Cristiano Ronaldo's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Cristiano Ronaldo.

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.

May 2004: FA Cup Final Victory

On 15 May 2004, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal in United's 3–0 win over Millwall in the 2004 FA Cup Final.

2004: Strong Performance and League Cup Win

At the start of 2005, Cristiano Ronaldo played two of his best matches of the 2004–05 season against Aston Villa and Arsenal. He also won the Football League Cup after scoring in the final.

2005: Strong Performance and League Cup Win

At the start of 2005, Cristiano Ronaldo played two of his best matches of the 2004–05 season against Aston Villa and Arsenal. He also won the Football League Cup after scoring in the final.

2007: First Ballon d'Or

In 2007–08 season, Cristiano Ronaldo earned him his first Ballon d'Or at age 23.

2007: Personal Awards and Ballon d'Or Runner-Up

In the 2006–07 season, Cristiano Ronaldo won multiple personal awards, including PFA Player's Player, Fans' Player, Young Player of the Year awards, and FWA Footballer of the Year award, and was runner-up for the 2007 Ballon d'Or.

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.

2010: Given No. 7 and Copa del Rey Win

In 2010, Cristiano Ronaldo was given the No. 7 jersey following Raúl's departure. During the 2010-11 season, he scored 53 goals, helping Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey against Barcelona in El Clásico, marking his first trophy with the club. He also became the first player in La Liga to score 40 goals and won the European Golden Shoe for a second time.

2011: Runner-up in FIFA Ballon d'Or

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. Ronaldo finished as runner-up to Lionel Messi in the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or.

2011: Record-Breaking La Liga Season

In the 2011–12 season, Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid achieve a record-breaking La Liga season, reaching 100 points.

March 2012: 100th League Goal for Madrid

On March 24, 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th league goal for Real Madrid in a 5–1 win over Real Sociedad. This achievement broke the previous club record held by Ferenc Puskás.

2012: Named in the Team of the Tournament at Euro 2012

At Euro 2012, Cristiano Ronaldo was named in the team of the tournament.

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.

2012: Real Madrid Wins La Liga Title

Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win their first La Liga title since 2012 and finished the 2016-2017 season with 42 goals in all competitions.

2012: Captained Madrid for the First Time

Following the 2012-13 winter break, Cristiano Ronaldo captained Real Madrid for the first time in an official match. He scored twice to help Madrid secure a 4–3 win over Real Sociedad on January 6, 2013. Later in 2012, on January 30, Ronaldo also became the first non-Spanish player in 60 years to captain Madrid in El Clasico, marking his 500th club appearance.

2013: Ballon d'Or Win

In 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo won Ballon d'Or.

2013: Wins FIFA Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year

In the 2013-14 season, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 69 goals. During 2013, he won the FIFA Ballon d'Or, and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, marking the first time he received this career award.

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.

2014: Wins 2014 Ballon d'Or and FIFA Club World Cup

During the 2014–15 season, Cristiano Ronaldo achieved a new personal best of 61 goals. 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, Madrid finished in second place in La Liga and exited at the semi-final stage in the Champions League.

2014: Champions League Win

In 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win the Champions League.

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.

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

On September 12, 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo became Real Madrid's all-time top scorer with 230 goals in 203 matches, surpassing Raúl. Ronaldo also became the all-time top scorer in the Champions League with a hat-trick against Shakhtar Donetsk.

2015: UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year

In 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo was named in the UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year.

2015: Ronaldo named world's most charitable sportsperson

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.

2016: Equals Goalscoring Record

At the close of the year 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 54 goals in all competitions for Al-Nassr and Portugal, reaching the same goalscoring record as in 2016.

2016: First Player to Reach 100 Goals in UEFA Club Competition

During the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern in April, Cristiano Ronaldo made history by becoming the first player to reach 100 goals in UEFA club competition. On May 17, 2016, Ronaldo also overtook Jimmy Greaves as the all-time top scorer in the top five European leagues, scoring twice against Celta de Vigo.

2016: Led Portugal to First Major Tournament Title at Euro 2016

In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to their first major tournament title at Euro 2016.

