Cristiano Ronaldo
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| Cristiano Ronaldo |
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro GOIH (born 5 February 1985), known as Cristiano Ronaldo , is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portugal national team. He is a forward and serves as captain for Portugal. By the age of 22, Ronaldo had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2008, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by winning the FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2013 and 2014. In September 2015, Ronaldo scored his 500th senior career goal for club and country.
Often ranked as the best player in the world and rated by some in the sport as the greatest of all time,Ronaldo is the first Portuguese footballer to win three FIFA/Ballons d'Or, and the first player to win four European Golden Shoe awards. In January 2015, Ronaldo was named the best Portuguese player of all time by the Portuguese Football Federation, during its 100th anniversary celebrations. With Manchester United and Real Madrid, he has won three Premier Leagues, one La Liga, one FA Cup, two Football League Cups, two Copas del Rey, one FA Community Shield, one Supercopa de España, two UEFA Champions Leagues, one UEFA Super Cup and two FIFA Club World Cups.
Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years, before moving to C.D. Nacional. In 1997, he moved to Sporting CP. In 2003 he signed for Manchester United for £12.2 million (€15 million). In 2004, he won his first trophy, the FA Cup. In 2007 and 2008, Ronaldo was named FWA Footballer of the Year, and was named the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year. In 2009 he won the FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year. He became the world's most expensive player when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 in a transfer worth £80 million (€94 million/$132 million). His buyout clause is valued at €1 billion.In May 2012, he became the first footballer to score against every team in a single season in La Liga.Ronaldo holds the record for most goals scored in a single UEFA Champions League season, having scored 17 goals in the 2013–14 season.In December 2014, Ronaldo became the fastest player to score 200 goals in La Liga, which he accomplished in his 178th La Liga game.He is the only player in the history of football to score 50 or more goals in a season on five consecutive occasions.In September 2015, Ronaldo became the all-time top goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League with 82 goals, and in October 2015 he became Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer.
Ronaldo made his international debut for Portugal in August 2003, at the age of 18. He has since been capped over 100 times and has participated in 6 major tournaments: three UEFA European Championships (2004, 2008 and 2012) and three FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010 and 2014). Ronaldo is the first Portuguese player to reach 50 international goals, making him Portugal's all-time top goalscorer as well as the country's top scorer in the European Championship with 6 goals. He scored his first international goal in the opening game of Euro 2004 against Greece, and helped Portugal reach the final. He took over captaincy in July 2008, and he led Portugal to the semi-finals at Euro 2012, finishing the competition as joint-top scorer in the process. In November 2014, Ronaldo became the all-time top scorer in the UEFA European Championship (including qualifying) with 23 goals. Ronaldo was born in Santo António, a neighbourhood of Funchal, Madeira, the youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, a cook, and José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener.His second given name, "Ronaldo", was chosen after then-U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who was his father's favourite actor.He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia.His great-grandmother Isabel da Piedade was from Cape Verde.
The family was staunchly Catholic. Ronaldo later claimed that he lived in poverty, sharing a room with his brother and sisters.Ronaldo was popular with other students at school, but he was expelled after he threw a chair at his teacher. Ronaldo later said of the incident, "He disrespected me".At age 14, Ronaldo agreed with his mother to focus entirely on football. He states, "When I got to 14 I felt I had the potential. I thought I was maybe good enough at that time to play semi-professionally".Ronaldo had started playing for amateur team Andorinha at age 8, where his father was the kit man.In 1995, Ronaldo, aged 10, signed with local club Nacional, and, after a title-winning campaign, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting CP, who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.
Club career
Ronaldo joined Sporting's other youth players who trained at the Academia Sporting, the club's football academy, in Alcochete. He became the only player ever to play for Sporting's under-16, under-17, under-18, B-team, and the first team, all within one season.He scored two goals in his league debut on 7 October 2002, which Sporting CP won 3–0 against Moreirense, while featuring for Portugal in the 2002 European Under-17 Championship. At the age of 15, Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart, a condition that might have forced him to give up playing football. The Sporting staff were made aware of the condition and Ronaldo's mother gave her authorisation for him to go into hospital.While there, he had an operation in which a laser was used to cauterise the area of his heart that was causing the problem. The surgery took place in the morning and Ronaldo was discharged from hospital by the end of the afternoon; he resumed training only a few days later.
