Martunis' name had become the world's attention after he managed to survive the Aceh tsunami in 2004. At that time, he went viral because he was found wearing a Portugal national team jersey and attracted the attention of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo then adopted Martunis as his son, paving the way for the Aceh teenager to pursue his football dreams. He even got the chance to join the Sporting Lisbon academy, where Ronaldo started his career.
However, Martunis' journey was not entirely smooth despite receiving a lot of support from the mega star. Now, he lives a simple life in his hometown and chooses to play tarkam (inter-village) football in Banda Aceh.
Check out the transformation of Martunis who now plays local football, compiled by brilio.net from the Instagram account @martunis_ronaldo on Thursday (21/11).
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During the Aceh Tsunami in 2004, Martunis was found safe wearing a Portugal national team jersey. The jersey became a symbol of good luck that changed his life and caught the attention of Cristiano Ronaldo.
 2024 Instagram
After meeting Ronaldo at the age of 8, Martunis began to be known to the world as the megastar's adopted son. Since childhood, he had dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player.
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Ronaldo invited Martunis to Portugal and Spain, introducing him to world footballers. He gained valuable experience seeing the lives of top athletes firsthand.
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Martunis was also invited to attend big events such as press conferences and meet and greets with Ronaldo. Attending the event gave him more motivation to pursue a career in football.
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At the age of 17, Martunis began to seriously train with the Indonesian U-19 national team. Not long after that, he received an offer to join the Sporting Lisbon academy, the club where Ronaldo began his career.
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Despite getting a golden opportunity in Portugal, Martunis had difficulty adapting to life there. In addition to cultural barriers, a knee injury forced him to return to Indonesia.
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After recovering from his injury, Martunis chose to settle in Banda Aceh. He decided to play local football while living a simple life.
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At the age of 27, Martunis now chooses to live a life away from the media spotlight and enjoy it with his small family.
 2024 Instagram
Martunis is known to have married Sriwahyuni and has been blessed with a child. Domestic life is his main priority at the moment.