WATCH: CR7, the billionaire footballer who was once ‘homeless’

Cristiano Ronaldo captured the hearts of millions in 2015 when he rocked up in the centre of a Madrid town dressed as up ‘a homeless man’. The move by the then-Real Madrid superstar was meant to prank the general public. And fool the masses he did.

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The Portugal captain, complete with makeshift beard, padded suit and a dog companion, performed freestyle moves in Madrid’s Plaza del Callao as people watched on, unaware that the man behind the suit was he that would go on to become the world’s first billionaire footballer, and the fourth sportsman in history – after Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Floyd Mayweather – to achieve this status.

Cristiano Ronaldo performs freestyle moves in Madrid’s Plaza del Callao as people watch on (Image: Screenshot).

As for the masquerade itself; from trying to nutmeg pensioners to even asking a girl for her phone number, Ronaldo played it out perfectly. Towards the end of the video, Ronaldo reveals himself and quickly, thereafter, witnesses the crowd swelling into the hundreds, phones and all out. The video, embedded below, picked up more than 86 million views on YouTube. Watch:

What did you make of the prank by arguably the richest footballer on the planet? Share your thoughts below.