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 called CR7, is a Portuguese professional footballer renowned as one of the greatest of all time. He currently plays for Al-Nassr and captains the Portugal national team. He boasts numerous individual awards, including five Ballon d'Or titles, record-setting UEFA Men's Player of the Year awards, and four European Golden Shoes. His trophy cabinet includes seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, and a UEFA European Championship. Ronaldo holds Champions League records for goals (140) and assists (42) and European Championship records for goals (14) and assists (8), and international records for appearances (221) and goals (138). Having made over 1,200 career appearances, he's the outfield player with the most appearances, and his over 900 official senior career goals make him the all-time top goalscorer.

Sections (7)

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

1968: First Ballon d'Or winner since Best in 1968

In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or, becoming Manchester United's first Ballon d'Or winner since Best in 1968.

2007: C.D. Nacional Renames Youth Campus

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

2008: Best-Selling Premier League Sports Product

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

June 2010: Waxwork at Madame Tussauds London

In June 2010, Ronaldo was represented as a waxwork at Madame Tussauds London, making him the fourth footballer to receive this honor.

2010: Ronaldo's Earnings from 2010 to 2019

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

November 2012: Personalised Nike Mercurial Vapor CR7 Edition

Since November 2012, Ronaldo has worn the Nike Mercurial Vapor personalised CR7 edition football boots, as part of his many sponsorship deals for consumer products.

December 2013: Opening of Museu CR7

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

December 2013: Waxwork at the Madrid Wax Museum

In December 2013, another waxwork of Ronaldo was presented at the Madrid Wax Museum, adding to his iconic representations.

2013: Adapting his play

From 2013 onwards, under manager Carlo Ancelotti, Cristiano 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: Forbes Ranking as Highest-Paid Football Player

In 2013, Forbes ranked Ronaldo first on its list of the world's highest-paid football players, with a combined income of $73 million from salaries, bonuses, and endorsements in 2013–14.

2013: Eighth Most Marketable Athlete

In 2013, SportsPro rated Ronaldo the eighth most marketable athlete.

2013: The Iconic "Siu" Celebration

Since 2013, Ronaldo's trademark "Siu" goal celebration, involving a storming jump, turn, and spread-eagled landing with the exclamation "Sí", has become widely imitated and iconic in football.

January 2014: Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry

In January 2014, 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 contributions to Portugal's international image.

May 2014: Most Marketable Football Player

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

December 2014: Bronze statue unveiled in Funchal

In December 2014, a bronze statue of Ronaldo, designed by Ricardo Madeira Veloso, was unveiled in Funchal, further cementing his legacy in his hometown.

2014: Forbes Ranking as Highest-Paid Football Player

In 2013-2014, Ronaldo's combined income from salaries, bonuses and endorsements was $73 million and in 2014-2015 it was $79 million, earning him the title of the world's highest-paid football player twice.

2014: Named in Time 100

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

June 2015: Galaxy Named After Ronaldo

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

2015: Forbes Ranking as Highest-Paid Football Player

In 2014-2015, Ronaldo's combined income from salaries, bonuses and endorsements was $79 million, earning him the title of the world's highest-paid football player.

2015: Best Portuguese Player of All Time

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

2015: Second Best-Selling Football Shirt 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 Substantial Media Value

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

In July 2016, following Portugal's Euro 2016 victory, Madeira Airport in Funchal was renamed Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport. This decision faced local opposition, leading to debates and a petition against the name change.

2016: Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes.

2016: ESPN Names Ronaldo World's Most Famous Athlete

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

2016: First Footballer to Top Forbes List

In 2016, Ronaldo became the first footballer to top the Forbes list of highest-earning athletes, with a total income of $88 million from his salary and endorsements in 2015–16.

March 2017: Unveiling of Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport and bust

On March 29, 2017, the rebranded Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport was unveiled, including a bust of Ronaldo's head. The bust's likeness was widely ridiculed.

June 2017: Sponsors Earn Substantial Media Value

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

2017: Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

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

2017: ESPN Names Ronaldo World's Most Famous Athlete

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

2017: Adapting his play again

Since 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo adapted his style of play yet again 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

June 2018: New Bust Presented

On June 15, 2018, a new bust of Ronaldo was shown to the public. The previous bust's likeness was widely ridiculed so Bleacher Report commissioned sculptor Emanuel Santos to create another bust, this bust was never used and a new one was made by a Spanish sculptor.

2018: ESPN Names Ronaldo World's Most Famous Athlete

In 2018, ESPN named Ronaldo the world's most famous athlete.

2018: Steve Nash compared Ronaldo to Michael Jordan

In a 2018 article for Bleacher Report, former NBA star Steve Nash compared Ronaldo to Michael Jordan: 'On the pitch, [Ronaldo's] learned how to make his play—less explosive in individual movements—more successful for the team, and in that, I see the greatness of Jordan.' In the same article, Ronaldo was ranked first in the ranking of the 50 most influential people in sports culture for 2018.

2019: Ronaldo's Earnings from 2010 to 2019

From 2010 to 2019, Ronaldo earned €720 million (£615 million) and was ranked 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 ranked the world's most famous athlete by ESPN.

2019: ESPN Names Ronaldo World's Most Famous Athlete

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

September 2020: Sporting CP's academy renamed Academia Cristiano Ronaldo

In September 2020, Sporting CP's football academy in Alcochete was renamed Academia Cristiano Ronaldo, marking another recognition of his impact on the sport.

February 2021: 500 Million Social Media Followers Milestone

By February 2021, Ronaldo became the first person to pass half a billion total followers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

2021: FIFA Award for Outstanding Career Achievement

In 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo received a special award for Outstanding Career Achievement by FIFA.

September 2023: Ronaldo Declares Rivalry with Messi is Over

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

2023: Signing for Al-Nassr

In 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Al-Nassr, a move widely credited for revolutionizing football in Saudi Arabia.

2023: Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

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

2023: Meaning of "Siuuu" Revealed

In 2023, almost a decade after he first performed the 'Siu' celebration, Ronaldo confirmed in an interview that the phrase "Siuuu" simply means yes, but "meaning it very strongly".

2023: Medal of Honor of the City awarded by Lisbon City Council

In 2023, the Lisbon City Council approved awarding Ronaldo the Medal of Honor of the City, recognizing him as "a great Lisboner" for his passion for the city.

August 2024: Fastest YouTube Channel to Reach 1 Million Subscribers

On 21 August 2024, after announcing the creation of his YouTube channel, UR Cristiano, it became the fastest to reach the 1 million subscribers milestone in 90 minutes. The channel also became the fastest to reach 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 million subscribers and became the most subscribed channel in Portugal, surpassing the Portuguese Nick Jr.