In November 2002, Ronaldo was invited to Arsenal's training ground, London Colney to meet manager Arsène Wenger and his coaching staff.Wenger, who was interested in signing the midfielder, had arranged to meet Ronaldo's representatives, Formation (who suggested the player originally to Gérard Houllier, then Liverpool manager, and Joan Laporta, then Barcelona president) in the subsequent months to discuss a transfer arrangement.Of a possible move to Liverpool, Ronaldo said "Liverpool are one of the best clubs in England and it would be a dream for any player to represent a club of such traditions".However, he came to the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in the middle of 2003, when Sporting defeated United 3–1 in the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Ronaldo's performance impressed the Manchester United players, who urged Ferguson to sign him.In April 2013, Sporting honoured Ronaldo by selecting him to become the 100,000th member of the club.
Manchester United
Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player when he signed for £12.24 million before the 2003–04 season.He was given the number 7 shirt by Alex Ferguson,who said that after a friendly with Sporting, United's players "talked about him constantly, and on the plane back from the game they urged me to sign him" and that "he is one of the most exciting young players I've ever seen".Ronaldo later revealed that he had requested the number 28 (his number at Sporting), as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by United legends such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. "After I joined, the manager asked me what number I'd like. I said 28. But Ferguson said 'No, you're going to have No. 7,' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour".
Ronaldo made his team debut to a standing ovation as a 60th-minute substitute for Nicky Butt in a 4–0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers on 16 August,and produced a performance hailed by Alex Ferguson as "marvellous".His early form earned high praise from United legend George Best, who said that Ronaldo was "special",while former manager Ron Atkinson effused about his "pace and quick thinking" and how it meant United could "spring very quickly from defence into attack".
He scored his first goal for Manchester United with a free kick in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth on 1 November 2003.His only other league goals in the season all came in 2004; he scored the second in a 3–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur on 20 March,the equalising goal in a 2–1 victory away to Birmingham City on 10 April,and the opener in a 2–0 victory over Aston Villa on the final day of the season in a game in which he also received his first red card. Ronaldo also scored in the fifth round of the 2003–04 FA Cup in a 4–2 Manchester derby against Manchester City.Ronaldo ended his first season in English football by scoring the opening goal in United's 3–0 FA Cup Final victory over Millwall,with his performance receiving praise from Gary Neville who said "I think Ronaldo can be one of the top footballers in the world".
2004–06: Developing years
Ronaldo had to wait until December to score his first goal of the 2004-05 season, scoring the third in a 3–0 victory against Southampton.His second came in a 3–1 win against Aston Villa,with an assist for Paul Scholes prompting Ferguson to say that he "had his best game of the season and was a constant threat to Villa"He put in a similarly praiseworthy performance after he scored two goals against rivals Arsenal in a 4–2 win,with his finishing described as "expert" that had applied the "coup de grace" to Arsenal.His final goal of the season came in a victory over Fulham, scoring the only goal of the game from 25 yards in a game in which Ferguson hailed him as "our best player".Ronaldo scored four goals on United's run to the 2005 FA Cup Final, finding the net against Exeter City,Everton,Southampton,and Newcastle United.He played the full 120 minutes of the decisive match against Arsenal, and scored his attempt in the penalty shootout, which United lost after a goalless draw.
Ronaldo scored United's 1000th Premier League goal on 29 October 2005 in a 4–1 loss to Middlesbrough,In November, he signed a new contract which extended his previous deal by two years to 2010, and stated that staying at the club was "important for the development of my career".Ronaldo had a one-match ban imposed on him by UEFA for a "one-fingered gesture" towards Benfica fans in a UEFA Champions League match in December 2005.He was sent off in the Manchester derby at the City of Manchester Stadium on 14 January 2006 (a game which United lost 3–1) for kicking City's former United player Andy Cole.Ronaldo won his second trophy in English football in the 2005–06 season, scoring the third goal in Manchester United's 4–0 Football League Cup final victory over Wigan Athletic.He scored three braces in the 2005–06 season, scoring two goals each against Bolton Wanderers,Fulham,and Portsmouth.
In January 2006, Ronaldo was at the centre of a training ground bust-up with Ruud van Nistelrooy that eventually lead to the striker's departure from the club at the end of the season, with van Nistelrooy angry at Ronaldo's showboating style of play.The two again clashed in May, with van Nistelrooy telling Ronaldo to go and "go crying to your daddy", a pithy reference to Ronaldo's relationship with assistant manager Carlos Queiroz, leading to a brief fight.Van Nistelrooy was left on the subtitutes bench for the final game of the season against Charlton Athletic but left the stadium three hours before the game, a 4–0 win in which Ronaldo scored his ninth league goal of the season.
