Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more official goals than any other player in the history of football. IN THE WHOLE OF HISTORY. This achievement, in which he hit his 760th goal against Napoli back in January in a 2-0 win, is not be taken lightly. It is my belief we have become numb to the greatness of C. Ronaldo over his outstanding career, by getting caught up in the GOAT debate. This results in many fans hoping to see a Ronaldo fail, rather than rally behind him and appreciate his incredible efforts. This article is about the King of Europe, and why Ronaldo’s extraordinary feats as a sportsman will never been equalled. This is A Certain Point of View: Cristiano Ronaldo.
Via 90Mins.com
The Madeira King
Whilst it is well documented that a certain vertically-challenged Argentine had Barcelona pay for his medical bills – what you may not have known is when Cristiano was just 14 he was diagnosed with a racing heart. At Sporting Lisbon, Ronaldo had to undergo heart surgery just to allow him to play football. Make no mistake, the man had already dedicated his life to the beautiful game.
Cristiano’s football career began in Lisbon, lured from his small hometown island to the South West of Portugal, Medeira. His meteoric rise to stardom saw Ronaldo become the first player ever to play for Sporting’s Under-16, 17, 18, reserves and first team in a single season. As well as his work ethic, those in charge in Lisbon were impressed by Cristiano’s skill on the ball – I mean, duh.
A Return, I Mean One-way, Ticket to Manchester Please
Even the events surrounding Cristiano’s transfer to Manchester United have a touch of movie-like glamour about them. The United pre-season tour of 2003 saw them lose 3-1 to Sporting, and of course, Ronaldo shined. Rio Ferdinand recalls waiting for the side’s executive by the team bus after the game; ‘we were just willing them to sign Ronaldo’. So, they did.
The initial plan was to buy Ronaldo and then loan him back to Sporting to aid his development for a season. However after running the Red Devils ragged, the players convinced one of the greatest managers in history, Sir Alex Ferguson that they needed Cristiano, and they needed him now. A then-world-record fee for a teenager lured Sporting to sell their star – a measly £12.24 million by today’s standards.
‘Sign this kid, gaffer’ Gary Neville had a very clear message to Sir Alex after the game against Sporting Lisbon, in which Ronaldo had John O’Shea chasing shadows all game. Image Via Sport Bible
Ronaldo’s development whilst at Manchester United was frightening. Joining as an exciting young winger who didn’t quite have the final ball nailed down, he refined himself into a goal machine who could play anywhere in the forward line. Of course, he became more recognised as an inverted left winger – a more established position in today’s Premier League than in the noughties – who liked to cut in and shoot on his right. Feigning right and crossing left by the byline was just as deadly, given Ronaldo’s two-footed disposition.
His debut for United came in a comprehensive 4-0 win to Bolton Wanderers, in which he received a standing ovation as he came on as a substitute and was a complete live wire, with the fans cheering every time he touched the ball. You could just tell there was something so special about Manchester United’s new number 7. Given the history of that shirt, names like Cantona and Beckham come to mind, this was some feat. On his debut he was jinxing past players down the left hand-side, and found his way into the box on a number of occasions, even drawing a penalty from Premier League mainstay and cult-hero Kevin Nolan after a tug of the shirt. At age 18 he couldn’t be dealt with.
The irresistible George Best described it as ‘undoubtedly the best debut’ he had ever seen. He also went on to say ‘there have been a few players down the years called the next George Best, this is the first time it is a compliment to me’.
Ronaldo making his Manchester United debut in 2003 agaist Bolton - an explosive introduction. Image Via SportsJOE
Ronaldo’s first goal for United was a free-kick against Portsmouth, the first of 53 goals scored from a dead ball situation outside the box, and incredibly not even his most memorable against Pompey. Ronaldo also finished his very first season in English football with a trophy, scoring the opening goal of the 2003-2004 FA Cup final in a 3-0 win over Millwall. Shining in a proven title-winning side is tricky, but you bet he did it.
Scrutiny and Redemption
In England, the media is never far away. Ronaldo has often been scrutinized over his style of play and his attitude, with his most infamous altercation involving Manchester United teammate and fellow young prodigy Wayne Rooney in the 2006 World Cup. The infamous wink, made front pages across Europe, resulting in Rooney’s sending off and England’s dumping out of the World Cup in a penalty shootout. Ronaldo converting the winning penalty only exacerbated his position as ‘public enemy number 1’.
THAT wink. Via the IrishSun
In the season that followed Ronaldo got booed at almost every ground he went to, but that didn’t faze him – in fact it was his best season yet. The Portuguese starlet scored an incredible 23 goals and assisting a further 22, leaving him on 45 goal contributions from just 53 appearances. This remarkable form also ensured he won his first of 3 Premier League titles, a Champion’s league semi-finalist and a runner-up in the FA Cup. This was the way he dealt with his critics.
