Cristiano Ronaldo, the most popular footballer on the planet, is going to turn 37 this week. Even at this age, he is still going strong and is being influential on the pitch in one way or the other. Out of these 37 years of the Portuguese’s life, he has spent nine years at Real Madrid. Perhaps it is due to this nine-year highly successful stint at Real Madrid, which has made him one of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest.
Nine years is a long period, and in these nine years, he has registered 451 goals and 131 assists and has also produced countless magical moments for us, the Madridistas. Whenever we take a look at his Real Madrid career, there are a few moments that will immediately strike our minds. For example, his bicycle kick against Juventus, his Calma Calma celebration in the El Clasico, and so on.
But there are so many other countless moments of Cristiano’s brilliance, which we may have forgotten, but give us a great idea of Serresiete’s genius. So let us celebrate Cristiano’s 37th birthday week by having a look at ten such incredible moments of his Real Madrid career, and taking a trip down memory lane.
1. Back-heel goal vs Getafe, LaLiga 2013/14
The first moment on this list is that of an amazing backheel goal against Getafe in the 2013/14 LaLiga season.
Cristiano had started that season on a decent note, with two goals and one assist in the four league games before this. But this game started on a bad note, as Getafe scored early in the match, with a foul on the Portuguese in the build-up not called by the referee. But this made Ronaldo only stronger, as he lead the comeback. He created Pepe’s first goal with a shot that rebounded off the Goalkeeper, then converted a penalty that was won by Ronaldo himself and then assisted Isco for Madrid’s third goal. Such was Ronaldo’s influence on results at that point in his career.
The clock had gone into added time, and Getafe were already disappointed with their inability to maintain the 0-1 scoreline. But Ronaldo wasn’t happy enough with one goal to his name. He saw two brilliant efforts from him denied by the keeper and post, and he decided to rub salt on Getafe’s wounds in the added time. He made a run into the box and attacked a low cross from Khedira in the 92nd minute, but the cross was deflected and the ball was going to be behind Ronaldo.
But this didn’t stop the determined Portuguese from scoring, as he turned his back towards the goal, and flicked the ball towards the net with the back-heel of his right boot. The ball went into the net through the legs of a defender, and every Getafe player was shocked with this goal, as the Bernabeu rose to celebrate its beloved numero siete. This unreal finish from Cristiano bears some resemblance to his EURO 2016 goal vs Hungary and also shows Ronaldo’s determination to achieve something he wants to do badly, and his ability to improvise things on the field.
2. ‘That’ Elastico nutmeg on David Lopez, vs Espanyol, LaLiga 2016/17
You can watch the skill move here.
Ronaldo used to beat defenders with his two most lethal weapons, pace and trickery. Pace always got him ahead of a defender on the flanks, but when facing a static1v1 situation, he had to bring out the showman inside him. With age, his pace has decreased considerably, but he didn’t lose the tricks. Maybe his skill moves weren’t that quick, but they were still good enough to stun a defender, just like this moment.
Getting beaten by an elastico itself is an embarrassment to a defender, and imagine getting beaten by an Elastico nutmeg. Only David Lopez knows how embarrassing that moment would’ve been for him because he was beaten by a nutmeg of utmost perfection. This might be Ronaldo’s best skill move ever.
The roar from the Bernabeu just shows you how much this nutmeg had excited them. Perhaps the roar could’ve been even louder if Ronaldo’s subsequent low cross found Isco, who is good at shooting from such positions. Nevertheless, it was a cold and slick move from Cristiano, and it takes us back to those days in the mid-2000s when he was more of a showman than an effective footballer.
3.Back-heel assist to Karim Benzema vs Granada, LaLiga 2014/15
You can watch the assist here.
It was one of those days when Cristiano would first get the important opener in an away game, and would then have his fun on the pitch while looking to increase his tally at the same time. He would create dangerous opportunities for James and Carvajal, who couldn’t convert the chances. The right-back skied a clever back-heel pass from Ronaldo, denying the Portuguese of a good assist.