Ronaldo was revealed as a contender for the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Young Player of the Year award alongside teammate Wayne Rooney. Ronaldo lost out to Rooney for the PFA Young Player of the Year award on 23 April but he was however included into the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for the first time.
2007–08: Champions League success
Ronaldo's 2007–08 season began with a red card for a headbutt on Portsmouth player Richard Hughes during United's second match of the season, for which he was punished with a three-match ban.Ronaldo said he had "learned a lot" from the experience and would not let players "provoke" him in the future.
His first goal of the season came in the first game of the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League group stage, scoring a 62nd-minute header on his return to former club Sporting in a 1–0 victory on 19 September.He scored two goals against Dynamo Kyiv on 23 October in a 4—0 win,and scored in the return fixture as United qualified for the knockout stage with a 4–0 win.Ronaldo's fifth goal of the competition came in the final minute of the game of the return fixture against Sporting; with the score at 1–1, he scored a 30-yard free-kick that he described as "fabulous".
Due to the three match suspension, his first league goal didn't come until 29 September, when he scored the only goal of the game in a victory against Birmingham City.By Christmas, Ronaldo had 13 league goals, including doubles against Wigan Athletic in a 4–0 which put United top of the league,Blackburn Rovers,Fulham,and Everton, with his second coming from the penalty spot in the 88th minute in a 2–1 victory.He finished as the runner-up to Kaká for the 2007 Ballon d'Or,and was third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on 12 January 2008, bringing Manchester United up to the top of the Premier League table.He scored his twenty-third league goal of the season in a 2–0 win against Reading, equalling his entire total for the 2006–07 season.On 30 January, he scored another two goals against Portsmouth,which included a free-kick which was described as one of the greatest ever,and scored another brace in a 5–1 victory against Newcastle United on 23 February.
On 19 March 2008, Ronaldo captained United for the first time in his career in a home win over Bolton, again scoring both goals in the 2–0 victory.The second of the goals was his 33rd of the campaign, which set a new club single-season scoring record by a midfielder and thus topped George Best's forty-year-old total of 32 goals in the 1967–68 season.In the championship run in, Ronaldo scored against Middlesbrough in a 2–2 draw,an equalising retaken penalty against Arsenal in a 2–1 win a week later,and the opening two goals against West Ham United in a 4–1 victory.Ronaldo scored his final league goal of the season, a goal which put United 1–0 in front, from the penalty spot in the title decider against Wigan on 11 May before Ryan Giggs scored the second to clinch the title for United.
In the knockout stage of the Champions League against Olympique Lyonnais on 4 March, Ronaldo scored the decisive goal in the second leg which helped United advance 2–1 on aggregate,and in the Champions League quarter final, he played as a striker and scored against Roma with a header,Despite him missing a penalty in the semi-final first leg against Barcelona,United eventually advanced to the 2007–08 Champions League final via a Paul Scholes goal.In the final, which took place on 21 May against league rivals Chelsea, Ronaldo scored the opening goal after 26 minutes, which was negated by a Chelsea equaliser in the 45th minute as the match ended 1–1 after extra time. His penalty was saved in the shoot-out which put Chelsea in position to win the trophy,but Chelsea captain John Terry shot wide right after slipping on the pitch surface, and Manchester United emerged victorious 6–5 on penalties.Ronaldo was named the UEFA Fans' Man of the Match,
After scoring 31 league goals, he was awarded with the Premier League Golden Boot and the Premier League Player of the Season awards,and again won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year awards, as well as being named in the PFA Team of the Year for a third consecutive year.
Ronaldo finished the season with a career-high 42 goals in all competitions, four short of Denis Law's team-record mark of 46 in the 1963–64 season. The top scorer in the Champions League, Ronaldo was named best forward and player of the tournament.Ronaldo's 31 goal haul was rewarded with his becoming the first winger to win the 2007–08 European Golden Shoe, finishing eight points ahead of Mallorca's Dani Güiza.
2008–09: World Player of the Year and final season
In May, Manchester United chief executive David Gill and manager Alex Ferguson both stated that Ronaldo would stay at the club,while David Beckham said: "I believe he's at the right club now, a club he should stay at".However, on 5 June, Sky Sports reported that Ronaldo had expressed an interest in moving to Real Madrid if they offered him the same amount of money the team had allegedly promised him earlier in the year.Manchester United filed a tampering complaint with FIFA on 9 June over Madrid's alleged pursuit of Ronaldo, but FIFA declined to take any action.