But a season of ‘nearly’s’ did not satisfy the winger. The following two seasons had to be even better, and really marked the start of Ronaldo’s reign at the very top of football. He scored an incredible 31 Premier League goals in 07/08 - a record that has only ever been bettered once. In doing so, he scored 40% of all of United’s league goals that season, a staggering feat. He also bagged a further 11 in all competitions, leading Manchester United to their first Champions League for almost 10 years, scoring a towering header in the final past one of the world’s best at the time in Petr Cech.
Ronaldo's goal in the 2008 Champions League Final. His areal ability would become just one of many trademark assets he had at his disposal. Image Via The Mirror
The end of the calendar year also saw Manchester United win the Club World Cup in Japan. Ronaldo would make the 08/09 season his last in Manchester, winning his first of FIVE Ballon d’Or trophies, and guiding United to yet another league title – their third in as many seasons. He netted 26 goals across all competitions, before Real Madrid came knocking…
Global Appeal Off the Pitch
It was the transfer to Real Madrid for £85m that really sent Ronaldo into stratosphere of global football fame. 5 Years on from the end of the Galactico Project – which saw Madrid purchase the best talents in the world to increase their global marketing appeal (Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham etc) - Ronaldo arrived in the Spanish capital for a then world-record fee. His unveiling was in front of a packed out Santiago Bernabeu, and with 80,000 people going to the unveiling, Ronaldo beat the previous record held by a certain Diego Maradona.
Ronaldo's unveiling infront of 80,00 at the Santiago Bernabau Image: Dani Pozo for AFP Via AS
Of course, everyone in contention in this article series has had a global appeal, but Ronaldo has been the most willing to nurture and further his brand off the field. He is currently the most followed individual on Instagram with over 275 million followers on the Facebook-owned platform (as of April 7rd 2021). His performances on the pitch played him into partnerships with some of the biggest brands on the planet. Ronaldo was the face of Nike - the most successful sports brand in the world with an estimated $37 Billion turnover in 2020 (Pledge Sports, 2021) and a market value of $30Bn (Forbes) – for the best part of a decade. It was a match made in heaven.
Ronaldo’s commercial partnership potential was through the roof as the world’s best player and an international icon in and outside of Europe.
Ronaldo is currently on a lifetime contract from Nike, worth up to $1 Billion and currently earns an estimated $17.2 Million from the company per annum (Bloomberg 2019) – you don’t get a contract like that without being a contender for the Greatest of All Time.
Ronaldo was the second-highest paid athlete in the world in 2020, behind tennis icon Roger Federer, and they share plenty of similarities in their revenue streams which got them to $105m and $106.3m for the year respectively. Nike isn’t the only giant to sponsor Ronaldo, with brands like Herbalife Nutrition, DAZN, American Tourister and Fly Emirates contracted to the Portuguese star. Not only this, but Ronaldo has secured his own legacy within both the sports market and a wider audience, with his own range of underwear, aftershave, tech-brand and footwear that ensure his revenue streams and relevancy never dwindle. Long after his playing days, Ronny will continue to be on your television screens and on billboards.
Iconic luxury airline Emirates advert featuring both Pele and Ronaldo
Real Relentless Tide
There was a direct correlation between Ronaldo’s marketability away from football and his performances on the field, with the Portuguese captain turning into nothing short of a machine during his time at Madrid. Ronaldo was signed in the same transfer window as Karim Benzema, Xabi Alonso and Kaká, but he did not get lost in these big names. Scoring a fierce 26 league goals in his first season in the Spanish capital landed him a spot in the FIFPro World XI for the third successive year in 2009, a position he held for 14 consecutive seasons. To be playing for this long is insane, let alone at the highest level.
Ronaldo’s time with Madrid was littered with personal and team triumphs. His best goalscoring season came in the 2014-15 campaign, in which he scored an incredible 48 goals in just 35 league games, a tally that has wrongfully been normalised in today’s game by the standards set by him and a certain Lionel.
Real Madrid’s team triumphs were something quite special. With Ronaldo spearheading their attack, Madrid managed to win four Champions League’s in five seasons, and in doing so to be the first club to ever retain the Champions League. Oh and then the first to win it three times on the bounce. It’s hard to dispute that Ronaldo isn’t the king of the most competitive competition in Europe; he has won the most titles by any player (five) and has also scored the most Champions League goals of all-time with a staggering 134 goals - 15 ahead of Messi and an incredible 61 goals ahead of third place Robert Lewandowski.
Ronaldo Celebrating his 5th Champions League and 4th for Madrid Image: Hannah Mkay Image of the Day
The main change between Ronaldo at United and at Post-Ancelotti Madrid was his transformation into an out-and-out striker. This allowed him to demonstrate just how lethal he was, with towering headers, long-range stunners and poachers finishes with both feet. There was literally nothing he couldn’t do going forward in this prime. During his 9 years in Madrid, Ronaldo managed to score an inconceivable 450 goals in 438 games, netting more than 50 goals a season in six of those.
