One of the finest soccer players in history, Cristiano Ronaldo, hardly needs an introduction. For his fans, he is the GOAT (Greatest of All Time); for his teammates, he is a role model; for his critics, he is in a rung below Lionel Messi; and for his opponents, he is a menace who just will not quit.
With the Portugal icon celebrating his 39th birthday on Monday (February 5), we have taken up the seemingly impossible task of listing out 10 of his biggest achievements. Here are the 10 things that define the legend of Cristiano Ronaldo:
#10 Trend-Setter Of Saudi Arabian Migration
In November 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo parted ways with his beloved Manchester United, following an explosive interview on Pierce Morgan’s show. Ronaldo was without a club for one-and-a-half months before he shockingly announced his decision to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. According to reports, Ronaldo signed a $200 million/year contract in January, officially kicking off the mass migration to the desert.
Since his switch, many prominent soccer stars have moved to Saudi Arabia, including Karim Benzema, Neymar, Sadio Mane, and N’Golo Kante. Had it not been for the 39-year-old, Saudi Pro League would not have threatened to lure away top players from its much-revered European counterparts.
#9 Five-Time IFFHS World’s Best Top Goal Scorer
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the IFFHS World’s Best Top Goal Scorer award a whopping five times since the award’s inauguration in 2011 — three more times than his arch-rival Lionel Messi. Ronaldo first claimed the sought-after accolade in 2011, having scored 60 goals throughout the calendar year. Messi won it in 2012 after scoring a record 91 goals, but the Portuguese returned to the summit in 2013 with 59 goals.
Ronaldo’s last IFFHS World’s Best Top Goal Scorer award arrived at the end of 2023 when he was 38 years old. He scored an astonishing 54 goals for Al-Nassr and Portugal to snatch the award, beating Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane to the punch.
#8 Top Scorer In Real Madrid History
The most successful club in European soccer history, Real Madrid have had their share of legendary goalscorers. From Alfredo Di Stefano to Raul, these legends have defined eras with their goals, taking the Whites to massive trophies. Cristiano Ronaldo may not have won as many trophies as some of his predecessors at the club, but he put them all to shame with his efficiency in front of goal.
Between 2009 and 2018, Ronaldo played 438 games for the club in all competitions, scoring an astonishing 450 goals. He also provided 131 assists, which sheds light on his underrated creativity. A whopping 105 of Ronaldo’s goals came in the UEFA Champions League (101 matches) and 311 arrived in La Liga (292 matches).
#7 Four-Time European Golden Shoe Winner
The European Golden Shoe is presented to players with the most points scored during a league campaign. The said points are calculated after multiplying the number of goals scored with the coefficient of the league. Since Ronaldo spent his prime years in the top five European leagues, he always had the highest coefficient (2) to boost his goals.
Ronaldo won the Golden Shoe Award four times (2008, 2011, 2014, 2015) — two times fewer than record-winner Lionel Messi. The 2014-15 season marked the best of his career, as he finished the La Liga campaign with a whopping 48 goals (96 points).
#6 Top Goalscorer In UEFA Champions League History
The most prestigious soccer competition in Europe, the UEFA Champions League has had the good fortune of seeing Cristiano Ronaldo at his very best. The ex-Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus star played 183 UEFA Champions League matches before leaving Europe in 2023. He scored a record 140 times and provided 48 assists, with the lion’s share of goals (105) coming for Los Blancos.
Ronaldo’s Champions League record seems destined to stand the test of time. Out of all the players still active in Europe, Barcelona attacker Robert Lewandowski is the closest to CR7’s record. The Polish attacker, 35, will need 49 goals to surpass the Al-Nassr ace.
#5 Scorer Of 100+ Goals For Three Clubs In Top 5 European Leagues
Making it big in one of the top five European leagues is a massive feat, with only the very best managing to do so. Leaving an everlasting footprint in not one, not two, but three European leagues is simply a Cristiano Ronaldo thing.
Ronaldo entered the top five European leagues with Manchester United in 2003. He initially spent six years at the club before returning for a controversial second spell in 2021. Between two spells, he played 364 games, scoring 145 goals.
Ronaldo’s goalscoring ability reached its apex during his nine-year stay at Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018. The Madeira-born attacker played 438 times for Madrid, scoring 450 times and emerging as their all-time top scorer.
Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus in 2018 and set the benchmark for goalscoring in Italian soccer. During his three-year stint with the Turin club, Ronaldo scored 101 goals in 134 games across competitions, becoming the fastest in Italian history to reach triple digits.
#4 All-Time Top Scorer In Men’s International Soccer
Cristiano Ronaldo’s brilliance has not been limited to clubs. He has been equally impressive for Portugal, scoring an astonishing 128 times in 205 appearances since making his senior team debut in August 2003. No player in men’s international soccer has scored as many goals and played as many matches. Ronaldo has scored 10 hat-tricks in international matches — also the most in history.
Ronaldo’s arch-nemesis Lionel Messi sits in third place in the rankings, having scored 22 goals fewer.
#3 UEFA EURO 2016 Winner With Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo helped Portugal to the UEFA European Championship in 2016, ending Os Navegadores’ wait for a major trophy. Ronaldo, who was suffering from a knee injury at the time, could not finish the final but cheered on enthusiastically from the touchline as Eder fired Portugal to a 1-0 victory over France.
Ronaldo is the highest scorer in the history of the European Championship. The Portugal skipper, who will take part in his record sixth EURO this summer, has scored an impressive 14 goals and provided nine assists in 25 games thus far.
#2 Five-Time UEFA Champions League Winner
Cristiano Ronaldo is by far the most dominant player UEFA Champions League has ever seen. Not only does he reign supreme as the competition’s all-time top scorer (140 goals), but he has also won the competition a joint-record five times.
Ronaldo’s first UEFA Champions League win came with Manchester United at the end of the 2007-08 season. He reached the final the next season, as well, but Lionel Messi’s Barcelona got the better of his team that time. Ronaldo’s next four Champions League came at Real Madrid. After the first win in 2013-14, Ronaldo helped his team to three consecutive UCLs between 2016 and 2018. Impressively, Ronaldo finished as the top scorer in each of his five Champions League-winning seasons and is the only player in history to score in three finals.
#1 Five-Time Ballon d’Or Winner
With five Ballon d’Or awards to his name, Cristiano Ronaldo is the second-most accomplished player in the accolades history. Only Lionel Messi (8) has won it more times than the Sporting CP graduate.
Ronaldo’s first Ballon d’Or win came in 2008, shortly after he helped Manchester United to a Premier League-Champions League double. Messi replaced him at the summit in 2009 and held the title until 2013 when the jet-heeled forward reclaimed it. He added three more to his collection over the next four years, claiming it in 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Ronaldo has not been in the running for the sought-after accolade since leaving the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in 2018. It will be interesting to see if he returns to the conversation after the 2024 European Championship.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
