From having a superhero-like physique, to collecting football’s most prestigious trophies, to dating the most sought-after women around the world, Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be pretty consistent in giving men everywhere ammo to hate on him.
In all seriousness, though, the man is a gift to the sport. He displays consistency, greatness, and countless commendable traits that an athlete should have.
Read on below and see 10 memorable moments from his illustrious career.
Let’s first go all the way back to his genesis in the team where he first etched his place in the sport. It was in August 16, 2003, when the then-19-year-old Ronaldo stepped in as a sub in a match against the Bolton Wanderers and showcased glimpses of his unique abilities. He put on some moves on the defenders, and helped United race to a 4-0 win.
9. Scoring his first Hat-Trick for Real Madrid
It was in May 5, 2010, almost a year into joining Real Madrid. He and the team toyed with Mallorca that night for an easy 3-1 victory.
As of this writing, he has tallied 40 hat-tricks for Real.
8. Becoming the Captain of Portugal’s National Team
In any sport, one requirement of being a true great, aside from skills and production, is having leadership qualities. Ronaldo certainly had that, as he got the nod to become Portugal’s captain at a tender age of 23. He took over from the well-loved Nuno Gomes.
7. Becoming the highest-paid man in football
The football world went into a frenzy in early 2009 when Manchester United basically confirmed that there will be a Ronaldo sweepstakes.
A few clubs became a part of the rumor mill, but it ended when the star footballer and Real Madrid finally made the splash. The two parties agreed to a then-World Transfer fee record of £80 million ($132 million).
With his signature jersey number 7 already taken, the team awarded him the number 9, which was worn by football all-timer Albert Di Stefano.
6. Winning his first Premier League title
It was in the 2006-07 season when the rise of Ronaldo simply couldn’t be stopped. He finished the campaign with 17 goals and spearheaded Manchester United’s jump to the top of the standings, wherein they were ahead of second-place Chelsea by six points.
5. Winning his first Champions League title
This was in 2008, just one year after his Premiere League reign. Though it was a hot-and-cold afternoon for Ronaldo – he scored the opening goal and then missed a spot kick in the penalty shootout – United still came out victorious and voted the team’s superstar to be the Fans’ Man of the Match.
It, again, came at the expense of Chelsea.
4. Sweeping the English 2008 Honours
2008 was the beginning of his ultimate peak, and garnering all of the possible English honours for the year made it quite evident. He rightfully bagged the FWA Player of the Year, PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Barclays Player of the Year.
3. Accepting the bust
Sculptor Emanuel Santos was probably under a lot of stress when he made this one. This was obviously not his best work.
To be fair, though, Ronaldo would probably look like the bust if he took a solid football to the face.
2. Helping Real Madrid capture La Decima
Winning this title did a lot of things. Along with cementing Ronaldo’s legacy in the football world, it also ended Real’s 12-year championship drought.
He scored a record 17 goals en route to climbing La Decima: Real Madrid’s quest for a 10th European Cup title.
1. Carrying Portugal into the 2014 World Cup
Ronaldo was a one-man wrecking crew in their matches prior to the World Cup final. This was one of those moments where you just marvel at seeing a player push his team forward all by himself, as he scored all of Portugal’s four goals in the series against Sweden, including a hat-trick in the second leg.
There was a bunch of intriguing storylines in the sport at that time, but those performances made Ronaldo and Portugal garner much of the spotlight.
