Cristiano Ronaldo

Widely regarded as one of the two best players in the world within his generatio
n (the other being Lionel Messi)[428][429] and as one of the best players to eve
r play the game,[430] Cristiano Ronaldo plays an attacking role, most often play
ing as either a striker or as a winger, and is known for his finishing, pace, dr
ibbling, positioning, crossing and free kick ability.[205][431] He is able to pl
ay on either wing as well through the center of the pitch, making him a very ver
satile attacker.[432]
Tactically, Ronaldo plays a powerful attacking role, often drifting from the lef
t wing into the centre when moving off the ball. Ronaldo is known to be mentally
sharp, with good vision, predicting certain plays, and also possesses very good
reactions, balance and agility. Although right footed, he is also able to contr
ol the ball and cross and finish well with his left foot.
Ronaldo is known for his pace, skill, control and dribbling ability, as well as
his flair in beating players during one on one situations. He is able to finish
well both inside the area and from distance.[205][433] He is also an accurate se
t piece specialist and is renowned for his bending free kicks.[434] Uniquely, hi
s height, strength, jumping ability and heading technique have given him an edge
in winning aerial challenges for balls, with many of his goals often being head
ers.[435]
Following his arrival at Manchester United, Ronaldo underwent a major body trans
formation, from a skinny youth to an athletically built adult. His well-built, m
uscular body type allows him to retain possession of the ball.[436] Some figures
in football, such as Mike Clegg (former Manchester United strength and conditio
ning coach) and French great Zinedine Zidane, have praised Ronaldo's work ethic
and dedication to improvement on the training field.[437][438] His drive and det
ermination is fuelled by a desire to carve his name in history alongside footbal
ling legends such as Pel and Diego Maradona,[439] but he has also stated that he
would rather be remembered as a role model than one of world football's best pla
yers.[440]
Ronaldo has at times been criticised for diving when tackled, about which Jos Mou
rinho responded, "Cristiano is a player who does not have the culture of the swi
mming pool, he has no culture of simulation, he is a British-trained player, Fer
guson trained. In some cases, the simulators are given more protection, and thos
e who are honest are often the losers. I'm not a hypocrite if I say that they (d
efenders) hit Cristiano very hard, and that the yellow cards do not arrive or ar
e slow in coming".[441]
Earlier in his career, Ronaldo had been described as having an "arrogant image"
on the field with Ronaldo stating that he had become a "victim", because of how
he was portrayed in the media.[442] He is often seen moaning, gesticulating and
scowling while trying to inspire his team to victory, with Ronaldo insisting tha
t his competitive nature should not be mistaken for arrogance.[442] His managers
, team-mates and various journalists have commented that this reputation has cau
sed an unfair image of him.[443][444][445][446][447][448] In 2014, Ronaldo told
France Football that he had made a "mistake" when he said in 2011, "People are j
ealous of me as I am young handsome and rich", adding that he had matured since
then and fans understood him better.[449]
Ronaldo's direct football style, skill and goalscoring ability have been his mos
t noticeable traits throughout his career, and his overall talent has at times l
ed him to be considered a player who stands out and who can be a match changer.[
450]
"Maturity brings many things. When I went to see them play against City, some of
his decision-making in terms of passing was brilliant. One-touch passing, good
crosses. In the six years we had him, you just saw his game grow all the time, a
nd he was a fantastic player. Now you see the complete player. His decision-maki
ng, his maturity, his experience, plus all the great skills he has got, they all
make him the complete player".[451]

Alex Ferguson on the 27-year-old Ronaldo, January 2013
Ronaldo was made full-time captain of Portugal after the UEFA Euro 2008.
Ronaldo scored eight goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign,[383
] behind Poland's Ebi Smolarek, but finished with only one goal in the tournamen
t. When Portugal's squad for the tournament was announced, Ronaldo was given the
number 7 shirt for the first time in a major tournament.[384] He was named man
of the match in the group match against the Czech Republic, in which Portugal wo
n 31.[385] Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals with a 32 loss against e
ventual finalists Germany.[386]
After Portugal's unsuccessful performance in the European Championship, Luiz Fel
ipe Scolari was replaced as Portugal coach with Carlos Queiroz.[387] In July 200
8, Queiroz named Ronaldo as the new permanent captain of the Portugal national t
eam.[388]
On 15 June 2010, in Portugal's opening 2010 World Cup match against Cte d'Ivoire,
Ronaldo was tackled by right-back Guy Demel, which led to an argument and both
being booked. The next day, Portugal contacted FIFA to suggest that Ronaldo's ye
llow card be rescinded since he was "pulled into" the confrontation after having
already moved away from the spot where he was tackled, but the appeal was rejec
ted.[389]
Ronaldo was named man of the match in all three of Portugal's group matches agai
nst Cte d'Ivoire (00), North Korea (70) and Brazil (00).[390][391][392] His only goa
l of the tournament came in Portugal's 70 group stage thrashing of North Korea on
21 June,[393] which marked his first international goal in 16 months.[394] The
World Cup ended for Portugal with a 10 loss against eventual champions Spain in t
he Round of 16.[395]
Euro 2012
Ronaldo scored seven goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, inc
luding two strikes against Bosnia in the play-offs for the tournament, and finis
hed behind Germany's Miroslav Klose and the Netherlands' Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (no
t including the play-offs round). Portugal were drawn in Group B with Netherland
s, Denmark and Germany, which was widely referred to as the "group of death" of
the tournament.[396] In an interview with Kicker Magazine, Ronaldo stated that:
"I will only be fully content with my career when I have lifted a trophy with Po
rtugal".[397][398]
Ronaldo against Germany in their group stage match at UEFA Euro 2012.
