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February 21, 2024
Ronaldo tasted success pretty much everywhere he has been at in the last two decades. The Portuguese superstar played his finest football for several top clubs in Europe and ranked his journeys on a list you can find below...
Cristiano Ronaldo will go down as one of the greatest football players of all time. He has claimed 33 major honours in his legendary career and he is bound to add to that tally before he is done. The 39-year-old's goalscoring exploits have made him a megastar, enjoying a career that most can only dream of but that's not to say it has always been smooth sailing. Cristiano Ronaldo has played for five teams over the last 22 years and while some tenures go down in history, others have been forgettable to say the least. Here's our ranking of Ronaldo's best and worst spells of his career.
Cristiano Ronaldo - The most iconic goals:
The Portuguese capital is where Ronaldo's football journey began but is also where he holds his worst goalscoring record. Having only made 31 appearances for the Lions, Ronaldo failed to make an impact and his small tally of five goals reflects that. The 2002/03 season saw Sporting finish 27 points off eventual champions Porto but it wasn't all doom and gloom.
The then 18-year-old was afforded the opportunity to showcase his skills and develop his game, showing glimpses of his unrealized potential. He was a highly-sought after talent in the summer of 2003 and eventually Sir Alex Ferguson came looking.
United fans' dream scenario became a reality in the summer of 2021, but that dream very quickly turned into a nightmare. His 19 goals from 40 appearances over the course of the 2021/22 campaign does not tell the full story as his scathing criticism of the club did few any favours. Everyone associated with the club the ire of a very unimpressed Ronaldo. Erik Ten Hag benched him for long spells in an attempt to restore his authority but the exacerbating situation off the pitch spilled over.
The club finished outside the top four, 35 points off rivals and eventual champions Manchester City. That paired with early exits from the League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League meant the season that began with so much promise ultimately ended in devastating fashion. The final blow to rub salt in the wounds was a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan that voiced his utter contempt for the state of affairs at the club. Whether Ronaldo's suggestion of standards slipping had merit or not, the relationship was irrecoverable, and they parted ways at the end of 2022. Far from the fairytale ending anyone was hoping for.
Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr was controversial to put it lightly. Having previously stated his intention to stay in Europe, he pulled a U-turn for an extraordinarily lucrative deal with the Saudis. The club acquired his services at the hefty price of £173 million a year, making him one of the best paid athletes in history. The shock move was the next step in Saudi Arabia's next step into the sporting world and for many that was a tough pill to swallow. He holds an impressive record of 39 goals from his 45 appearances for the Saudi club, but it is hardly the standard of competition you find in Europe. Also, he is yet to win a title and is currently trailing leaders Al-Hilal by seven points.
It's by no means a bad run so far but it's hardly a memorable chapter of his career either. Best bingo offers will often help you get more to bet on the games Ronaldo is playing in.
Having enjoyed an incredible run with Real Madrid, the goalscoring sensation unexpectedly took his talents to Turin in 2018. In his three seasons with the 36-time Italian champions, Ronaldo's contributions assured the club maintained its domestic domination securing two league titles, two Italian Super Cups and an Italian Cup.
While he would fall short of bringing the Champions League to the Allianz Stadium, his 101 goals and 22 assists for the Italian giants ensured this was a very successful spell that added plenty of silverware to his growing list of accomplishments, further affirming his position as one of the greatest players of this generation.
This is where Ronaldo made his name. The beginnings of his immense success were cultivated at Old Trafford as he went from relative novice to one of the greatest players to ever grace the Premier League. The Red Devils were already a force of English football, but in his last three seasons from 2006 to 2009 he took the Old Trafford side to another level. His accolades include two League Cups, an FA Cup, three Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy and even a FIFA Club World Cup win.
He was the driving force behind all of it and regardless of how his most recent tenure ended, his first spell will always have a place in the hearts of any United fan who was there to witness it.
By today's standards Ronaldo's £80 million move to Los Blancos is the greatest value transfer of all time but back in 2009 that was an unheard of sum and the then 24-year-old was under immense pressure to live up to that billing. He delivered. He achieved goalscoring feats the likes of which we may never see again, scoring 450 times in his 438 appearances. In his nine years with Madrid he won 16 major honours helping Real become the force in Europe.
Three FIFA Club World Cups, four Champions League trophies (three back-to-back), and three UEFA Super Cups to go with his four domestic trophies is an incredible accomplishment in itself. However, to be the main man in this, one of the most successful periods in the fabled club's history, is another entity entirely. He is truly a once in a lifetime talent.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on February 21 for the AFC Asian Champions League, against Al Feiha. You can watch Al Nassr vs Al Feiha, Liverpool vs Luton Town, Napoli vs Barça, AS Roma vs Feyenoord, FC Porto vs Arsenal and Rennes vs AC Milan, all matches provided from our stream live game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Nassr vs Al Feiha kick-off time (21-02-2023):
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: 13:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / npr.org / givemesport.com
