How Cristiano Ronaldo built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Cristiano Ronaldo, nicknamed CR7, is a Portuguese professional footballer considered one of the greatest players of all time. Playing as a forward and captaining both Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team, he has achieved remarkable success, winning five Ballon d'Or awards, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes. Ronaldo boasts 34 career trophies, including five UEFA Champions League titles and a UEFA European Championship. He holds records for goals and assists in both the Champions League and European Championship, as well as international appearances and goals. He is one of five players to score 100+ goals for three clubs. With over 1,200 professional appearances and over 900 senior career goals, he is the all-time top goalscorer.
On 20 July 2020, Ronaldo became the oldest player, at the age of 35 years and 166 days, to score over 30 goals in one of the five top European leagues since Ronnie Rooke with Arsenal in 1948.
In 1992, Cristiano Ronaldo began playing for Andorinha, where his father worked as the kit man.
In 1995, Cristiano Ronaldo ended his time playing for Andorinha.
In 1997, at age 12, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Sporting CP's youth system after a successful three-day trial.
On August 14, 2002, at age 17, Cristiano Ronaldo played his first official match for Sporting CP's first team in a UEFA Champions League qualifying round against Inter Milan at José Alvalade Stadium.
On August 12, 2003, Manchester United signed Cristiano Ronaldo for £12 million, an England record for a teenager, making him the first Portuguese player to sign for the club.
On August 20, 2003, at the age of 18, Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal as a substitute in a match against Kazakhstan.
On August 6, 2003, after Sporting defeated Manchester United 3-1, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was determined to acquire Cristiano Ronaldo urgently. He called him "one of the most exciting young players" he had ever seen.
In 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal at the age of 18, beginning his journey with the national team.
In 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Manchester United, marking a significant move in his early career.
On May 15, 2004, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal in a victory against Aston Villa and received his first red card. He also scored the opening goal in United's 3-0 win over Millwall in the 2004 FA Cup Final, securing his first trophy in English football.
In 2004, Cristiano Ronaldo started off the 2004-05 season playing two of his best matches.
In 2004, following the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Cristiano Ronaldo visited Aceh, Indonesia, to raise funds for rehabilitation and reconstruction after seeing an eight-year-old boy survivor wearing a Portuguese football shirt.
In 2005, Cristiano Ronaldo played two of his best matches of the 2004–05 season, producing a goal and an assist against Aston Villa and scoring twice against rivals Arsenal. He also won the Football League Cup after scoring the third goal in United's 4–0 final win over Wigan Athletic.
In 2006, Ronaldo opened a fashion boutique under the name CR7 (his initials and shirt number) on the island of Madeira.
In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, at 21 years and 132 days old, Cristiano Ronaldo became the youngest goalscorer for Portugal at a World Cup finals. Portugal reached the semi-finals, where they lost to France. Ronaldo faced booing due to an incident in the quarter-finals against England, leading to FIFA's Technical Study Group overlooking him for the Best Young Player award.
In the 2006-07 season, Cristiano Ronaldo amassed a host of personal awards.
In 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo was named runner-up to Kaká for the Ballon d'Or and came third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
In 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or award at the age of 23, marking a significant milestone in his career.
On January 12, 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United in a 6-0 win against Newcastle United.
Ahead of UEFA Euro 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo wore the number 7 shirt. Despite scoring eight goals in qualifications, he scored only one goal in the finals, netting the second goal of Portugal's 3–1 win against the Czech Republic. Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals after a 3–2 loss to Germany.
In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo appeared on the cover of Pro Evolution Soccer, marking one of his endorsements with the video game franchise.
In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo donated undisclosed damages from a libel case against The Sun newspaper to a charity in Madeira.
In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or at the age of 23 by a record-high vote count.
In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo's number 7 Manchester United shirt was the best-selling Premier League sports product, demonstrating his popularity and marketability at the time.
In 2008, Ronaldo opened a second CR7 fashion boutique in Lisbon.
In 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo donated £100,000 to the hospital in Madeira that saved his mother's life following her battle with cancer, enabling them to build a cancer center on the island.
In 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a then-record transfer fee of €94 million (£80 million), marking a significant move in his career.
During the 2010 World Cup qualifying, Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score. In the finals, he scored only one goal but was named man of the match in all three group stage matches. His only goal came in a 7–0 victory against North Korea, marking his first international goal in 16 months.
In 2010, Cristiano Ronaldo was given No. 7 for the 2010–11 season. He scored 53 goals, helping Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey, scoring the winning goal against Barcelona in the El Clásico. He also became the first player in La Liga to score 40 goals and won the European Golden Shoe for a second time, becoming the first player to win the award in different leagues.