In July, FIFA president Sepp Blatter claimed that Ronaldo should be allowed to leave, saying: "If the player wants to play somewhere else, then a solution should be found because if he stays in a club where he does not feel comfortable to play then it's not good for the player and for the club", and described the situation as "modern slavery",comments Ronaldo agreed with.The comments annoyed United manager Alex Ferguson, who said "I do not want to dignify this kind of statement with a response but when you consider the history of slavery, it was a very unfortunate statement".Speculation that a transfer would happen continued until 6 August, when Ronaldo confirmed that he would stay at United for at least another year, stating: "I will play for Manchester with all my heart and soul. I will fight and honour that shirt with the same commitment and dedication as always".When rumours surfaced again in December about a move to Real Madrid, Ferguson quipped: "Do you think I would enter into a contract with that mob? Absolutely no chance. I would not sell them a virus".
Prior to the new season, Ronaldo underwent ankle surgery in Amsterdam on 7 July,ruling him out for up to three months.He returned to action earlier than expected on 17 September in United's goalless UEFA Champions League group stage draw with Villarreal as a substitute for Park Ji-Sung,and scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 League Cup third round win over Middlesbrough on 23 September.
On 29 October, Ronaldo began to show similar form to the previous season when he scored both goals in a 2–0 victory against West Ham,and scored two goals three days later against Hull City in a 4–3 win.He again scored twice in a 5–0 win over Stoke City on 15 November 2008, with the goals being his 100th and 101st goals in all competitions for Manchester United, both coming from direct free kicks.The goals also meant that Ronaldo had now scored against each of the other 19 teams in the Premier League at the time.On 30 November, he received the third red card of his career when he was sent off for a second bookable offence against Manchester City for handball.
On 2 December, Ronaldo became Manchester United's first Ballon d'Or recipient since George Best in 1968. He finished with 446 points, 165 ahead of runner-up Lionel Messi,and said that it was "one of the most beautiful days of my life".On 18 December, Ronaldo scored in the 5–3 semi-final victory over Japanese club Gamba Osaka in the FIFA Club World Cup,and, after assisting the winning goal as United beat LDU Quito 1–0 in the final in Yokohama,was awarded the Silver Ball as the second best player in the tournament, finishing runner-up to teammate Wayne Rooney.On 12 January, he became the first Premier League player ever to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year, in addition to being the first Portuguese player to win the award since Luís Figo in 2001.
On 27 January, Ronaldo scored two goals in a 5–0 win against West Bromwich Albion,before scoring a penalty in a 1–0 win against Everton four days later.He again scored the winning goal, this time against Blackburn Rovers on 21 February with a free-kick which helped put United eight points clear at the top of the table.On 5 April, Ronaldo scored another two goals against Aston Villa, but was overshadowed by debutant Federico Macheda, who scored a last-minute winner to put United top of the league following consecutive defeats to Liverpool and Fulham.Another brace came on 25 April, as United came from 2–0 down at half-time to beat Tottenham Hotspur 5–2, with Ronaldo scoring the first from the penalty spot, as well as the crucial third goal.On 10 May, he scored his final ever goal for United in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford with a free-kick which put United 1–0 up.
On 11 March, Ronaldo scored his first Champions League goal of the season, and first since the final against Chelsea, in a 2–0 victory over Inter Milan that sent United into the quarter-finals.In the second leg against Porto on 15 April, Ronaldo scored a 40-yard game-winning goal as United advanced to the semi-finals. For this goal, Ronaldo holds the distinction of being the first player to win the FIFA Puskás Award, in 2009, an honour handed by FIFA to the best goal of the year.He later called it the best goal he had ever scored.In the semi-final second leg, Ronaldo scored two against Arsenal including a free-kick from 39.1 yards as United advanced to the Champions League final,where he made little impact in United's 2–0 loss to Barcelona.He finished with 53 appearances in all competitions, which was four higher than the previous year, but scored sixteen fewer goals (26) than his career-best total of 42 from the previous season. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for a fourth consecutive year.