But Ronaldo wouldn’t have been disappointed at the end of the day as he returned the favour to Karim Benzema, who assisted his first goal, by assisting him with a magnificent backheel pass. He received a pass from James with his back facing the goal, but still found the Frenchman with the back-heel pass, and released him onto the goal at the perfect time, just when Benzema got back into an onside position.
He just knew that Benzema was there, and got an idea of the situation with the slightest of looks. This well-calculated assist just shows how intelligent a player he is, and how he is mindful of his surroundings.
4. The night he decided to torment Kompany and company, UCL 2012/13
You can watch the performance here.
Ronaldo had already battered City in the return fixture at the Bernabeu with an injury-time winner, but that wasn’t enough for him. This time, it wasn’t the turn for Ronaldo the goalscorer, but for Ronaldo, the speedy trickster.
He simply tormented every Manchester City defender on the pitch and replied to every whistle from the fans in the Etihad with his exploits. This performance had it all, dribbles, skills, combinational plays, a shot cleared off the line, and dangerous chances created. It just lacked a goal or assist, but it was still an amazing performance, which reminds everyone that Ronaldo doesn’t just need goals and assists to leave an impact. Maybe it was this performance from Ronaldo, that made Kompany say a lot of respectful words for Ronaldo.
Ronaldo would’ve been disappointed by this performance because he couldn’t win the game for his team. But still, it is a performance that speaks loads about his determination and character.
5. 88th minute assist to Chicharito vs Atletico Madrid, UCL QF 2014/15
You can watch the assist here.
Matches against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are always heated and difficult. Atletico is very strong physically and defensively, which makes it difficult for any team to score against them. The same happened for Real Madrid in the Quarter-finals of 2014/15’s Champions League, as Los Blancos found it difficult to score against them at the Vicente Calderon and even the Bernabeu. Ronaldo and Chicharito got limited chances, but none of them could break the deadlock.
But in the 88th minute, Cristiano said enough and ended a game that could’ve probably gone into extra time. He drifted to the wide right, picked up the ball there, and made a blistering run towards the box. He played a one-two with James Rodriguez, before getting into a dangerous position in the box. Atletico’s defenders and keeper ran towards the man who had tortured them a lot of times by then. Ronaldo had a chance to shoot early, but he was losing balance and passed it to the open Javier Hernandez to guarantee the goal, and the Mexican duly converted the chance into a goal.
It might look like a simple move, but the context of the game explains everything. Without some of the team’s most important players, Ronaldo won the game for his team with an exemplary team move, and the roar of the Bernabeu combined with the team’s celebration shows us how important the moment is.
6. The day he toyed with Joel Matip using relentless stepovers followed by a goal vs Schalke, UCL RO16, 2013/14
You can get a great view of the goal here.
I see a lot of fans say on social media these days that Ronaldo attempts a lot of ‘useless’ stepovers. Maybe those people started watching football after Ronaldo’s knee injury, but CR7’s stepovers were never useless. The quick stepovers from Ronaldo in his prime always confused the defenders, and sometimes those moves even lead to goals.
One such incident occurred in 2014, as Ronaldo toyed with Joel Matip of Schalke with relentless stepover. He confused Matip with his quick and flashy stepovers, before drawing him into a wrong-footed position and eventually burying the ball into the net with his left foot. This isn’t an isolated goal and there are many more such goals that followed stepovers from Cristiano, and the same stepovers helped him beat hundreds of defenders.
Effective stepovers aren’t a skill that can be learned overnight. It took a lot of hard work from Ronaldo to become a master of this art. This goal just reminds us of how much he had to work, to reach this position.