50. Goals. A season… 6 times!
It really doesn’t get talked about enough. It’s a truly incredible achievement that I feel gets overlooked all too frequently in discussion. Oh yea, also he won the Ballon d’Or a further four times in bringing his total to five, the second most in history. Just thought I’d add that in there.
Nothing to see here, just Ronaldo and his FIVE Ballon d'Or. Image: APT via The Mirror
Ronaldo left Real Madrid as their all-time top goal-scorer in history, an incredible achievement considering he was playing for the world’s biggest club, and scored more than Puskas, Raul and Di Stefano. During his nine-year stint he won two La Liga titles, competing against possibly the best club side the world has ever seen in Guardiola’s Barcelona, two Copa Del Rey’s, two Spanish Super Cups, four Champions League’s, two UEFA Super Cups and three Club World Cups – all whilst scoring more than a goal a game.
Ronaldo celebrating scoring for the 5th successive game in a row in his final Madrid season. Credit: Real Madrid
The Old Lady
Many say Ronaldo’s stay at his current club, Juventus, as a failure. They couldn’t be more wrong.
The Old Lady paid €100m for a then 33-year-old in 2018, a staggering amount for a player at the ‘last stop’ age for most players at the highest level. For reference, Cristiano’s former teammate Kaká was playing for Orlando City at the same age… draw your own conclusions. In making the transfer, Ronaldo became the most expensive player over the age of 30. The transfer sent waves through the footballing world, and within 24 hours of the announcement over 520,000 Ronaldo Juventus shirts were sold, compiling in $60 million worth of merchandise. The signing was with the intention of closing the gap with other super-clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona. It was certainly a good start, with their share price rocketing up 33% when they announced the European King. (BBC 2018) With Ronaldo, sides get a merchandising giant as well as a footballing leader.
Ronaldo, despite his age, has shown no signs of slowing down and has, in my opinion, been unfairly criticised during his time Juventus. Ronaldo has scored an incredible 97 goals in the three years since he joined, which includes two Serie A titles and a pair of Super Cups. The reason some people view Ronaldo as a failure is due to the lack of a Champions League title. But Ronaldo has already paid Juventus back in terms of work off the pitch, in helping develop them into a global brand - a project they started with the changing of their badge in 2017. Don’t forget, it’s difficult to win a Champions League, we’ve just got used to Ronaldo making it look easy.
Ronaldo winning his first of four titles with Juventus to date. Via 90Min
Portugal
For me, something that separates Ronaldo from the rest is his success on the modern international stage. He is not only Portugal’s all-time top goalscorer but also their undisputed talisman. He doesn’t shy away from defeat and criticism and doesn’t retire when his team loses but actively tries to make them better. What do you mean someone else on this list did exactly that? Ronaldo would never.
Personally, when he dragged his team to European Triumph in 2016 and had to be subbed in the first half, this marked a special ‘passing of the torch’. He came out with his knee strapped up and stood next to the manager, barking orders at his players, willing them over the line. Yes, they were HIS players. Not only did this show exceptional character, charisma and leadership, but pathed the way for his journey into coaching.
Cristiano taking up the coaching mantel at the Euro 2016 Final vs France Via FourFourTwo
Ronaldo also played a pivotal role in Portugal’s win of the inaugural UEFA Nations League, scoring a hattrick in the Semi-Final against Switzerland, becoming the first player ever to score in 10 consecutive international competitions. 103 International goals leaves him just six away from Ali Deai’s record - achievement that would really solidify himself as the greatest to play at international level in terms of numbers. This is certainly achievable with the European Championships and World Cup Finals coming up in the next 18 months. Not only could he add more goals but another trophy to his already mind-boggling haul.
Ronaldo lifting his second international trophy in the form of the UEFA Nations League. Image: Armando Franca via APNews
In Retrospective
While people will look at other players and claim they are the greatest of all time, I would argue differently. Ronaldo has proved himself across three different European Leagues, consistently producing a world class output of goals and trophies for club and country. That is the important bit, many have played brilliantly domestically or internationally, but rarely both, and for such a long time. Pelé’s domestic record is sketchy, Maradona’s career at the top short-lived and Messi’s international trophy cabinet empty, but Ronaldo has it all.
Ronaldo has suffered from his achievements of scoring 60 goals a season becoming a formality, and people are too quick to say he is ‘finished’ when he plays at a level slightly below super-human. There’s no doubt he can keep playing for years to come. There is no denying that Ronaldo is the best pure athlete to play the game, and when considered next to his durability, goalscoring record and trophy cabinet, is it unlikely that such as complete footballing machine will exist again. From a Certain Point of View, Cristiano Ronaldo is the best footballer ever.
We all know what happened 20 seconds prior. Via 90Mins.com
Comments