How Cristiano Ronaldo Shaped the Future: A Legacy Timeline

A detailed timeline of the impact and legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo across different fields.

Cristiano Ronaldo, nicknamed CR7, is a Portuguese professional footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. He currently plays for Al Nassr and captains the Portugal national team. His accolades include five Ballon d'Or awards, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes. Ronaldo has won 33 trophies, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, and the UEFA European Championship. He holds records for most Champions League goals (140) and assists (42), European Championship goals (14) and assists (8), and most international appearances (219) and goals (136). He is one of the few players to exceed 1,200 professional appearances and has scored over 900 official senior career goals, making him the all-time top goalscorer.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1948: Oldest player in European leagues

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.

1968: First Ballon d'Or winner

Ronaldo became United's first Ballon d'Or winner since Best in 1968.

2007: C.D. Nacional renames youth campus after Ronaldo

In 2007, C.D. Nacional renamed its youth campus Cristiano Ronaldo Campus Futebol (Cristiano Ronaldo Football Campus).

2008: Best selling Premier League product

In 2008, Ronaldo's number 7 Manchester United shirt was the best-selling Premier League sports product.

2008: First Ballon d'Or

In 2008, at the age of 23, Cristiano Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or with a record-high vote count.

June 2010: Waxwork at Madame Tussauds London

In June 2010, Cristiano Ronaldo became the fourth footballer to be represented as a waxwork at Madame Tussauds London.

2010: Earnings from 2010 to 2019

From 2010 to 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo earned €720 million (£615 million), ranking second in Forbes' list of the decade's highest-paid athletes, behind Floyd Mayweather Jr.

December 2013: Opens Museu CR7 in Funchal

In December 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo opened a museum, Museu CR7, in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira, to house trophies and memorabilia.

December 2013: Waxwork at Madrid Wax Museum

In December 2013, another waxwork of Cristiano Ronaldo was presented at the Madrid Wax Museum.

2013: Adapting Style at Real Madrid

From 2013 onwards, under manager Carlo Ancelotti, Cristiano Ronaldo adapted his style of play to the physical effects of ageing, focusing on short-distance creating and goalscoring at Real Madrid.

January 2014: Raised to the Rank of Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry

In January 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo was raised to the rank of Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry by the President of Portugal, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, in recognition of his global representation of Portugal and example of tenacity.

May 2014: Named most marketable football player

In May 2014, Repucom named Cristiano Ronaldo the most marketable and most recognized football player in the world.

December 2014: Unveiling of Bronze Statue in Funchal

On December 21, 2014, a bronze statue of Cristiano Ronaldo, designed by artist Ricardo Madeira Veloso, was unveiled in Funchal.

2014: Named in Time 100

In 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo was named in the Time 100, Time's annual list of the most influential people in the world.

2014: Included in Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2014, Time included Ronaldo on their list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

June 2015: Galaxy Named After Ronaldo

In June 2015, astronomers led by David Sobral discovered a galaxy which they named Cosmos Redshift 7 (CR7) in tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo.

September 2015: Real Madrid's All-Time Top Scorer

On 12 September 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo became Real Madrid's all-time top scorer with 230 goals, surpassing Raúl.

2015: Second Best Selling Jersey Worldwide

In 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo's number 7 Real Madrid shirt was the second best-selling worldwide, after Messi's number 10 Barcelona shirt.

2015: Named Best Portuguese Player of All Time

In 2015, Ronaldo was named the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation.

July 2016: Madeira Airport Renamed Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport

On July 23, 2016, Madeira Airport in Funchal was renamed Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport following Portugal's Euro 2016 triumph, sparking local debate.

2016: Named world's most famous athlete

In 2016, ESPN named Cristiano Ronaldo the world's most famous athlete.

2016: Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

In 2016, Ronaldo was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes and the world's most famous athlete by ESPN.

March 2017: Unveiling of Rebranded Airport and Bust

On March 29, 2017, the rebranded Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport was unveiled, including a bust of his head, which became controversial due to its lack of likeness to Ronaldo.

2017: Named world's most famous athlete

In 2017, ESPN named Cristiano Ronaldo the world's most famous athlete.

2017: Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

In 2017, Ronaldo was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes.

2017: Free-Roaming Centre Forward

Since 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo adapted his style of play again to become more of a free-roaming centre forward under manager Zinedine Zidane, excelling and maintaining a prolific goalscoring record.

June 2018: Commissioning of New Bust

In June 2018, sports website Bleacher Report commissioned sculptor Emanuel Santos to create another bust of Cristiano Ronaldo. A new bust was made by a Spanish sculptor, shown to the public on June 15, 2018.

2018: Named world's most famous athlete and High Sales of Juventus shirt

In 2018, ESPN named Cristiano Ronaldo the world's most famous athlete. Within 24 hours of his Juventus number 7 shirt being released, over 520,000 had been sold, generating $62.4 million.

2018: Ranked Most Influential Person in Sports Culture

In a 2018 article, Cristiano Ronaldo was ranked first in the ranking of the 50 most influential people in sports culture.

2019: Earnings from 2010 to 2019

From 2010 to 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo earned €720 million (£615 million), ranking second in Forbes' list of the decade's highest-paid athletes, behind Floyd Mayweather Jr.

2019: Most Famous Athlete by ESPN

From 2016 to 2019, Ronaldo was the world's most famous athlete by ESPN.

2019: Named world's most famous athlete

In 2019, ESPN named Cristiano Ronaldo the world's most famous athlete.

September 2020: Sporting CP's Football Academy Renamed Academia Cristiano Ronaldo

On September 21, 2020, Sporting CP's football academy in Alcochete was renamed Academia Cristiano Ronaldo.

February 2021: Reaches 500 Million Social Media Followers

By February 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first person to surpass half a billion followers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, marking his strong online presence.

2022: Debate on Messi Settling the Rivalry

In 2022, after Lionel Messi led Argentina to victory in the FIFA World Cup, many critics suggested that Messi had settled the debate between him and Cristiano Ronaldo.

September 2023: Ronaldo declares rivalry with Messi is over

In September 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo declared that his rivalry with Lionel Messi was over and "gone" after 36 official fixtures and 15 years of sharing the stage.

2023: Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

In 2023, Ronaldo was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes.

2023: Awarded the Medal of Honor of the City of Lisbon

In 2023, the Lisbon City Council approved awarding Cristiano Ronaldo the Medal of Honor of the City, proposed by its president, Carlos Moedas, due to his passion for the city.