A 6-year-old football fan named Martunis was fighting for survival when the 2004 tsunami hit northern Sumatra.

It was a time when dreams were not only something children innocently held – they were necessary. Eleven years later, the dream came true. Martinus signed for Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon – The club where Cristiano Ronaldo began his career.

Here’s the remarkable story of the tsunami survivor turned professional footballer…





For 3 weeks after the Tsunami that took the lives of over 200,000 people, Martinus was lost to his family. He struggled on, living off Indo Mie and murky puddle water. Finally, he was reunited with his father and grandfather, only to find out that his mother and two siblings were amongst those who perished.

Amongst the ruins of Aceh, he was photographed wearing a Portugal shirt, prompting the Portuguese FA to get involved. They donated €40,000 to help rebuild his family home.





The year after he was rescued, Cristiano Ronaldo – who has a longstanding connection with, and affection for, Indonesia – paid Martunis a visit. Ronaldo not only pledged to pay for his education but used his contacts at his former club to extend an invite to Sporting Lisbon’s training ground.

Oh yeah, he also adopted the young man, now called Martunis Ronaldo.

Obviously impressed with what they saw, the relationship was ongoing and Martunis was offered the chance of a lifetime, singing on with Sporting’s under-19s.

Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho confirmed: “Martunis will work at the Academy. We will work with him also in his development as a human being and as a man. Helping to make dreams come true and others to live decent lives honours the mission of the club and its place in society.”











Whether the notoriously fickle world of professional football lets Martunis into its exclusive club, Martunis has promised one thing: to tackle all life’s challenges with the same determination of his idol and adoptive father, Cristiano Ronaldo.

We also wish him the best of luck.