Cristiano Ronaldo's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Cristiano Ronaldo.
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.
2003: Manchester United Signing and FA Cup win
In 2003, Ronaldo began his senior career with Sporting CP, then signed with Manchester United, winning the FA Cup in his first season with the club.
May 2004: FA Cup Final Victory
On 15 May 2004, in a victory against Aston Villa, Ronaldo scored the opening goal and later received the first red card of his career. He also scored the opening goal in United's 3–0 win over Millwall in the 2004 FA Cup Final.
2004: Best Matches of the Season and Football League Cup Win
At the start of 2005, Ronaldo played two of his best matches of the 2004–05 season, producing a goal and an assist against Aston Villa and scoring twice against rivals Arsenal. Ronaldo also won the Football League Cup, after scoring the third goal in United's 4–0 final win over Wigan Athletic.
2005: Best Matches of the Season and Football League Cup Win
At the start of 2005, Ronaldo played two of his best matches of the 2004–05 season, producing a goal and an assist against Aston Villa and scoring twice against rivals Arsenal. Ronaldo also won the Football League Cup, after scoring the third goal in United's 4–0 final win over Wigan Athletic.
2006: PFA and FWA Honors
During the 2006–07 season, Cristiano Ronaldo amassed a host of personal awards for the season, winning the Professional Footballers' Association's Player's Player, Fans' Player, Young Player of the Year awards, and the Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year award.
2007: Ballon d'Or Runner-Up and FIFA World Player of the Year Third Place
In 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo was named runner-up to Kaká for the Ballon d'Or, and came third, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi, in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award.
2007: First Ballon d'Or
In the 2007-08 season, Ronaldo's performance earned him his first Ballon d'Or at age 23.
January 2008: First Hat-Trick for United
In January 2008, Ronaldo scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle United.
2008: First Ballon d'Or
Cristiano Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 by a record-high vote count at age 23.
2010: 2010 World Cup
At the 2010 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo scored only one goal but was named man of the match in all three group stage matches.
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.
2010: Given No. 7 and Copa del Rey Win
In 2010, Ronaldo was given the No. 7 for the 2010–11 season, scored 53 goals, and helped Real Madrid win the Copa del Rey against Barcelona.
2011: Runner-up Finish in FIFA Ballon d'Or
In 2011, Ronaldo scored 60 goals across all competitions, leading Real Madrid to their first league title in four years but finishing as runner-up to Lionel Messi in the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or.
2011: Record-Breaking La Liga Title Win
In the 2011-12 season, Ronaldo won a record-breaking La Liga title with Real Madrid.
March 2012: 100th League Goal for Madrid
On 24 March 2012, Ronaldo scored his 100th league goal for Real Madrid in a 5–1 win over Real Sociedad, breaking the previous club record held by Ferenc Puskás.
2012: Euro Team of the Tournament
At Euro 2012, Ronaldo was named to the team of the tournament.
2012: Champions League Top Scorer
Between 2012 and 2018, Ronaldo finished as the Champions League's top scorer for six consecutive seasons.
2012: La Liga title with Real Madrid
In the 2016-17 season, Ronaldo helped Real Madrid to win their first La Liga title since 2012.
2013: Back-to-Back Ballon d'Or Awards
In 2013 and 2014, Ronaldo won back-to-back Ballon d'Or awards.
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.
2013: FIFA Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year
In 2013, Ronaldo won the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the first time in his career after scoring 69 goals.
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.
2014: Champions League Win
From 2014 to 2018, Ronaldo was integral to Real Madrid as they won four Champions Leagues.
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: 2014 Ballon d'Or
In 2014, 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.
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.
September 2015: Real Madrid's All-Time Top Scorer
On 12 September 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo became Real Madrid's all-time top scorer against Espanyol, netting 230 goals in 203 matches.
2015: UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year
In 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo was named in the UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year.
2015: 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.
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.
2016: Back-to-Back Ballon d'Or Awards
In 2016 and 2017, Ronaldo won back-to-back Ballon d'Or awards.
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: Top Scorer Record
In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo reached the same goalscoring record as in 2023, showcasing his consistent performance.