7. Incredible half-volley on the turn vs Sporting Gijon, LaLiga 2015/16
We generally talk about players’ strong feet and weak feet, and on which wing should we should use them to help them feel comfortable. Well, in Cristiano’s case it is difficult to predict if he has a weak foot. He does have a strong right foot, but it would be a shame to call his left foot his weaker foot because it is better than the strong foot of many other players. And this forgotten goal just shows us why.
Half-volleys might be easier than volleys, but it is a lot more difficult when you have to hit them from far, and that too on the turn. But Ronaldo did it with ease, as he scored a left-footed thunderbolt from just inside the box against Sporting Gijon in 2016. We might be reminded of Ronaldo’s goal against Sevilla in 2017 when we read the words ‘left-footed thunderbolt’. But this goal was an even more difficult one, and the power behind this shot is simply insane. The keeper was well-positioned for the shot, but he couldn’t even attempt to save that lightning strike from the Portuguese.
These all are little moments, but they all showcase the skills that have made Ronaldo a complete player.
8. Unbelievable assist to Benzema vs Getafe, LaLiga 2011/12
You can watch this assist here.
If you ask me to pick Ronaldo’s best assist out of his 130 plus assists for Real Madrid, I would pick this one. It might look like a normal cross on a counter-attack, which looks easy to some and might sound less fancy than a line-breaking through ball, but it is very difficult to execute.
It is an inviting cross for both the defenders and the intended target, Karim Benzema. For Benzema, the pass is well-timed and it is well guided as it will meet his running line. But at the same time, the cross is through an area that is close to the goalkeeper and the defenders, which gave them the hope that they stop the ball from reaching Benzema. But still, no one could stop the goal because Ronaldo didn’t overcook or undercook the cross with his left foot. He got many more such incredible assists while playing for Real Madrid, including this one to Mesut Ozil, during the same season.
I know that crosses are often overlooked by people, and for some fans, just through balls and lobbed passes are a part of playmaking. There are still some people today who say that Zidane won three UCL titles in a row by ‘just’ using crossing tactics. But crossing isn’t an easy skill to master, and it’s always an important weapon to beat stubborn defences. And I think crossing has always been an underappreciated aspect of Ronaldo’s game. He has been one of the best crossers in this generation, and crossing from wide areas was a crucial part of his playmaking role, before his change in position.
9. Solo goal vs Xerez after 45 seconds into the match, LaLiga 2009/10
I think a lot of fans might have forgotten this goal, because it happened a long while ago, during Cristiano’s first season at Real Madrid. This goal was scored at a time when Ronaldo was about to enter his prime and was a dangerous pacy dribbler. Such crazy solo goals were normal for Ronaldo at that time.
Ronaldo was motivated in this game from the word go, as he was involved in the build-up to the goal and scored it just 45 seconds into the game. He would pick up the ball on the left side of the pitch, and then burst through the space between the defensive lines, to get onto the right side of the pitch, before unleashing a powerful shot from the edge of the box. And he would do all this in just six seconds, which shows you how quick he was.
10. Nutmeg followed by goal vs Rayo Vallecano, LaLiga 2013/14
On the first slide, we saw a perfect nutmeg from Ronaldo that was simply stunning. This time it is not just a nutmeg, but a nutmeg followed by a goal. A nutmeg on a player might deflate the player’s confidence, but a goal following that would demotivate the whole team. But maybe Rayo didn’t worry a lot at that moment, because they knew that it was the GOAT in a full swing that season.
Coming to this 2nd-minute goal from Ronaldo, it was a simple move for him. A one-two with Luka Modric with the Croatian releasing him down the left wing at the perfect moment. This would be followed by a nutmeg on Galvez, and a low clinical finish into the bottom right corner, that couldn’t be saved by the onrushing keeper and a desperate defender. Very simple for Cristiano.
An easy goal for him, but not for any other player. He had set the bar so high for himself that even an amazing goal like this would be seen as just another goal, and would be forgotten by others. Not only was he an entertaining player, but also an effective player. He scored another goal in this game to help Real Madrid win 3-2.