In 2010, in support of the victims of the Madeira flood, Cristiano Ronaldo pledged to play in a charity match in Madeira between Primeira Liga club Porto and players from Madeiran-based clubs Marítimo and Nacional.
In 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo went trophyless for the first time since 2010.
In December 2011, Cristiano Ronaldo launched an iPhone game called Heads Up with Cristiano, created by developer RockLive.
In 2011, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 60 goals across all competitions. He led Real Madrid to their first league title in four years with a record 100 points and his runner-up finish to Lionel Messi in the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or.
In the 2011-12 season, Cristiano Ronaldo played a key role as Real Madrid reached a record-breaking 100 points in La Liga.
On 24 March 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th league goal for Real Madrid in a 5–1 win over Real Sociedad, breaking the previous club record held by Ferenc Puskás.
Since November 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo has worn the Nike Mercurial Vapor personalized CR7 edition football boots, highlighting his endorsement deal with Nike.
In December 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo joined FIFA's "11 for Health" programme to raise awareness among kids about avoiding drug addiction, HIV, malaria, and obesity.
Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid to win their first La Liga title since 2012.
Following the 2012–13 winter break, on January 6th 2012, Ronaldo captained Real Madrid for the first time in an official match, scoring twice to lift 10-man Madrid to a 4–3 win over Sociedad. On January 30th 2012, he became the first non-Spanish player in 60 years to captain Madrid in El Clasico, a match which also marked his 500th club appearance.
In 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo commented on his rivalry with Lionel Messi, noting the competition pushes both players to excel, and that despite media portrayal, they maintain a professional distance. He expressed hope that they could look back on the rivalry with positivity in the future.
In January 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo became Save the Children's new Global Artist Ambassador, focusing on fighting child hunger and obesity.
In March 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo became the ambassador for The Mangrove Care Forum in Indonesia, an organization aiming to raise awareness of mangrove conservation.
In October 2013, following FIFA president Sepp Blatter's remarks about Ronaldo's appearance, Real Madrid demanded and received an apology. Ronaldo responded to Blatter's "commander" on the pitch comment with a mock-salute celebration after scoring a penalty against Sevilla.
In November 2013, Ronaldo, in partnership with JBS Textile Group and Richard Chai, released a range of underwear and sock line.
In December 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo launched Viva Ronaldo, a dedicated social networking website and app.
In December 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo opened a museum, Museu CR7, in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira, to house trophies and memorabilia; the museum is an official sponsor of the local football team União da Madeira.
From 2013 onwards, under manager Carlo Ancelotti, Cristiano Ronaldo adapted his style to the physical effects of ageing by reducing off-the-ball movement and general involvement, focusing on short-distance creating and goalscoring.
In 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo achieved the highest recorded jump in football history, measuring 2.93 metres (9 ft 7 in), during a match against Manchester United while playing for Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
In 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d'Or.
In 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo's "Sí" celebration, involving a "storming jump" and "turn" landing in his "signature power stance," gained widespread popularity and media coverage. Dubbed the "Siu" or "Siuuu", the celebration has since been imitated by athletes and personalities worldwide.
On August 7, 2013, during the International Champions Cup Final between Real Madrid and Chelsea, Cristiano Ronaldo first performed his signature "Siuuu" celebration after scoring a goal. Ronaldo's goal helped Madrid beat Chelsea 3–1 to claim the International Champions Cup. He later explained that the celebration "just felt natural".
In May 2014, sports market research company Repucom named Cristiano Ronaldo the most marketable and most recognized football player in the world, highlighting his strong brand and commercial appeal.
In July 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo expanded his CR7 fashion brand by launching a line of premium shirts and shoes.
During qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo scored eight goals but Portugal did not qualify directly. In the play-off against Sweden, Ronaldo scored all four goals to secure qualification. At the tournament in Brazil, he assisted a late equaliser against the United States and scored a winner against Ghana.
During the 2014–15 season, Ronaldo set a new personal best of 61 goals, and after winning the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup, Ronaldo received the 2014 Ballon d'Or, joining Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten as a three-time recipient.
In 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win the Champions League, contributing to the club's resurgence as a dominant European force.
In September 2015, Ronaldo released his own fragrance, "Legacy", in partnership with Eden Parfums.
On 12 September 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo became Real Madrid's all-time top scorer with 230 goals in 203 matches, surpassing Raúl. On 30 September 2015, two goals against Malmö FF saw him reach the milestone of 500 career goals for club and country.
In 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo was named the world's most charitable sportsperson after donating £5 million to the relief effort following the earthquake in Nepal which killed over 8,000 people.
In 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo's number 7 Real Madrid shirt was the second best-selling worldwide, after Lionel Messi's Barcelona shirt, highlighting his global appeal.
In June 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo donated the entirety of his €600,000 Champions League bonus after Real Madrid won the competition.