On 11 June, Manchester United accepted an "unconditional" offer of £80 million from Real Madrid for Ronaldo after it was revealed that he again had expressed his desire to leave the club.It was confirmed by a representative of the Glazer family that the sale was fully condoned by Ferguson.When Ronaldo had eventually completed his transfer to Real, he expressed his gratitude towards Ferguson for helping him develop as a player, saying, "He's been my father in sport, one of the most important factors and most influential in my career".
2010–11: Breaks La Liga season goalscoring record
On 5 May 2010, Ronaldo scored his first Real Madrid hat-trick in an away game against Mallorca.Although his first season at Real Madrid ended trophyless, Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuaín scored 53 league goals during the course of the season and became Real's highest scoring league duo in their history.
With the departure of Raúl during the summer of 2010, Ronaldo was handed the number 7 shirt for Real Madrid.On 23 October 2010, Ronaldo scored four goals against Racing de Santander, the most goals he had ever scored in a single match.This completed a goalscoring run of six consecutive matches (three in La Liga, one in the Champions League, and two for Portugal) in which Ronaldo scored in each match, totalling 11 goals, which is the most Ronaldo has scored in a single month. On 20 November, Ronaldo scored his second La Liga hat-trick of the season in a 5–1 win over Athletic Bilbao.His final match of the calendar year saw him score a hat-trick in an 8–0 trashing of Levante in the Copa del Rey.
Ronaldo during a friendly game against Peñarol before the beginning of the season
Ronaldo began 2011 with a very promising outlook, especially after Real Madrid acknowledged he had broken numerous goalscoring records, previously settled and held by classic players such as Alfredo Di Stéfano, Hugo Sánchez and Manuel Alday. Ronaldo began his scoring spree by scoring two vital goals in a tight 3–2 victory away to Getafe. He then consolidated his massive performances by scoring a hat-trick and assisting Kaká in a 4–2 victory over Villarreal on 9 January.On 3 March 2011, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 7–0 trashing of Málaga, but was affected by a muscle injury at the end of the match, which forced him to spend 10 days on the sidelines.
Ronaldo against Tottenham's (and future team-mate) Gareth Bale in the UEFA Champions League
In April, he made another massive comeback from injury, sustaining a three-game scoring streak (including two goals in Champions League quarter-finals against Tottenham Hotspur), thus arriving to the first of a historical series of four El Clásico encounters two goals short of breaking his personal record of 42 goals in all competitions in a single season.
During the second league edition of El Clásico, Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot and took his tally to 41 goals, also taking his scoring streak to four games. On 20 April, Ronaldo scored the winning goal against Barcelona in the 103rd minute of the Copa del Rey final.On 7 May Ronaldo scored four goals in a 6–2 victory against Sevilla.These four goals took him to 46 for the season which surpassed his previous record of 42 in a season playing for Manchester United.Three days later he reached 49 goals for the season, by scoring another hat-trick in a 4–0 home win against Getafe.On 15 May, after scoring two free-kick goals in a 3–1 win over Villarreal, he equalled the La Liga record with most goals in a season with 38, a record previously held by Telmo Zarra and Hugo Sánchez.
On 21 May, he scored two goals in the last league match of the season against Almería, taking his Pichichi total to 41, and La Liga total to 40, becoming the only player to score 40 goals in a La Liga season.By doing this, he won the European Golden Shoe award once again, becoming the first player to win the trophy in two different leagues.The sports newspaper Marca, which awards the Pichichi Trophy, included the goal scored on 18 September 2010 against Real Sociedad in Ronaldo's goal count, which had been officially attributed to Pepe.Ronaldo also broke Zarra's record of most goals per minute, with a goal scored every 70.7 minutes. Ronaldo's record-breaking figures became a source of major attention from public media, such as being included in the Sports Illustrated World XI,rating him as one of the world's best footballers. Ronaldo ended his second season at Real Madrid with a total of 53 goals in all competitions.
2011–12: First La Liga title
On 17 August 2011, Ronaldo scored his 100th goal with Real Madrid with a first-half equaliser against Barcelona in the second leg of the 2011 Spanish Supercup in the Camp Nou. On 27 August 2011, he opened the 2011–12 La Liga season with a hat-trick in a 6–0 win at Real Zaragoza.On 24 September, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, including two penalties in Real Madrid's 6–2 win over Rayo Vallecano.This was his ninth La Liga hat-trick and tenth hat-trick for Real Madrid. On 27 September, Ronaldo scored Real's opening goal in a 3–0 victory over Ajax in the UEFA Champions League.
