Cristiano Ronaldo: Best Of All Time?

With Manchester United failing to qualify for the Champions League in the 2022/2023 season, speculation was rife that Cristiano Ronaldo was looking for a new club. The star player is used to competing for the top honors, and there was a rumor that teams like Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, and even his first club, Sporting CP, wanted to sign him. Yet, none of the moves materialized. 

Bayern, in particular, were closely linked with Ronaldo, mainly because the German outfit had lost their star man Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona. Still, as per the top brass in Bayern, the move for Cristiano would unsettle their wage bill, and they also had to give chances to their young players. So, how did Ronaldo become a legend?

Goalscorer Extraordinaire

Cristiano has had a massive goal overhaul in the course of his career, but his goals during Portugal's match against Hungary in the Euro championship changed the course of history. The game, played on 15th June 2021, saw the prolific striker put two goals past the Hungarian goalkeeper, making him the top goalscorer in Euro championship history, with 14 goals. 

The record previously held by Michel Platini (with nine goals) stood for decades before Ronaldo popped up to break it spectacularly. As it stands, the player has etched his name into the Euro history books, and considering that he hasn't retired yet, he might have a go at increasing his goal record in future editions of the competition. 

Always Striving To Be The Best

Ronaldo's journey to the top isn't a fluke; the player is an absolute hard worker, always striving towards being the best he can be and, ultimately, the best in the world. His work ethic has seen him win countless trophies and personal accolades, and his accuracy in front of the goal has translated into him scoring bucketloads of goals. 

Currently, the star is the highest goalscorer in international games, with a record 117 goals, since he made his Portugal debut in 2003. Ronaldo beat a previous record held by Iranian player Ali Daei, whose goal record stands at an impressive 109 international goals. 

Massively Interested In Philanthropy 

In 2011, Cristiano, under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, had arguably one of his greatest seasons ever when he scored a whopping 40 goals. The outstanding goal record saw the player win one of his many European Golden Boot trophies. 

Yet, despite the massively successful season on a personal level, Ronaldo couldn't stop his team from finishing second in the La Liga standings, and they also dropped out of the UEFA Champions League at the semi-finals. Instead of keeping his golden boot, the player opted to auction it for charity, where it fetched an astonishing £1.2 million.

Make-A-Wish Supporter

The 2013/2014 season was quite successful for Cristiano Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team, where they won the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League trophies. On a more personal level, Ronaldo scored 66 goals and won his second Ballon d'Or trophy. 

While it was a massive win for the player and the team, Ronaldo decided to sell the Ballon d'Or, just like he did with the golden boot two years earlier. This, too, was for a noble cause, with the trophy auctioned for £530,000 to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with debilitating illnesses. 

A Man Of Heroic Acts

Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the most marketable athletes in world sports, with several lucrative endorsement contracts. Considering his massive influence, it's not surprising that the player would create awareness on a couple of issues that are important to him. Do you remember when he caused the Coca-Cola stock to drop after he removed the soft drink bottles from the table during a press conference?

The star supports a couple of charity organizations, including World Vision, Save the Children, and UNICEF. The former Juventus player is known to make secret donations to those charities. During his 2014 Ballon d'Or acceptance speech, he made sure that he talked about the children who have leukemia that he met. 

Bonuses For Charity

With every sensational performance on the pitch, Ronaldo takes home a handsome bonus, which, interestingly, he doesn't keep to himself. Instead, the former Real Madrid ace donates his bonus earnings to charity organizations. 

Among the charities, Cristiano has worked with for a long time is the International Committee of the Red Cross. The star has donated generously to boost the organization's efforts towards helping the needy in the world, and they have a great collaboration. Safe to say, with his massive net worth, Ronaldo will still donate whenever he can, impacting the lives of millions worldwide.