In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to their first-ever trophy at the UEFA Euro 2016, although he was subbed off in the 25th minute of the final against France. He received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer, which led to him winning his fourth Ballon d'Or later that year. The win qualified Portugal for the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, where they finished third, with Ronaldo named man of the match in all three group stage matches.
In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo reached a goalscoring record of 54 goals, a feat he would later equal in 2023.
In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d'Or.
In April 2016, during the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern, Ronaldo scored both goals in a 2–1 away win, becoming the first player to reach 100 goals in UEFA club competition.
In 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d'Or.
On 23 October, 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded The Best FIFA Men's Player award for the second consecutive year. A day later, Ronaldo won the 2017 Ballon d'Or, receiving his fifth-time award on the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Since 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo adapted his style of play to become more of a free-roaming centre forward under manager Zinedine Zidane, excelling in this role and maintaining a high goalscoring record, earning praise for intelligent movement, positional sense, and finishing.
On 3 April 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the first two goals in a 3–0 away win against Juventus in the quarter-finals of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League, with his second goal being an acrobatic bicycle kick. The goal garnered him a standing ovation from the opposing fans in the stadium as well as plaudits from peers, pundits and coaches.
During the 2018 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match, in a 3–3 draw against Spain. In the following match, Ronaldo scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Morocco, surpassing Puskás' record as the highest European goalscorer of all time with 85 international goals. He was named in the World Cup Dream Team for his performances.
In 2018 Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus for €100 million. Upon signing, Ronaldo cited his need for a new challenge as his rationale for departing Madrid.
In the 2018 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo had his most prolific World Cup campaign, scoring four goals for Portugal.
On 16 January 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo won his first trophy with Juventus, the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana, after scoring the only goal from a header against AC Milan.
On 16 January 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo won his first trophy with Juventus, the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana, after he scored the only goal from a header against AC Milan.
In August 2019, prior to the UEFA Men's Player of the Year announcement, Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged his rivalry with Lionel Messi, stating that they both pushed each other and it was good to be part of football history.
On 6 January 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first Serie A hat-trick in a 4–0 home win against Cagliari and became only the second player to score hat-tricks in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.
On September 21, 2020, Sporting CP's football academy in Alcochete was renamed Academia Cristiano Ronaldo, honoring his early career contributions to the club.
In 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo received the Golden Boot as the top scorer of Euro 2020, also becoming the first player to score at five European Championships.
In 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo received the Golden Boot as the top scorer of Euro 2020.
On 2 March 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal in a 3–0 win over Spezia in his 600th league match, to become the first player to score at least 20 goals in 12 consecutive seasons in the top five leagues of Europe.
On 27 August 2021, Manchester United announced they had reached an agreement with Juventus to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo, subject to agreement of personal terms, visa and medical.
In 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United, marking a reunion with his former club.
On 15 February 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo scored in Manchester United's 2–0 win at home versus Brighton & Hove Albion, his first in the new year.
On 30 December 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, signing a contract until 2025 with the highest football salary ever.
In 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo played in his fifth World Cup, adding to his legacy on the international stage.
On November 24, 2022, during the 2022 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score at five World Cups, netting a penalty against Ghana.
On 22 January 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut for Al-Nassr, and on an unspecified date in January, he scored his first goal in a 2–2 draw against Al-Fateh.
On March 23, 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace against Liechtenstein, earning his 197th overall cap and becoming the most capped male footballer of all time.
In September 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo declared that his long-standing rivalry with Lionel Messi was "over and gone" after 36 official fixtures and 15 years of competing on the same stage.
Since 26 October 2023, the new owners of Medialivre (Correio da Manhã, Record and Jornal de Negócios publisher) are a group of investors that include Cristiano Ronaldo through Portuguese company Expressão Livre.
In 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr, starting a new chapter in his career.
In 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a total of 54 goals in all competitions for both Al-Nassr and Portugal, making him the outright top scorer of the year. This feat equals his goalscoring record from 2016.
In 2023, almost a decade after its debut, Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed that "Siu" is derived from the Portuguese "sim," meaning "yes," clarifying that "Siuuu" is simply an emphatic expression of "yes".
In May 2024, during a home fixture against Al-Ittihad, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 34th and 35th league goals of the campaign, surpassing Abderrazak Hamdallah's record for the most goals scored in a single Saudi Pro League season. He also became the first footballer to finish as top scorer in four different leagues: English, Spanish, Italian, and Saudi leagues.
During the 2024 season, Cristiano Ronaldo finished with 25 league goals, securing his position as the league's top scorer for the second consecutive time.
In Portugal's UEFA Euro 2024 opener against the Czech Republic, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to feature in six European Championships.
On 30 December 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, signing a contract until 2025 with the highest football salary ever.
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