Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly brought his international career with Portugal to an end, with the 41-year-old expected to continue playing at club level for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.
With his attention now turning towards an extraordinary career milestone of 1,000 goals, Ronaldo has 985 official career goals to his name, leaving him just 15 short of the historic target.
The Portuguese superstar has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr, establishing himself as one of football’s greatest players.
From record-breaking achievements to unforgettable goals and major trophies, here are 10 defining moments that have shaped Ronaldo’s remarkable journey.
1. The friendly that attracted Manchester United (2003)
Ronaldo’s breakthrough into European football began at Sporting CP, where he made 31 first-team appearances and scored five goals before attracting interest from Manchester United.
His performance in a pre-season friendly against the English club in Lisbon in 2003 proved decisive. The young winger impressed United’s players by setting up two goals in Sporting’s 3-1 victory.
Following the match, manager Sir Alex Ferguson invited Ronaldo into the dressing room to meet his potential future teammates.
Ferguson later disclosed that the players were so impressed by the youngster that they urged him to complete the signing during their return flight.
Manchester United eventually secured his services for £12 million, just five days after the friendly.
2. Ronaldo wins his first Premier League title (2007)
Although Ronaldo won the FA Cup during his debut season at Manchester United, the 2006/2007 campaign marked a major turning point in his development.
He scored 17 Premier League goals, recording his first double-digit league scoring season, while earning both the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards.
His impressive performances also helped United secure the Premier League title, the first league championship of his career.
Ronaldo enjoyed an even more successful 2007/2008 season, winning the Champions League and scoring in the final against Chelsea. He also claimed the European Golden Shoe and another Premier League title.
3. Stunning Porto goal earns inaugural Puskas Award (2009)
During his first spell at Manchester United, Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 appearances, but one strike stood out among his impressive collection.
In a Champions League encounter against Porto in Portugal, he unleashed a spectacular long-range effort from approximately 40 yards, sending the ball into the top corner.
The remarkable strike helped United advance to the semi-finals and subsequently earned Ronaldo the inaugural FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal of the year.
Later in 2009, Real Madrid signed the Portuguese forward for a then-record transfer fee of £80 million.
4. Ronaldo’s extra-time header wins the Copa del Rey (2011)
Ronaldo’s early years at Real Madrid were followed by a major breakthrough in the 2010/2011 season when he helped the club capture the Copa del Rey.
The final against arch-rivals Barcelona became particularly memorable as Ronaldo scored his first winning goal in a major final.
With the match heading into extra time, the Portuguese forward rose above the Barcelona defence to connect with Angel Di Maria’s cross, powering a header into the net.
The goal secured a 1-0 victory for Real Madrid and ended their seven-year wait for the Copa del Rey trophy.
5. Ronaldo becomes Real Madrid’s all-time leading scorer (2015)
In October 2015, Ronaldo entered Real Madrid’s history books after scoring in a 3-0 La Liga victory over Levante.
The goal took his tally to 324 in 310 appearances, making him the club’s all-time leading scorer at the time.
His extraordinary consistency continued during the 2015/2016 campaign, when he recorded at least 50 goals in all competitions for the sixth consecutive season.
Ronaldo eventually finished his Real Madrid career with an astonishing 450 goals in 438 appearances, further cementing his status as one of the club’s greatest players.
6. Portugal’s Euro 2016 triumph completes his international success (2016)
Despite his remarkable individual achievements, international silverware remained a major ambition for Ronaldo.
That changed in 2016 when Portugal won their first European Championship after defeating hosts France 1-0 in the final in Paris.
Ronaldo’s involvement in the final was cut short after he suffered an injury during the first half and was forced to leave the pitch in tears.
However, he continued encouraging and motivating his teammates from the sidelines, taking on an unofficial coaching role.
He finished the tournament with three goals and three assists and was named in the Team of the Tournament.
Ronaldo later became the European Championship’s all-time leading scorer, with 14 goals.