2016: Ballon d'Or Win

In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo won Ballon d'Or.

2016: Wins 2016 Ballon d'Or and The Best FIFA Men's Player

In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2016 Ballon d'Or, his fourth, and the inaugural 2016 The Best FIFA Men's Player. This was largely due to his success with Portugal in winning Euro 2016.

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.

2016: UEFA Euro 2016 Victory and Ballon d'Or

In 2016, Ronaldo led Portugal to their first-ever trophy at the UEFA Euro 2016, although he was subbed off in the 25th minute in the final against hosts France. He received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer, which gave him his fourth Ballon d'Or later that year. Portugal qualified and made its only appearance in the FIFA Confederations Cup held in Russia, where they finished in third place.

2017: Ballon d'Or Win

In 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo won Ballon d'Or.

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.

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.

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: Wins Supercoppa Italiana with Juventus

On January 16, 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo won his first trophy with Juventus, the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana, after scoring the only goal from a header against AC Milan. In 2018, Ronaldo cited his need for a new challenge as his rationale for departing Madrid.

January 2019: Wins 2018 Supercoppa Italiana

On January 16, 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo won his first trophy with Juventus, the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana, after scoring the only goal from a header against AC Milan.

July 2019: Las Vegas Prosecutors Decline to Charge Ronaldo

In July 2019, Las Vegas prosecutors announced they would not charge Ronaldo over allegations of rape, citing that the allegations could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

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: UEFA Nations League Win

In 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo won the UEFA Nations League.

2019: ESPN names Ronaldo world's most famous athlete

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

January 2020: First Serie A Hat-Trick

On January 6, 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. In 2020, he also reached several milestones in Juventus's 3–0 Champions League group stage win over Bayer Leverkusen including breaking Iker Casillas' record for most Champions League wins of all time.

2020: Golden Boot at Euro 2020

In 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo received the Golden Boot as the top scorer of Euro 2020.

2020: Ballon d'Or Dream Team

In 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo was named in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.

March 2021: Scored in 600th League Match

On March 2, 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal in a 3–0 win over Spezia in his 600th league match, becoming the first player to score at least 20 goals in 12 consecutive seasons in the top five leagues of Europe.

October 2021: Lawsuit Dismissal Recommended

In October 2021, federal magistrate judge Daniel Albregts recommended that the lawsuit be dismissed, citing that the woman's lawyer acted in bad faith by using Football Leaks documents, and that no evidence was found of Ronaldo's lawyers having intimidated the woman.

2021: FIFA Special Award

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

2021: Ronaldo named third highest-paid athlete

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

February 2022: Scored First Goal of the Year

After struggling with his teammates and interim manager for two months, on February 15, 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo scored in Manchester United's 2–0 win at home versus Brighton & Hove Albion, marking his first goal of the new year.

June 2022: Rape Lawsuit Dismissed

In June 2022, the woman's rape lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. District judge Jennifer A. Dorsey ruled that the lawyer's repeated use of "cyber-hacked attorney–client privileged documents" represented "abuses and flagrant circumvention of the proper litigation process".

2022: Ronaldo named third highest-paid athlete

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

2023: Top Scorer in All Competitions

In 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 54 goals in all competitions for Al-Nassr and Portugal, making him the outright top scorer.

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.

May 2024: Breaks Saudi Pro League Scoring Record

On May 27, 2024, in Al-Nassr's 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, the English, Spanish, Italian and Saudi leagues. On 31 May, in a 5–4 penalty shoot-out defeat to Al-Hilal in the 2024 King Cup final following a 1–1 draw after extra-time (in which he scored his side's second spot kick), he equalled Rogério Ceni's record for most top-level matches by a male professional footballer (1,225).

2024: UEFA Award

In 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Champions League All-Time Top Scorer by UEFA.

2024: Ronaldo named highest-paid athlete of 2024

In 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo was named the highest-paid athlete by Sportico, earning $260 million.

June 2025: Wins Second UEFA Nations League Title

On June 8, 2025, Ronaldo won his second UEFA Nations League title, helping Portugal defeat Spain in the final, scoring 8 goals in 9 games in the tournament.