After the opening 01 defeat against Germany, Ronaldo was criticised for under per
forming, showing frustration at his and his team-mates' errors and for walking o
ff into the changing-rooms straight after the match, rather than thanking the cr
owd with the team. Ronaldo's team-mate, Nani, later defended him, stating that h
e had left the pitch as he needed to instantly be treated for a possible injury,
also adding that he was under excessive pressure, as football is a team sport.[
399]
During the group stage match between Denmark and Portugal (3-2 win), the Denmark
fans chanted Lionel Messi's name whenever Ronaldo was on the ball. Ronaldo squa
ndered two gilt-edged one-on-one chances, and Ronaldo looked frustrated and torm
ented throughout.[400] Asked about the Messi chants, Ronaldo responded irritated
ly: "You know where he was at this time last year? Do you know? He was being eli
minated in the Copa America, in his own country. I think that's worse, no? And p
eople say that he is the best player in the world. This sort of thing is normal
for great players".[401]
In the final group match between Portugal and the Netherlands, Ronaldo scored tw
o goals and had two other chances go against the woodwork to secure a 21 victory
for Portugal, allowing the team to advance to the quarterfinals.[402]
Ronaldo was further praised for his performance against the Czech Republic in th
e quarter-finals, where he darted in from behind his marker in the 79th minute a
nd headed a cross from Joao Moutinho, sending Portugal into the semifinals with
a 10 victory. After scoring the winning goal, he ran to the camera and chanted "p
ara ti" as he had dedicated the goal to his son.[403][404]
In the semi-final against Spain, Ronaldo had several chances, but he sent three
shots over the bar.[405] His best chance came in the 90th minute, but shot the b
all high and wide.[406] The match ended with penalties, but Ronaldo did not take
a penalty in the shootout as he had been slated to take the fifth one, but it n
ever got that far.[407] The Portugal coach, Paulo Bento, knocked back criticism
of Ronaldo not being employed earlier in the shootout: "Well we had this plan an
d if it would have been 44 and he would have taken the last penalty we would talk
in a different way".[408][409]
Before and throughout the tournament, Ronaldo was particularly hailed by Argenti
ne great Diego Maradona, who described Ronaldo as "the best player on the planet
" and went on to say that "[Ronaldo] has shown his countrymen that he does deser
ve a monument in Lisbon". Ronaldo was included in the UEFA Euro 2012 Team of the
Tournament, the second time after 2004, and finished the competition as the joi
nt-top goalscorer with three goals, along with five other players, although Spai
n's Fernando Torres took the Golden Boot. Though there was no third place playof
f, UEFA decided for the first time to award both of the semi-final losers bronze
medals.[410]
2014 World Cup
Ronaldo, playing for Portugal in June 2013, taking on Luka Modric of Croatia
On 17 October 2012, Ronaldo won his 100th cap for the Portugal national team in
a World Cup qualification match against Northern Ireland (11) at Porto's Estdio do
Drago. He became the third youngest European ever to reach that figure in the pr
ocess, after Germany's Lukas Podolski and Estonia's Kristen Viikme.[411]
On 14 August 2013, Ronaldo scored his 40th goal for Portugal in a 11 friendly dra
w against the Netherlands.[412] On 6 September 2013, Ronaldo netted his first in
ternational hat-trick in a 15-minute spell in the second half at Windsor Park ag
ainst Northern Ireland (42) in a World Cup qualification match to become Portugal
's second-highest scorer ahead of Eusbio. With his goals against Northern Ireland
, Ronaldo also established a personal record, since it was the first time that h
e scored in three consecutive matches with Portugal.[413]
Ronaldo scored eight goals in Portugal's FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign
, including all four of the team's goals in the two-legged play-off against Swed
en which ensured Portugal's place at the finals.[414] His hat-trick in the secon
d-leg made him tied for Portugal's all-time top goalscorer after equalling Paule
ta's record tally of 47 international goals.[415]
On 5 March 2014, Ronaldo netted twice in Portugal's 51 friendly win over Cameroon
to take his tally to 49 goals, thus becoming his country's all-time leading goa
lscorer.[416] Going into the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as the team's only star player
, any Portugal success at the tournament largely rested on the shoulders of Rona
ldo.[417] However, Ronaldo was hampered by thigh injuries towards the end of the
201314 season with Real Madrid,[418] and the Portuguese Football Association con
firmed on 4 June 2014 that he had a "muscle injury on the back of his left thigh
as well as left-leg patellar tendinitis."[419]
Ronaldo regularly trained apart from Portugal's training session in order not to
further aggravate his knee and thigh problems and frequently left training earl
y to ice his knee.[420] Though Ronaldo was doubtful for Portugal's 2014 World Cu
p opener against Germany, he managed to play the full 90 minutes as his side los
t 40.[420] In relation to his knee injury, on 18 June his doctor, Jose Carlos Nor
onha, warned Ronaldo that he risks threatening his career by playing on for Port
ugal at the World Cup.[421] Despite ongoing doubts over his fitness, Ronaldo pla
yed in the second match against the United States and delivered an assist for Va
rela's equaliser in the fifth minute of injury time as the match finished 22, kee
ping alive Portugal's slender World Cup hopes.[422] Playing with strapping on hi
s left knee, Ronaldo scored the late winner against Ghana in a 21 victory, but Po
rtugal were kept out of the qualification spots on goal difference.[423] The str
ike was his 50th goal for Portugal, and he became the first Portuguese player to
play and score in three World Cup tournaments.[424]
Euro 2016
After missing the first game of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying against Albania du
e to injury,[425] Ronaldo scored the winner in stoppage time on the 95th minute
to help Portugal grab a 10 away win in Denmark.[426] With his goal, Ronaldo becam
e the competition's joint all-time leading goalscorer (including qualifying) wit
h 22 goals.[427]