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, often nicknamed CR7, is a Portuguese professional footballer recognized as one of the greatest players in history. He currently plays for and captains Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team. His numerous individual accolades include five Ballon d'Ors, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes. Throughout his career, he has won 34 trophies, including five UEFA Champions Leagues and a UEFA European Championship. Ronaldo holds records for most Champions League goals and assists, European Championship goals and assists, international appearances, and international goals. He's the only player to score 100 goals with four different clubs and is the all-time top goalscorer with over 900 senior career goals.

Sections (7)

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

1968: Best's Ballon d'Or Win

In 1968, George Best won the Ballon d'Or.

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: First Ballon d'Or Win

In 2008, Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or by a record-high vote count at age 23, marking the beginning of his recognition as one of the greatest players in history.

2008: Ronaldo's Manchester United shirt is best selling Premier League product

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

June 2010: Ronaldo waxwork unveiled at Madame Tussauds London

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

2010: Ronaldo's 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.

2012: Ronaldo has entered every top 10 since the ranking's inception in 2012

Cristiano Ronaldo has entered every top 10 of Forbes highest-paid athletes since the ranking's inception in 2012.

December 2013: Ronaldo opens Museu CR7

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.

December 2013: Ronaldo waxwork presented at Madrid Wax Museum

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

2013: Adaptation Under Carlo Ancelotti

From 2013 onwards, under manager Carlo Ancelotti, Ronaldo effectively adapted his style to the physical effects of ageing with increasingly reduced off-the-ball movement and general involvement, completing fewer dribbles and passes per game, and instead focusing on short-distance creating and goalscoring.

2013: First "Siuuu" Celebration

On August 7, during the 2013 International Champions Cup Final between Real Madrid and Chelsea, Ronaldo first performed the "Siuuu" celebration. Ronaldo scored the goal and "it just felt natural" and "didn't know where it came from".

2013: "Siu" Celebration Origin

Since 2013, Ronaldo's trademark goal celebration, known as the "Siu," has become widely imitated by athletes and personalities both in and outside of football, recognized as the most iconic association football celebration of all time.

January 2014: Ronaldo 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.

May 2014: Ronaldo named most marketable football player

In May 2014, sports market research company Repucom named Cristiano Ronaldo the most marketable and most recognised football player in the world.

December 2014: Bronze statue of Ronaldo unveiled in Funchal

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

2014: Included in Time's 100 Most Influential People

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

2014: Ronaldo 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.

June 2015: Galaxy named Cosmos Redshift 7 (CR7) in tribute to Ronaldo

In June 2015, astronomers discovered a galaxy named Cosmos Redshift 7 (CR7) in tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo.

2015: Ronaldo's Real Madrid shirt is second best selling worldwide

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

June 2016: Sponsors earn significant media value across Ronaldo's accounts

Between June 2016 and June 2017, Ronaldo's sponsors earned $936 million in media value across his social media accounts.

July 2016: Madeira Airport renamed Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport

On July 23, 2016, following Portugal's triumph at Euro 2016, Madeira Airport in Funchal was renamed Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, sparking local debate and a petition against the move.

2016: Most Famous Athlete by ESPN

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

2016: ESPN names Ronaldo world's most famous athlete

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

2016: Forbes ranks Ronaldo as the highest-paid athlete

In 2016, Forbes ranked Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-paid athlete in the world with $88 million.

March 2017: Unveiling of the rebranded Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport

The unveiling of the rebranded Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport took place on March 29, 2017, which included a bust of his head being presented, receiving controversial reactions for its lack of likeness to Ronaldo.

June 2017: Sponsors earn significant media value across Ronaldo's accounts

Between June 2016 and June 2017, Ronaldo's sponsors earned $936 million in media value across his social media accounts.

2017: ESPN names Ronaldo world's most famous athlete

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

2017: Forbes ranks Ronaldo as the highest-paid athlete

In 2017, Forbes ranked Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-paid athlete in the world with $93 million.

2017: Shift to Free-Roaming Center Forward

Since 2017, Ronaldo adapted his style of play to become more of a free-roaming centre forward under manager Zinedine Zidane, a role in which he continued to excel and maintain a prolific goalscoring record.

April 2018: Scored Bicycle Kick Against Juventus

On April 3, 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the first two goals, including an acrobatic bicycle kick, in a 3–0 away win against Juventus in the quarter-finals of the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League. His second goal, with his foot approximately 7 ft 7 in (2.31 m) off the ground, garnered a standing ovation from opposing fans and accolades.

June 2018: New bust of Ronaldo revealed

In June 2018, a new bust of Cristiano Ronaldo, commissioned by sports website Bleacher Report, was shown to the public, replacing the controversial bust unveiled the previous year.

2018: ESPN names Ronaldo world's most famous athlete

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 were sold, generating $62.4 million in one day.

2018: Ranked Most Influential Person in Sports Culture

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

2019: Ronaldo's 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, Cristiano Ronaldo was named the world's most famous athlete by ESPN.

2019: ESPN names Ronaldo 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: Ronaldo surpasses 500 million followers on social media

By February 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo had surpassed 500 million followers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, becoming the first person to pass half a billion followers.

2021: Ronaldo named third highest-paid athlete

In 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo was named the third highest-paid athlete by Sportico, earning $120 million.

2022: Ronaldo named third highest-paid athlete

In 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo was named the third highest-paid athlete by Sportico, earning $115 million.

2023: Ronaldo confirms the origin of "siu"

In 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed in an interview that the phrase "siu" is derived from the Portuguese word sim, meaning yes, which he has been using for almost a decade, explaining it simply means 'yes, but meaning it very strongly'.

2023: Forbes ranks Ronaldo as the highest-paid athlete

In 2023, Forbes ranked Cristiano Ronaldo as the highest-paid athlete in the world with $275 million.

2023: Lisbon City Council approves awarding Ronaldo the Medal of Honor

In 2023, the Lisbon City Council approved awarding Cristiano Ronaldo the Medal of Honor of the City, recognizing his passion for Lisbon.

August 2024: Launch of UR·Cristiano YouTube Channel

On August 21, 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel, UR·Cristiano, which became the fastest to reach various subscriber milestones, including 1 million subscribers in 90 minutes, and became the most subscribed channel in Portugal.