Cristiano Ronaldo is the epitome of perfection in every way. He is a generational goal scorer, an unrivaled player, and a model citizen. He has accomplished every feat possible in club football and has helped his native Portugal win their first major international honors.
Despite his accomplishments, there have always been those who doubt the Madeira man. We'll look at a few instances where Cristiano Ronaldo dispelled the doubts of millions of football fans by putting on a show today.
Without further ado, let us celebrate the man's greatness by looking at 5 times Cristiano Ronaldo proved his doubters wrong.
The FIFA World Cup is by far the most famous sporting event on the planet. It is an enormous honor for players to represent their country in the FIFA World Cup, and Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is no exception.
Portugal found themselves in a difficult situation leading up to the 2014 World Cup, as they were forced to compete against Sweden in the World Cup play-offs. Cristiano Ronaldo, who had only scored four goals in Portugal's World Cup qualifiers, had been written off before Sweden arrived, but the then-28-year-old had a surprise in store.
Ronaldo scored the only goal in the first leg in Portugal and then hat-trick in the second leg at the Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden. His four-goal performance over two games.
Real Madrid has had some great goal scorers over the years, and Cristiano Ronaldo is without a doubt one of the best. So it came as a surprise when the Portuguese superstar missed a crucial penalty kick against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2011/12.
The Real Madrid number seven promised to make amends, and he delivered handsomely in the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League season. After reaching double digits in the group stage, Ronaldo prepared to take on Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. However, his lackluster performance in front of goal in the first leg raised eyebrows.
In the return leg at the Allianz Arena, Cristiano Ronaldo put on his scoring boots and netted an outstanding brace, including an under-the-wall freekick in the final minutes of the match. As a result, Real Madrid qualified for their first final in 12 years, which they won against Atletico Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo was a force to be reckoned with in club football against Spain in 2018 — one of the best the game has ever seen. But when he played for his country, he was constantly chastised, and many people claimed he couldn't compete with the best national teams.
So, when Spain and Portugal were drawn in the same group for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the majority dismissed Cristiano Ronaldo, predicting a straightforward win for Spain. However, on matchday, Spain experienced the full wrath of an in-form Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo broke the deadlock in the fourth minute with a beautifully struck penalty. Diego Costa equalized for Spain, but Ronaldo put Portugal ahead just before halftime by surprising David de Gea.
Spain scored twice in the second half to take the lead, but Ronaldo's perfectly executed free kick from just outside the box earned Portugal a point. Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest hat-trick scorer in history with his treble that night.
In 2009, he faced Arsenal.
Arsenal and Manchester United have had some thrilling games over the years. In 2009, they had the chance to add another chapter to their historic story when they met in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Manchester United held a one-goal lead heading into the second leg at Arsenal. Park Ji-sung doubled United's lead under 10 minutes into the second leg, calming his teammates' nerves. The highlight of the game, however, was Cristiano Ronaldo's insane free-kick.
Cristiano Ronaldo stood on the right side of the field, 40 yards from Manuel Almunia's goal. Clive Tyldesley, a famous commentator, thought it was too far for Ronaldo to even consider taking a direct shot at goal. He was forced to exclaim in amazement when Ronaldo found the back of the net. Later in the game, the winger scored again, capping off a brilliant Manchester United counterattack.
In 2016, against Wolfsburg
When Real Madrid was drawn against Wolfsburg in the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, Madridistas expected a walk in the park. Wolfsburg's spirited 2-0 win in the first leg, on the other hand, left Real Madrid with a mountain to climb in the second leg.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid's talisman, was given the impossible task of advancing Real Madrid to the semi-finals. Portugal's captain tied the game in the 15th minute and then tied it again two minutes later. His incredible movement off the ball enabled him to score both goals.
The third and most memorable came with 13 minutes remaining in the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo stood over the free-kick outside the box and somehow breached the wall with pinpoint accuracy, leaving Wolfsburg's goalkeeper speechless. The game ended 3-0, advancing Real Madrid to the last four and clinching their 11th UEFA Champions League title.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0