March 20, 2023
How much pressure can a football player handle? When we think of Ronaldo's career, we can easily remember some of his greatest moments on the pitch when he had all eyes on him...
Football can be cruel sometimes and not every player can handle the pressure as well as Ronaldo does. Over the years, the Portuguese superstar has won everything he could at the club level, but he also had to deal with upsets and failure every once in a while. The 38-year old player has played in the biggest stages this sport has to offer and experts believe that a player of Ronaldo's caliber performs better when pressure piles up. We went ahead and selected some of Ronaldo's most difficult games in his career...
Cristiano Ronaldo - Making decisions under pressure:
This was Ronaldo's first Champions League Final with Manchester United, and it was a tough game against a strong Chelsea team. The game went into extra time, and Ronaldo missed a penalty in the shootout, but United still managed to win 6-5. When Ronaldo missed his chance from the penalty spot, every football fan who had placed bets or had simply gambled at any unlicensed casino, had to hold their breath for a while. Despite the disappointment of missing the penalty, Ronaldo put in a solid performance and helped his team to lift the trophy.
The 2011-12 season was a tight race for the La Liga title between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two teams faced off in a crucial game at the Camp Nou, with the winner likely to take the title. Ronaldo scored the opening goal of the game and helped his side ending Barcelona's title hopes for that season, as the Merengues beat their rivals 2-1 on that night...
This was Ronaldo's second Champions League Final with Real Madrid and it was a tough game against a resilient Atletico Madrid side. The game went into extra time, and Ronaldo scored the winning penalty to secure Real Madrid's 11th European Cup. It was a dramatic end to a grueling game, and Ronaldo's coolness under pressure proved decisive.
In the 2018 World Cup, Portugal faced a strong Uruguay side in the last 16. Ronaldo was Portugal's talisman, but he struggled to make an impact in the game as Uruguay won 2-1. Ronaldo's disappointment was clear to see, but he still finished the tournament as its top scorer with four goals.
Ronaldo's return to Manchester in 2021 was a big story, but his Juventus side faced a tough challenge in the Champions League Round of 16 against Porto a few months before the move. After losing the first leg 2-1, Juventus needed a big performance from Ronaldo in the second leg.
He scored two goals to take the game into extra time, but Juventus eventually lost on away goals. It was a bitter disappointment for Ronaldo and Juventus, and it showed just how difficult the Champions League can be.
Ronaldo has faced many tough challenges throughout his career, but he has always risen to the occasion. From Champions League finals to World Cup knockout games, he has shown that he is one of the greatest football players of all time...
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Portugal in the European Qualifiers is on March 23, against Liechtenstein. You can watch Portugal vs Liechtenstein, Argentina vs Panama, Spain vs Norway, Italy vs England, France vs Netherlands and Sweden vs Belgium, all matches provided from our football streaming game pages.
Portugal next game:
Portugal vs Liechtenstein kick-off time (23-03-2023):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 03:45
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 01:15
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+3: 22:45
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+1: 20:45
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 20:45
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 19:45
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 16:45
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-5: 14:45
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-8: 11:45
Sources: ronaldo7.net / besoccer.com / firstpost.com
