Cristiano Ronaldo may be synonymous with opulence and living the high life, but it wasn't always like that for the now persistent Ballon d'Or pursuer. 

When still a boy, the Portuguese forward left his paternal home of Madeira for the bustling metropolis of Lisbon with the sole objective of making his dream of becoming not only a professional football player, but the best football in the world, a reality.

Many moons have passed and many a title (individual and otherwise) has been lifted since his formative days at Sporting Clube de Portugal, but the 31-year-old still holds the club that gave him his first big break dear to his heart.