After not scoring in his previous three games, Ronaldo scored his tenth La Liga hat-trick in a match away to Málaga on 22 October, which Real Madrid won 4–0.His twelfth Real Madrid hat-trick followed on 6 November in a 7–1 victory over Osasuna.On 26 November 2011, Ronaldo scored two penalties in a 4–1 defeat of Atlético Madrid in the Madrid derby,and then scored another hat-trick in a 6–2 win away to Sevilla on 17 December 2011 to put Real Madrid back on top of the league.
Ronaldo was third in the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, behind Lionel Messi and Xavi, and second in the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or, behind Lionel Messi and ahead of Xavi. In Real Madrid's next game in La Liga at home to Granada, Ronaldo scored the fifth goal in a 5–1 win. On 22 January 2012, Ronaldo scored two penalties in a 4–1 win over Athletic Bilbao, and on 28 January scored Real Madrid's second goal in a 3–1 win against Real Zaragoza. Ronaldo also scored two goals against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, which Real lost 4–3 on aggregrate. On 12 February 2012, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 home win over Levante which stretched Real Madrid's lead over Barcelona to 10 points.
Ronaldo playing against CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League last 16 in February 2012
On 24 March 2012, Ronaldo reached more than 100 goals in La Liga in just three seasons at Real Madrid when he scored the first of his two goals in the match against Real Sociedad, the second quickest La Liga player to reach that milestone in the league after Isidro Lángara, reaching the milestone in 92 matches and breaking the previous club record held by Puskás.
On 11 April, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Atlético Madrid in a 4–1 win, as well as assisting the last goal. His hat-trick, one goal from a free kick, one from 30 yards on the left wing and one penalty, gave him 40 league goals in the season, making him the only player in La Liga history, or in any other major European league, to score 40 goals in two seasons. Ronaldo officially broke his previous record of 40 goals in a La Liga season on 14 April, scoring in a 3–1 win against Sporting Gijón. On 25 April, in the second leg of the semi-finals in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich, Ronaldo scored two goals, including a penalty. Extra time ended with the tie level at 3–3, and Real Madrid were eliminated in the shootout with Ronaldo's kick being saved by Manuel Neuer.
On 13 May 2012, the last matchday, Ronaldo scored against Mallorca which made him the first player ever to score against every team in a single season in La Liga. He ended his third season at Real Madrid by winning his first league title with the club, with a record 100 points, notching a total of 46 league goals and 60 goals in all competitions, breaking the Real Madrid record he had set the previous season. Real Madrid's attacking trio of Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuaín became the most prolific trio in Spanish league history, scoring 89 league goals, and surpassed the 72 league goals of Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry from the 2008–09 season.
2012–13: Fastest to reach 200 goals for Madrid
Ronaldo during a friendly game against Milan before the beginning of the season
Ronaldo started the season by lifting the Supercopa de España with Real Madrid, scoring two goals in a 4–4 away goals aggregate win against Barcelona. The goal in the first leg made him the first Madrid player in the history of El Clásico to score for the fourth game in a row at the Camp Nou,with the winning goal in the second leg, Ronaldo equalled the Real Madrid record of Iván Zamorano of scoring in five consecutive El Clásico matches.On 30 August, Ronaldo was second (tied with Lionel Messi) in the 2011–12 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award with 17 votes, behind winner Andrés Iniesta.
On 2 September 2012, Ronaldo scored his first two league goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Granada, with the second being 150th goal for Real Madrid.This goal made him the 10th highest scorer for Real Madrid in all competitions. Ronaldo was substituted at the 63rd minute by team mate Gonzalo Higuaín, due to a minor thigh injury. Afterwards, Ronaldo claimed that he was unhappy with a "professional issue" after he refused to celebrate his 149th and 150th goals for the club. This led to reports of controversy between the player and the club, with coach José Mourinho believing that UEFA's decision to elect Iniesta as the best player in Europe in 2011–12 could have been one of the reasons behind Ronaldo's unhappiness.
Ronaldo picked up a thigh muscle injury while warming up for the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg on 24 April, where he scored an away goal in a 4–1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.He was absent from Real Madrid's next game against Atlético Madrid, but returned to action on 30 April for the 2–0 second leg victory against Dortmund (a 4–3 aggregate defeat).On 4 May, Ronaldo scored two headers against Real Valladolid in a 4–3 home win.The British media reported that Manchester United chief executive David Gill was in Madrid to talk with Ronaldo's agent about a return to Old Trafford,but other media outlets reported that United would struggle to re-sign him after the announcement of Alex Ferguson's retirement as manager of Manchester United.
