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 players ever. He currently captains both Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team as a forward. His achievements include five Ballon d'Or awards, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes. Ronaldo has secured 33 trophies, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, and one UEFA European Championship. He holds records for most Champions League goals (140) and assists (42), European Championship goals (14) and assists (8), and international appearances (219) and goals (136). Surpassing 900 official senior career goals, Ronaldo stands as the top goalscorer of all time.

Sections (7)

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

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 Shirt

In 2008, Cristiano 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, Cristiano Ronaldo became the fourth footballer to be represented as a waxwork at Madame Tussauds London.

2010: Ranked Among Decade's Highest-Paid Athletes

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 Comments on Messi Rivalry

In 2012, Ronaldo discussed his rivalry with Lionel Messi, stating that they push each other in competition, contributing to the high level of competition. He also mentioned that while they don't have a personal relationship outside of football, he hopes they can laugh about the rivalry in the future.

December 2013: Museu CR7 Opening

In December 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo opened Museu CR7, a museum 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: Waxwork at Madrid Wax Museum

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

2013: Forbes Ranking as Highest-Paid Footballer

In 2013, Forbes ranked Cristiano 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.

January 2014: 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, to recognize his contributions as a global symbol of Portugal.

May 2014: Most Marketable Football Player

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

December 2014: Bronze Statue Unveiled in Funchal

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

2014: Forbes Ranking as Highest-Paid Footballer

In 2013, Forbes ranked Cristiano 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.

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: Inclusion 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 led by David Sobral from Lisbon and Leiden discovered a galaxy which they named Cosmos Redshift 7 (CR7) in tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo.

2015: Second Best-Selling Football Shirt Worldwide

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

2015: Best Portuguese Player of All Time

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

2015: First Footballer to Top Forbes List

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

June 2016: Sponsors Earn Millions in Media Value

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

July 2016: Madeira Airport Renamed

On July 23, 2016, Madeira Airport in Funchal was renamed Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport following Portugal's triumph at Euro 2016. The name change was met with some local debate.

2016: First Footballer to Top Forbes List

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

2016: World's Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

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

2016: Named World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN

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

March 2017: Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport Unveiling

On March 29, 2017, the rebranded Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport was unveiled, which included a bust of his head. The bust and the name change were met with controversy due to the bust's lack of likeness to Ronaldo.

June 2017: Sponsors Earn Millions in Media Value

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

2017: World's Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

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

2017: Named World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN

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

June 2018: New Bust Commissioned

In June 2018, after the initial bust of Cristiano Ronaldo at the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport was heavily criticized, sports website Bleacher Report commissioned sculptor Emanuel Santos to create another bust; however, this bust was never used and a new one was made by a Spanish sculptor, shown to the public on June 15, 2018.

2018: Named World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN

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

2018: Ranking

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

August 2019: Ronaldo and Messi Interview at UEFA Awards

In August 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were interviewed together before the announcement of the UEFA Men's Player of the Year. Ronaldo stated that they pushed each other and it's good to be part of football history.

2019: Ranked Among Decade's Highest-Paid Athletes

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: World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN

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

September 2020: Sporting CP's Football Academy Renamed

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

February 2021: 500 Million Social Media Followers

By February 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed 500 million total followers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, becoming the first person to reach this milestone.

2022: Messi Wins FIFA World Cup 2022

In 2022, after Lionel Messi led Argentina to victory in the FIFA World Cup, many football critics, commentators, and players suggested that Messi had settled the debate between the two players.

2022: Scoring at Five World Cups

In the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo became the first player to score at five World Cups.

September 2023: Ronaldo Declares Rivalry with Messi 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: World's Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes

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

2023: Signing with Al-Nassr

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

2023: 'Siuuu' Meaning Confirmed

In 2023, almost a decade after first performing the "Siuuu" celebration, Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed in an interview that the phrase is derived from the Portuguese word "sim," meaning "yes," but "meaning it very strongly".

2023: 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, recognizing his passion for the city.

August 2024: YouTube Channel Launch

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