2016: Named World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN
In 2016, ESPN named Cristiano Ronaldo the world's most famous athlete.
2016: Euro Championship Title and Silver Boot
In 2016, Ronaldo led Portugal to their first major tournament title at Euro 2016, received the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer, and was named in the team of the tournament for the third time. This achievement saw him receive his fourth Ballon d'Or.
2016: First Player to Reach 100 Goals in UEFA Club Competition
In April 2017 in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern, Ronaldo became the first player to reach 100 goals in UEFA club competition. In May 2017, he overtook Jimmy Greaves as the all-time top scorer in the top five European leagues.
2017: Back-to-Back Ballon d'Or Awards
In 2016 and 2017, Ronaldo won back-to-back Ballon d'Or awards.
2017: Named World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN
In 2017, ESPN named Cristiano Ronaldo the world's most famous athlete.
2017: The Best FIFA Men's Player and Ballon d'Or
In 2017, Ronaldo was awarded The Best FIFA Men's Player award for the second consecutive year and won the 2017 Ballon d'Or for the fifth time.
April 2018: "PlayStation goal" against Juventus
On 3 April 2018, Ronaldo scored an acrobatic bicycle kick, described as a "PlayStation goal", against Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals, earning a standing ovation from the opposing fans.
2018: 2018 World Cup Hat-trick and Record
At the 2018 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match and broke Puskás' record as the highest European goalscorer of all time.
2018: Named World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN
In 2018, ESPN named Cristiano Ronaldo the world's most famous athlete.
2018: Most Prolific World Cup Campaign
In 2018, Ronaldo had his most prolific World Cup campaign and was voted in the Fan Dream Team.
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.
January 2019: Supercoppa Italiana Win
On 16 January 2019, Ronaldo won his first trophy with Juventus, the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana, after scoring the only goal against AC Milan.
July 2019: No Charges Filed in Rape Allegation
In July 2019, Las Vegas prosecutors said they would not charge Cristiano Ronaldo over allegations of rape, stating that the allegations could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
January 2020: First Serie A Hat-Trick
On 6 January 2020, Ronaldo scored his first Serie A hat-trick in a 4–0 home win against Cagliari, becoming only the second player to score hat-tricks in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.
2020: Euro 2020 Golden Boot
In 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo received the Golden Boot as top scorer of Euro 2020 and became the first player to score at five European Championships.
2020: Ballon d'Or Dream Team
In 2020, Cristiano Ronaldo was named in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.
March 2021: 600th League Match
On 2 March 2021, Ronaldo scored 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 Recommendation
In October 2021, federal magistrate judge Daniel Albregts recommended that the rape lawsuit against Cristiano Ronaldo be dismissed, citing bad faith by the woman's lawyer.
2021: FIFA Special Award
In 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo received a special award for Outstanding Career Achievement by FIFA.
2021: Return to Manchester United and PFA Team of the Year Inclusion
In 2021, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United, and his individual performances earned him inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year at 37 years old.
February 2022: First Goal of the Year
On 15 February 2022, Ronaldo scored in United's 2–0 win at home versus Brighton & Hove Albion, his first in the new year.
June 2022: Rape Lawsuit Dismissed with Prejudice
In June 2022, the woman's rape lawsuit against Cristiano Ronaldo was dismissed with prejudice in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.
March 2023: Most Capped Male Footballer of All Time
On March 23, 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo became the most capped male footballer of all time after earning his 197th overall cap against Liechtenstein.
2023: Top Scorer
In 2023, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 54 goals in all competitions for Al-Nassr and Portugal, making him the outright top scorer, reaching the same goalscoring record as in 2016.
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.
May 2024: Breaks Saudi Pro League Scoring Record
In May 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 34th and 35th league goals of the campaign in Al-Nassr's home fixture against Al-Ittihad, 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.
2024: First Player to Feature in Six European Championships
In 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to feature in six European Championships. Later that year, he scored his 900th career goal in a 2–1 victory over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League.
2024: World's Highest-Paid Athlete by Forbes and UEFA Award
In 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes and also received the Champions League All-Time Top Scorer by UEFA.
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