Ronaldo scored his 200th goal for Real Madrid on 8 May in a 6–2 win against Málaga. This figure made him sixth in the list of the club's all-time top scorers and the player that took fewest matches (197) to reach 200 goals.On 17 May, Ronaldo headed the opening goal from a Mesut Özil corner in the 14th minute of the eventual 2–1 Copa del Rey final defeat to Atletico Madrid, which was also his 111th goal (201st overall) in his 100th home appearance.He was shown a straight red card in the 114th minute of extra time of the final for an altercation with Gabi.He was charged for the accumulation of yellow cards and violent conduct by the RFEF, banned for the two games in the last 16 of the 2013–14 Copa del Rey.
Ronaldo ended his fourth season at Real Madrid as the Champions League top goalscorer for a second time in his career with 12 goals. In the league, Real Madrid failed to defend their La Liga title, finishing runners up to arch-rivals Barcelona, and were eliminated in the semi-finals in the UEFA Champions League for the third consecutive year. Accounting for all competitions, Ronaldo ended the season with a total of 55 goals, having scored 19 goals with his right foot (excluding free kicks and penalty kicks), 16 with his left foot and 9 with his head.
2013–14: Champions League season goalscoring record
Real Madrid's failure to win major silverware last season and reports of division in the dressing room had prompted speculation that Ronaldo, whose contract runs until June 2015, might be seeking a move away from the Spanish capital.On 8 June, Ronaldo moved to quell the speculation over his future by insisting that he would reach a deal to renew his contract with Real Madrid.On 3 July, Ronaldo admitted that he was missing the English Premier League, but ruled out an imminent move back to Old Trafford.
On 18 August, Ronaldo made his 200th competitive appearance for Real Madrid in a 2–1 home win over Real Betis. Ronaldo had not scored during the first two league games, but against Athletic Bilbao on 1 September 2013, he scored his first of the season in a 3–1 home victory.
After months of speculation surrounding his future,Ronaldo signed a new contract with Real Madrid on 15 September that would keep him at the club until 2018, with a salary of €17 million (after taxes), making him the highest paid player in football.
On 17 September, Ronaldo scored the second Champions League hat-trick of his career in Real Madrid's opening group match of the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League, a 6–1 away win against Galatasaray.On 22 September, Ronaldo scored twice in a 4–1 home victory against Getafe CF, with his second goal coming from a backheel which made him the fifth highest scorer in the club's history with 208 goals.In his 100th game in the European competitions against Copenhagen on 2 October, Ronaldo scored a brace as Real Madrid went on to a 4–0 home victory.On 5 October 2013, Ronaldo scored a 94th-minute winner against Levante.On 23 October, Ronaldo scored twice in a 2–1 home victory against Juventus to become the Champions League's third all-time highest goalscorer with 57 goals.On 30 October, Ronaldo scored his 18th La Liga hat-trick in a 7–3 home win against Sevilla.
In a debate at Oxford Union in October, when asked whether FIFA president Sepp Blatter preferred Messi or Ronaldo, Blatter paid tribute to the work ethic of the Argentine before taking a swipe at Ronaldo, claiming "one of them has more expenses for the hairdresser than the other". Real Madrid demanded – and promptly received – a full apology, and the Portuguese issued his own riposte with a mock-salute celebration after scoring a penalty against Sevilla, after Blatter had described him as a "commander" on the pitch.
In his 106 away appearances for Real Madrid on 2 November, Ronaldo scored his 100th away goal as he hit a brace in a 3–2 away victory against Rayo Vallecano, averaging 0.94 per game.On 5 November 2013, Ronaldo broke the record held for Champions League goals scored in a calendar year with 14 goals, after he equalised for Real Madrid in a 2–2 draw at Juventus. On 9 November 2013, Ronaldo scored his 19th La Liga hat-trick (one from open play, a penalty and a direct free kick) in a 5–1 home victory against Real Sociedad, which made him second in the all time League hat-trick list. The direct free kick was his 20th direct free kick goal for Real Madrid, one more than free kick specialist Ronaldinho scored with Barcelona.
