Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo
says he agrees with Portugal's new gay marriage law.
When asked about the recently approved
gay marriage law in Portugal, the world's most expensive football
player said everyone should enjoy the same rights.
“As I am Portuguese, I try to keep
myself informed about what is happening in my country,” Ronaldo,
whose complete name is Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, told
Portugal's Ipsilon.pt. “We must respect the choices of each other,
because, after all, all citizens should have the same rights and
responsibilities.”
The 25-year-old Ronaldo, who first
joined an amateur football team at the age of eight, plays as a
forward for the Spanish club Real Madrid. He also serves as captain
of the Portuguese national team.
In 2009, Real Madrid paid over $132
million to acquire Ronaldo from the UK's Manchester United, making
him the highest-paid football player in the world, according to the
BBC.
Ronaldo claims he does not drink
because his father, Jose Dinis Aveiro, died an early dead at 52 from
alcoholism. But UK daily the Daily Mirror reported in 2008
that the sports star was drinking heavily in a nightclub.
Portugal's
gay marriage law takes effect Monday, June 7.