Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers the world has ever witnessed. He has not only named goals and records to his name but also a few famous nicknames over the years. One of those nicknames is 'El Bicho,' which he got termed during the peak years of his football career. Along with this, he is also called 'GOAT' by his fans and many football pundits all over the world for his supremacy in the sport. Amid Transfer Rumours Cristiano Ronaldo Shares Adorable Photo With His Mother; See IG Post.

Here at Latestly, we have a look at how and where Ronaldo got the nickname 'EL Bicho' and why it is so popular among Real Madrid fans, and most importantly, what does it mean in English.

Where and how Ronaldo was nicknamed 'El Bicho': Cristiano Ronaldo spent his best footballing years in Spain, playing as a galactico in Real Madrid. He went to Madrid in 2009 as the most expensive transfer at that time in football from Manchester United and spent nearly nine years at Santiago Bernabeu. In these nine years, the Portuguese superstar has scored the most number of goals as a player in the history of Real Madrid (450 goals), helping the club win four UEFA champions league titles in five years, including a three-peat. Cristiano Ronaldo Transfer News: Portuguese Star Declines David Beckham’s Request of Joining Inter Miami.

In his nine-year tenure in the Spanish capital, Ronaldo gave many unforgettable moments to football fans and commentators to cherish. During Real Madrid matches at Santiago Bernabeu, Spanish commentators used to lose words to describe the greatness of Cristiano on turf. Once, during a La Liga match, Spanish commentator Manolo Lama brought out the term "El bicho" to describe the importance of the Portuguese skipper in the field. Lama burst into excitement and called Ronaldo 'El bicho'. From that moment, this nickname of Ronaldo became popular among his fans all over the world.

What does 'El Bicho' mean in English, and why it is so popular among Real Madrid fans:  The meaning of 'El Bicho' in English is 'The Bug.' The way a bug can bring harm and destruction, Cristiano has been the destroyer of the opponents week in and week out. Spanish commentator Lama used this term to signify the fiery character Ronaldo possesses on turf. Ronaldo used to score for fun and used to dribble past the opposition's backline like he had a walk in the park. People are fearful of bugs, and rival teams' defenders are frightened with the presence of Ronaldo. Thus, in a synonymous way, the term 'El Bicho' was used to nickname Ronaldo.

This nickname became famous within days among Cristiano Ronaldo's fans. Fans started to chant 'El Bicho' to encourage the Portuguese ace to score more goals, who was on a scoring spree at Real Madrid in the last decade. From 2012 to 2017, the 37-year-old forward had 40+ goals every season. His dribbling, his finishing, his vision in passing to find teammates in scoring positions, his long-range efforts and goals and his presence in the field in Real Madrid shirt used to create such an atmosphere in the stadiums that opponents often could not recover from that. And fans in those stadiums used to chant 'El Bicho' to honour Ronaldo and drive him for more.

However, Ronaldo is not the only player who has been nicknamed 'El Bicho.' There is a Spanish player named Javier Fernandez, who is also called as 'Bicho.' He is a former attacking midfielder of La Liga side Deportivo La Coruna, who played for the Barcelona B team also.

Ronaldo's other nicknames: 'El bicho,' is not the only nickname Ronaldo has been named with; he has a few more. The most famous nickname which is widely used to call the greatest goalscorer, is 'Cr7.' This is like an acronym of Cristiano Ronaldo 7 (Jersey No. 7). Many fans and football pundits call him 'GOAT' which means 'Greatest of All Time.' The former galactico, whose trademark celebration style 'SIUUUU' is regarded as one of the most famous, is also called 'Mr. Champions League' due to his supremacy in the competition. He has lifted the European trophy for a record five times, scoring 140 goals over the years. His close people call him by names like "Ron" and "Chris."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 28, 2022 04:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).