In Real Madrid's first match following the 2013–14 winter break, Ronaldo score twice in a 3–0 home victory against Celta Vigo, including his 400th professional career goal in 653 games for club and country. He dedicated his two goals to Eusébio, who had died two days before.On 13 January 2014, Ronaldo won the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or, beating Lionel Messi, who had won the prize the previous four years, and Franck Ribéry.This was his second Ballon d'Or overall, becoming the 10th multiple winner of the football's top individual prize. He also became the third player to win the award after playing at least a full calendar year at Real Madrid.Ronaldo had been runner-up on another four occasions: 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012.A tearful Ronaldo described receiving the accolade as "no words to describe this moment" and "it's hard to win this award".The achievement fuelled media to recognise Ronaldo as one of the greatest players in football history,with Pelé stating that Ronaldo must continue to maintain his exceptional high standards.
On 18 January 2014, Ronaldo netted a long-range finish from 30 yards in a 5–0 away win over Real Betis.On 11 February 2014, in the Spanish Cup's semifinals second leg, Ronaldo scored a brace in a 2–0 away win against Atlético Madrid to surpass Luis Aragonés as the top scorer in the history of 'Copa' games between Real and Atlético with 5 goals.His seventh-minute penalty meant Ronaldo had scored in every single minute of a 90-minute football match.With a brace against Schalke 04 in a 6–1 victory on 26 February 2014, Ronaldo become the first player to score 10 or more goals in 3 consecutive Champions League campaigns.
Ronaldo against city rivals Atletico Madrid on 28 September 2013
On 15 March 2014, after he scored the only goal of the match against Málaga, Ronaldo become the first player to score 25 goals in five consecutive league seasons.On 18 March 2014, Ronaldo scored two goals against Schalke 04 in the second leg of the Champions League's round-of–16, allowing him to surpass his personal record of 12 goals in a single UEFA Champions League season, putting him just one behind Lionel Messi's record of 14 goals from the 2011–12 season. On 29 March 2014, with a goal against Rayo Vallecano, Ronaldo equalled Lionel Messi's record of scoring in 10 consecutive games.
On 4 May 2014, Ronaldo scored a last-minute backheeled volley in the 2–2 home draw with Valencia, to bring his goals total to 50 for the fourth consecutive season.For this goal, Ronaldo holds the distinction of being the first player to win the LFP Best Goal, in 2014, an honour handed by LFP to the best goal of the season.In the Champions League final against cross-town rival Atlético Madrid, he became the first player in history to score in two European Cup finals for two different winning teams, as Los Blancos won their tenth European Cup.Ronaldo was the competition's top goalscorer for the second consecutive season and third overall, with a record 17 goals in a single season as well as a total of 67 goals.In a 2014 UEFA poll, he was named the greatest goalscorer to play in the UEFA Champions League.
Ronaldo finished the season with 31 goals in 30 league games, winning the Pichichi as the top goalscorer in Spain, and shared the European Golden Shoe with Liverpool striker Luis Suárez.Real Madrid's attacking trio of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano, dubbed "BBC", finished the season with 97 goals.
Ronaldo's life and person have been the subject of several works. His autobiography, titled Moments, was published in December 2007.His sponsor Castro produced the television film Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit, in which he is physically and mentally tested in several fields; his physical performance was consequently subject to scrutiny by world media upon the film's release in September 2011.Cristiano Ronaldo: The World at his Feet, a documentary narrated by the actor Benedict Cumberbatch, was released via Vimeo and Vision Films in June 2014.A documentary film about his life and career, titled Ronaldo, was released worldwide on 9 November 2015.Directed by BAFTA-winner Anthony Wonke, the film is produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, while Asif Kapadia is the executive producer.
In December 2013, Ronaldo opened a museum, Museu CR7, in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira, to house trophies and memorabilia of his life and playing career.At a ceremony held at the Belém Palace in January 2014, President of Portugal Aníbal Cavaco Silva raised Ronaldo to the rank of Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry, "to distinguish an athlete of world renown who has been a symbol of Portugal globally, contributing to the international projection of the country and setting an example of tenacity for future generations".A bronze statue of Ronaldo, designed by artist Ricardo Madeira Veloso, was unveiled in Funchal on 21 December 2014.
In June 2010, during the build-up to the World Cup, Ronaldo became the fourth footballer – after Steven Gerrard, Pelé and David Beckham – to be represented as a waxwork at Madame Tussauds London.Another waxwork of him was presented at the Madrid Wax Museum in December 2013.In June 2015, astronomers led by David Sobral from Lisbon and Leiden discovered a galaxy which they named CR7 (Cosmos Redshift 7) in tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo in reference to his CR7 mantle (his initials and shirt number).
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