Cristiano Ronaldo's Success and Achievements in Timeline

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

Cristiano Ronaldo, known as CR7, is a Portuguese professional footballer widely considered one of the greatest. He captains both Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team. His numerous accolades include five Ballon d'Ors, a record three UEFA Men's Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes. He has won 34 trophies, including five UEFA Champions Leagues and the UEFA European Championship. Ronaldo holds records for most Champions League goals (140) and assists (42), European Championship goals (14) and assists (8), and most international appearances (226) and goals (143). He's the only player to score 100+ goals with four different clubs. With over 1,300 professional appearances and 960+ goals, he is the all-time top goalscorer.

Sections (7)

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

1968: Winner of the Ballon d'Or

In 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo became United's first Ballon d'Or winner since Best in 1968

May 2004: FA Cup Final Victory

On 15 May 2004, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal in a victory against Aston Villa and received his first red card. He later scored the opening goal in United's 3-0 win over Millwall in the 2004 FA Cup Final.

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

In 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo amassed numerous personal awards, including PFA and FWA honors, was named runner-up for the 2007 Ballon d'Or, and came third in the running for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year award.

2007: First Ballon d'Or

In 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo earned his first Ballon d'Or at age 23 after his performance in the 2007-08 season.

2008: First Ballon d'Or

In 2008, Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or by a record-high vote count at age 23.

2010: Ranked Second Highest-Paid Athlete

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

2010: 2010 Settlement

In 2010, a settlement between Cristiano Ronaldo and his accuser was made in 2010.

2011: Record-Breaking La Liga Season

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

2012: Named in Euro Team of the Tournament

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

2012: Entered Forbes Top 10

In 2012, Ronaldo entered Forbes' top 10 highest-paid athletes list since the ranking's inception.

2012: UEFA Euro 2012

In UEFA Euro 2012, Ronaldo was joint top scorer with three goals, enough for him to be included in the team of the tournament.

2013: Ballon d'Or win

In 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or.

January 2014: Raised to 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.

May 2014: Most Marketable Football Player

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

2014: Champions League Win

In 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo was at the forefront of Real Madrid's Champions League win.

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: Named Among the 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: 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, Ronaldo was named the world's most charitable sportsperson after donating £5 million to relief efforts after the earthquake in Nepal.

2016: Leads Portugal to Euro Victory

In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to their first major tournament title at Euro 2016 and was named in the team of the tournament for the third time.

2016: Ballon d'Or win

In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo won another Ballon d'Or.

2016: Most Famous Athlete

In 2016, ESPN named Cristiano Ronaldo the world's most famous athlete, a title he held until 2019.

2016: Named World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN

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

2016: Forbes' Highest-Paid Athlete

In 2016, Forbes ranked Ronaldo as the highest-paid athlete in the world, with earnings of $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.

2016: Goalscoring Record

In 2016, Ronaldo reached the same goalscoring record as in 2023.

2017: Ballon d'Or win

In 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo secured another Ballon d'Or.

2017: Named World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN

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

2017: Forbes' Highest-Paid Athlete

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

2018: Named World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN

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

2018: Most Influential Person in Sports Culture

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

2018: 2018 World Cup Hat-trick and Record

In the 2018 World Cup, Ronaldo became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match, in a 3–3 draw against Spain. In the following match, Ronaldo scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Morocco, breaking Puskás' record as the highest European goalscorer of all time, with 85 international goals.

2018: Won the 2018 Supercoppa Italiana

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

January 2019: Won first trophy with Juventus

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

July 2019: Las Vegas Prosecutors Decline to Charge Ronaldo

In July 2019, Las Vegas prosecutors announced they would not charge Cristiano Ronaldo over rape allegations, citing insufficient evidence.

2019: Ranked Second Highest-Paid Athlete

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

2019: Named World's Most Famous Athlete by ESPN

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

2020: Ballon d'Or Dream Team

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

2020: Euro 2020 Golden Boot

In 2020, Ronaldo received the Golden Boot as top scorer of Euro 2020. Ronaldo also became the first player to score at five European Championships.

June 2021: Breaks Men's Goalscoring Record

On 23 June 2021, Ronaldo scored two goals in the Euro 2020 match against France, breaking the men's goalscoring record previously held by Ali Daei.

October 2021: Lawsuit Dismissal Recommendation

In October 2021, federal magistrate judge Daniel Albregts recommended that the lawsuit against Cristiano Ronaldo be dismissed due to the woman's lawyer's unethical use of Football Leaks documents.

2021: FIFA Achievement Award

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

2021: Sportico's Third Highest-Paid Athlete

In 2021, Sportico named Ronaldo the third highest-paid athlete, with earnings of $120 million.

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, due to the lawyer's unethical use of privileged documents.

2022: Sportico's Third Highest-Paid Athlete

In 2022, Sportico named Ronaldo the third highest-paid athlete, with earnings of $115 million.

2022: First Player to Score at Five World Cups

In the 2022 World Cup, on 24 November, Ronaldo became the first player to score at five World Cups, netting a penalty against Ghana.

March 2023: Most Capped Male Footballer of All Time

On 23 March 2023, Ronaldo scored a brace against Liechtenstein as he earned his 197th overall cap to become the most capped male footballer of all time.

2023: Forbes' Highest-Paid Athlete

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

2023: Top Scorer in 2023

In 2023, 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: Awarded Medal of Honor of the City

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 Goal Record

On 27 May 2024, 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.

2024: UEFA Award for Top Scorer

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

2024: League's Top Scorer for a Second Time

In 2024, Ronaldo finished the 2024–25 season with 25 league goals, becoming the league's top scorer for a second consecutive time.

2024: Sportico's Highest-Paid Athlete

In 2024, Sportico named Ronaldo the highest-paid athlete, with earnings of $260 million.

2024: First Player to Feature in Six European Championships

In Portugal's UEFA Euro 2024 opener against the Czech Republic, Ronaldo became the first player to feature in six European Championships, having previously been the first player to appear in five.

June 2025: Second Nations League Title

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

2025: Forbes' Highest-Paid Athlete

In 2025, Forbes ranked Ronaldo as the highest-paid athlete in the world, with earnings of $275 million.

2026: Record Goals in World Cup Qualifying

On 14 October, in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Ronaldo scored twice in a 2–2 draw against Hungary , reaching a record 41 goals in World Cup qualifying.