However, winning the FIFA World Cup remained an unfulfilled ambition for Portugal.
7. Ronaldo claims his fifth Ballon d’Or (2017)
Ronaldo added another major individual honour to his collection in 2017 when he won his fifth Ballon d’Or.
The award followed a successful 2016/2017 season in which he helped Real Madrid secure both the UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles.
He also scored twice in the Champions League final against Juventus as Madrid secured the European trophy.
His fifth Ballon d’Or placed him level with Lionel Messi at the time, having previously won the award in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
Messi would subsequently move ahead in their individual rivalry, taking his tally to eight Ballon d’Or awards compared with Ronaldo’s five.
8. Ronaldo reaches 100 Champions League goals (2017)
Ronaldo made further history in the 2016/2017 Champions League campaign when he became the first player to score 100 goals in the competition.
He achieved the milestone with a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in the quarter-final second leg, helping Real Madrid secure qualification for the semi-finals.
He eventually finished with a record 141 Champions League goals in 187 appearances, establishing himself as the competition’s all-time leading scorer.
His remarkable consistency also saw him finish as the tournament’s outright or joint-top scorer for six consecutive seasons.
9. Iconic bicycle kick against Juventus (2018)
One of the most memorable moments of Ronaldo’s career came during Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final meeting with Juventus in 2018.
The Portuguese forward produced an extraordinary bicycle kick, rising high above the defenders before connecting with the ball and sending it into the corner of the net.
The spectacular effort left spectators stunned, including Juventus supporters, who rose to applaud the Real Madrid forward.
The goal became one of the most celebrated strikes in Champions League history and earned a nomination for the FIFA Puskas Award, although Mohamed Salah eventually claimed the honour.
Interestingly, Ronaldo would join Juventus just months after scoring against them.
10. Ronaldo becomes the first player to win five Champions League titles (2018)
Ronaldo’s achievements in European football reached another historic milestone in 2018 when he became the first player to win five Champions League titles.
His first triumph came with Manchester United in 2008 before he added four more trophies with Real Madrid in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The final victory came against Liverpool, as Real Madrid secured a third consecutive Champions League title.
Although Ronaldo also won two La Liga championships and two Copa del Rey trophies during his Madrid career, his European achievements remain among the most remarkable aspects of his time at the club.
11. Ronaldo breaks the men’s international goals record (2021)
Ronaldo reached another historic milestone in September 2021 when he became the highest-scoring player in men’s international football.
Iranian legend Ali Daei had previously held the record with 109 international goals, a mark many believed would be difficult to surpass.
However, Ronaldo scored twice late in Portugal’s World Cup qualifying victory over the Republic of Ireland, taking his international tally to 111.
He continued adding to the record and eventually finished his international career with 146 goals in 234 appearances, also setting a record for men’s international caps.
12. Ronaldo becomes the first player to score 900 career goals (2024)
Despite moving between Juventus, Manchester United and Al-Nassr in the later stages of his career, Ronaldo continued to find the back of the net.
In September 2024, he became the first player to reach 900 official senior career goals when Portugal defeated Croatia.
His achievement further demonstrated his remarkable longevity and consistency at the highest level of football.
Ronaldo’s career goals have been distributed across his clubs and country as follows:
- Sporting CP: 5 goals
- Real Madrid: 450 goals
- Manchester United: 145 goals
- Juventus: 101 goals
- Al-Nassr: 138 goals
- Portugal: 146 goals
His overall tally now stands at 985 goals, leaving him just 15 away from becoming the first player to reach 1,000 official career goals.
With his focus firmly on achieving that unprecedented milestone, Ronaldo’s pursuit continues to attract attention across the football world.
His long-time rival Lionel Messi is also closing in on the 1,000-goal mark, with 931 career goals, adding another dimension to their historic rivalry.
Whether Ronaldo reaches the milestone or not, his achievements across club and international football have already secured his place among the most influential players in the history of the game.