40-year-old, meaning there is a high likelihood the international soccer star has had Botox to get rid of the lines and crow’s feet in his upper face area, the surgeon explains.
Botox uses a toxin to paralyze a muscle beneath the skin, meaning that it doesn’t move and causes wrinkles to deepen in the skin.
It generally lasts three to four months and costs around $180 to $750 per session.
The same can seemingly be said for Ronaldo’s flawless high cheekbones, which Dr. Levine believes have been ‘augmented.’
‘It’s not so much that he looks different in his cheeks than he did at 18 or 19, but he doesn’t look worse,’ Dr. Levine explains.
‘The bottom line is that he’s thin and he’s fit – and that’s meant more as a compliment than an insult. The problem is that when you’re 40 years old and you’re thin and you’re fit, you generally lose a little bit of volume in that area.
Ronaldo’s alleged cosmetic surgery procedures, according to Dr. Elie Levine (Ronaldo pictures in June this year)
The Portuguese international has come a long way since his gangly days at Manchester United (pictured in 2006)
Dr. Levine believes the former Real Madrid star looks as good – if not better – at age 40 (pictured this month)
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s imposing physique secured him an underwear modelling job (pictured in 2010)
‘The fact that he’s maintained it kind of speaks to volumizing it. So while it looks great, it could be fillers, it could be fat transfer, it could be any number of things.’
However, the secret to Ronaldo’s wrinkle-free appearance may not be limited to the injections. Dr. Levine claims that a brow lift could also have helped him look better at age 40 than it did at 18.
Dr. Levine believes Ronaldo may have gone under the knife for an endoscopic brow lift, which, in combination with Botox and possible laser resurfacing, has kept him looking ‘clean, neat and refreshed.’
‘It generally involves five tiny incisions in the hairline area, so as long as you have any hair you can hide those a little easily,’ Dr. Levine explains. ‘It’s one of my favourite procedures, because it’s essentially scarless.’
And Ronaldo certainly has the luscious locks needed to conceal any potential scars – but he may have another procedure to thank for that.
He could have had PRP treatment, that uses a concentration of your own blood platelets to stimulate hair follicles and promote hair regrowth, or even a small hair transplant, according to Dr. Levine.
‘If you look at his hairline, it is 100 percent unchanged,’ Dr. Levine says of Ronaldo’s thick, dark tresses. ‘There is almost no change whatsoever when you scrutinize it.
‘Now, could it be that he has the world’s greatest hair gene? Absolutely. It’s possible. But it’s also possible that he’s done some sort of work along the way.
His partner Georgina supports his regime and ensures he sticks to a strict diet
He is joined by his son, Cristiano Jr, on occasions for his daily workouts
‘It really doesn’t look like there’s any recession. Even for people who are described as having great hair genetics, generally the temples recede a little bit and you get a bit of a widow’s peak.’
Dr. Levine estimates that the total cost of Ronaldo’s alleged procedures could be upwards of $100,000 and even push to $250,000.
‘I would say it speaks to him doing it right,’ Dr. Levine says. ‘What I mean by doing it right is doing work if someone would benefit from it and can look at natural, amazing and great.
‘The problem that people run into is that they try to do too much too fast. But if you slowly over many years do little things, it can look really natural and great.’
That, he claims, is what distinguishes Ronaldo from another global sporting icon: Tom Brady.
The 48-year-old NFL legend has also been the subject of nip-and-tuck rumors, especially since starting his 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox Sports as an analyst last year.
But unlike Ronaldo, who has seemingly made small tweaks over a longer period of time, Dr. Levine believes Brady may have rushed through procedures in order to be in peak form for his broadcasting debut, based on looking at photo and video of him.
‘Tom, other than possibly doing a lot of hair transplant at a young age, didn’t do a lot until probably retirement age or near there,’ Dr. Levine claims. ‘To that point, it was doing a lot more at a short amount of period at a short period of time, which to me looked unnatural.’
Unlike what NFL great Tom Brady might have done, Dr. Levine believes Ronaldo made small tweaks over a long period
Ronaldo is still in peak condition at 40 as he spends up to four hours a day in the gym
All of which raises a question of vanity.
Former Daily Mail columnist Peter Crouch previously revealed that Ronaldo would admire his naked body in the locker room mirrors during his time at United.
‘Rio Ferdinand would tell us stories about how Cristiano Ronaldo would stand in front of the mirror naked, running his hand through his hair, and say, “Wow. I’m so beautiful!”,’ the former England and Liverpool striker wrote in a 2018 Daily Mail column.
‘The other United players would try to wind him up. “Whatever. Leo Messi is a better player than you.” And he would shrug his shoulders and smile again. “Ah yes. But Messi does not look like this”.’
And a large part Ronaldo’s success comes down to his daily routine and how he takes care of his body.
He has his own cryotherapy chamber in his home and, on the eve of his 40th birthday in February, he posted a photo of himself on Instagram wearing $5,400 cryo compression boots to aid his muscle recovery and keep him at the top of his game.
Ronaldo also spends up to four hours per day in the gym, five days a week.
A mixture of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), sprinting and cycling are the order of the day. He is often joined by his partner Georgina, 31, while his son Cristiano Jr has also been known to train alongside him.
Ronaldo’s diet is also meticulous.
He does not touch sugar or carbonated drinks. Instead, he fuels himself on chicken, fish and fresh vegetables, and only drinks black coffee. Needless to say, alcohol is a no-go.
And then there’s his bizarre sleep habits.
Ronaldo swears by sleeping in five 90-minute cycles to mimic his body’s natural rhythms, prioritizing quality over quantity.
Ronaldo has his own cryotherapy chamber at home, and celebrated his 40th birthday by wearing £4,000 cryo compression boots to aid his muscle recovery
The couple have been in a relationship since 2016 and have daughters Alana, seven, and two-year-old Bella together. She is also the stepmother of his other three children
And by his side throughout it all is Georgina, his partner of nine years who he finally popped the question to this week.
Confirming their engagement in an Instagram post, the Argentine-Spanish model, 31, wrote: ‘Yes I do. In this and in all my lives.’
The couple have been together since 2016 and have daughters Alana, seven, and two-year-old Bella together. She is also the stepmother of Ronaldo’s other three children.
And despite being nine years her senior, thanks to his multiple efforts to cling to his youth, the soccer star looks just as young.
