October 26, 2024
There have been many great players football over the years, but none comes close to Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to analyze the impact he had in the game. The Portuguese legend defied all the odds and became one of the greatest athletes of all-time...
After scoring a late winner for his club Al-Nassr (much to the delight of users of the GGBet Betting site), it's quite staggering that Cristiano Ronaldo is continuing to do the business after so long. Impressing as a child on the Portuguese island of Madeira, it's been quite the journey for Cristiano Ronaldo that's seen him win numerous accolades, change the world of football, and even change the world of sports. Here are 7 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is one of the greatest athletes of the 21st Century...
Cristiano Ronaldo - Alibi:
CR7 was seen as a talent early on which saw him leave the island of Madeira for mainland Portugal where he plied his trade with giants Sporting Lisbon. After playing just twice for the Sporting Lisbon B Team, he was quickly catapulted into the first team with Sporting which saw him turn out 25 times and score 3 times in his first season in the Liga Portugal. Heads were turned, and Alex Ferguson of Manchester United was the first to snap up the mercurial talent.
Three consecutive Premier League titles, a Champions League, and a Club World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo was voted as the world's best player (Ballon d'Or) at the age of just 23. We all know what happened then, having proved himself in England's Premier League, he went on to have an incredible career with Spanish giants Real Madrid in La Liga. Four consecutive Champions Leagues later and a few more Ballon d'Ors for his troubles, Ronaldo was regularly argued as being the world's finest footballer. In 2018 Ronaldo headed to Italy, where he signed for Juventus, winning two Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana titles, and a Coppa Italia trophy.
Ronaldo would return to his beloved Manchester United where he finished the season as the club's top scorer once again, before heading to the Saudi League in 2023 with Al Nassr. And guess what? He's still scoring a ton of goals and adding yet more titles to his busting trophy cabinet such as the Arab Club Champions Cup!
Ronaldo is Portugal's most-capped male player. He broke the world transfer record at the time when Real Madrid signed him for 94 million euros, he was the most expensive ever transfer for an Italian club when he went to Juventus, and in 2020, he broke the record for most international goals scored in men's football. Just last year he became the most capped international men’s footballer and he's still not done. Wherever Ronaldo has gone, records have been shattered.
At 39 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo is still playing in the top division of men's professional football. He's even still turning out for his international side and whenever people start to predict his demise, he once again produces something to prove the doubters wrong. Ronaldo's game is certainly different than it was when he was 23, but he continues to do great things and his recent last-minute goal proves there’s life in him yet. Ronaldo insisted in a recent interview that he currently has no plans to retire and the fact that he's continuing to play at a high level at such an age only inspires him to go further.
Disciples of Lionel Messi may argue that Ronaldo is not the best footballer of his generation and whilst such a claim may be subject to opinion, it is undoubtful that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the world’s most famous and influential athletes. He's been built out of wax, and bronze, and featured in a plethora of public art pieces. He's been documented in TV documentaries, and books, and in 2012, SportsPro rated him as the fifth most marketable athlete in 2012. Time Magazine named him as one of the world's most influential people and a quick look at his 500 million social media followers cements Ronaldo's legacy not only as a footballer but as one of the most influential athletes in living memory.
"There have been a few players described as 'the new George Best' over the years, but this is the first time it's been a compliment to me." That's what Manchester United legend George Best said about an 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo. Welsh wizard Ryan Giggs says that when Ronaldo gets the ball, you can just leave it to him whilst he beats player after player, and Portuguese superstar veteran Luis Figo was quoted as saying that Ronaldo can do things with a football that makes him touch his head and wonder how on earth he did it. Across the footballing world, former teammates and well-regarded pundits have always endorsed Ronaldo as one of the best.
Premier League titles, Champions League titles, La Liga, Serie A and countless Ballon d’Ors, Cristiano Ronaldo has more silverware than many professionals would dream of accumulating across multiple careers. For years people claimed that he had not made any progress with his national side, but a silver medal in Euro 2004, followed up with the long-awaited trophy at Euro 2016 is not to be sniffed at. Ronaldo has won it all...
Cristiano Ronaldo was so influential that he changed football. His consistency has been unmatched with only Lionel Messi coming close. Ronaldo changed football with his relentless professionalism and dedication to the sport that put him so far ahead of other players that it's difficult to see how many will get close to the career that he's had.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on October 29, against Al Taawon for the King's Cup. You can watch Al Nassr vs Al Taawon, Crystal Palace vs Tottenham, Chelsea vs Newcastle, West Ham vs Manchester United, Arsenal vs Liverpool and Inter vs Juventus, all matches provided from our live soccer game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Nassr vs Al Taawon kick-off time (29-10-2024):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 00:30
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 22:00
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+3: 19:30
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 18:30
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 17:30
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 13:30
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-3: 13:30
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-6: 10:30
Sources: ronaldo7.net / skysports.com / sportspromedia.com
