January 8, 2024
After more than 20 years playing at the highest level possible, Ronaldo has managed to earn multiple trophies and individual awards like few in the sport have ever done...
Any novice soccer fan knows the name Cristiano Ronaldo. Regarded as one of the greatest players — if not the greatest — of all time, the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus superstar is a household name. Like Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, and Lewis Hamilton, Cristiano Ronaldo is such a global star that even non-soccer fans know his name. However, what sets him apart is his unmatched collection of trophies and titles. Today, we'll look at Ronaldo's career and his continually growing collection of awards and championships.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Goals and skills in 2023:
Aside from maybe Lionel Messi, you will not find a soccer player with more individual awards than Ronaldo. Only Messi has more Ballon d'Or trophies than Ronaldo, the most prestigious individual award in soccer. He won his first in 2008 and went on a run in the 2010s, including wins in 2013-14 and 2016-17. No European player has more Ballon d'Or trophies than the Portugal native, and only Ronaldo and Messi even have more than three.
Over nearly two decades on the pitch, Ronaldo has scored over 800 goals and is the all-time leader in international goals at 128 and the all-time leading UEFA Champions League scorer at 140. Predicting football outcomes is difficult, but it doesn't get easier than predicting a Cristiano Ronaldo goal. Ronaldo averages 0.72 goals per game, an astounding number for a player who has made over 1200 career appearances. The 38-year-old holds the Champions League records for appearances (183) and assists (42), along with his goals record. He also holds the records for goals in the European Championship (14) and international appearances (205) and is one of just five players to play in at least 1200 games.
Along with his five Ballon d'Or awards, he also has three Best FIFA Men's Player awards, each won in 2008, 2016, and 2017, with a record four UEFA Best Player in Europe awards. He won the European Golden Shoes four times — the most by any European player ever. He has also won the Footballer of the Year Award 14 times — twice in England, twice in Italy, and a whopping 10 times in Portugal. His numbers are a reason why many regard him as the greatest ever. However, his accolades pale in comparison to his league trophies, specifically in his time with Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Ronaldo began his senior career with Sporting CP, making two appearances with Sporting B in the 2002-03 season. He debuted on August 14, 2002, at just 17 years old. Nearly a year later, then-18-year-old Ronaldo moved to Manchester United, debuting in the 2003-04 season. He wore the number 7, which had previously been worn by David Beckham. Between 2003 and 2009, Ronaldo made 196 appearances for United, scoring 84 goals. In his final three seasons, Ronaldo won the Premier League with United, including three consecutive seasons as the club's player of the year.
During his time with Manchester United, he also won the English Cup twice, the Champions League, the English Super Cup, and the English FA Cup. He won the UEFA Best Player in Europe, Best FIFA Men's Player, and the first of his Ballon d'Or trophies in 2008, a season that saw him score an at-the-time career-high 42 goals. However, his time in England came to a tumultuous end. Several incidents, including one with Wayne Rooney at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, led to friction and a transfer request in 2006. That ultimately didn't happen, but he left for La Liga three years later, and his success had only just begun.
Ahead of the 2009-10 season, Ronaldo transferred to Real Madrid for a record transfer fee of £80 million. Ronaldo's time with Madrid set his career apart, and it started with a bang, scoring in each of his first four league games. No Madrid player had ever accomplished that feat. While with Madrid, Ronaldo twice defended his Ballon d'Or trophy, first in 2013 and 2014 and then again in 2016 and 2017. During this time, he was widely regarded as the greatest soccer player in the world.
In 438 games, Ronaldo scored an unmatched 450 goals, averaging over a goal per game. This included his 2014-15 season that saw him achieve a career-high 61 goals that still stands today. During that time, Real Madrid won La Liga twice and never finished lower than 3rd. He also won the Champions League four times, the UEFA Super Cup three times, and the FIFA Club World Cup three times.
Ronaldo is the most accomplished player in Real Madrid history, finishing his time as the all-time leading goal scorer at 450 despite ranking outside the top 10 in appearances. The next closest player to Ronaldo in terms of goal-scoring is Karim Benzema, who scored 354 goals in 648 appearances. For those doing the math, that means Ronaldo has a near 100-goal lead.
While he's known most for his time with Manchester United and Real Madrid, Ronaldo has also spent time with Juventus and Al Nassr. Despite never winning a World Cup, he is also the most decorated player in Portugal's national team history. He will likely get one more shot at that coveted World Cup, which would cement his status as maybe the greatest soccer player of all time.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on February 12 for the AFC Asian Champions League, against Al Feiha. You can watch Al Feiha vs Al Nassr, Middlesbrough vs Chelsea, Barcelona vs Osasuna, Wigan vs Manchester United, Liverpool vs Fulham and Lazio vs AS Roma, all matches provided from our soccer live game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Feiha vs Al Nassr kick-off time (12-02-2023):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 01:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 22:30
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+2: 20:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 19:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 18:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 15:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 14:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 11:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / si.com / marca.com
