The Santiago Bernabéu was filled to the brim on July 7th 2009, just over 80,000 people came to the stadium to watch Cristiano Ronaldo pull on the white jersey of Real Madrid for the first time. Madrid had paid €94 million to bring him to the Spanish capital, and fans were doubting if he could live up to the expectations which come with being the most expensive player in history. He played what turned out to be his final game for Real Madrid on 26th May 2018, and there isn’t a football fan alive that doubts whether or not he was worth the money.
His first few years in Madrid would have been successful for any other player, but these were the four years in which Ronaldo lost out to Messi for the Ballon D’Or. To consistently be named the second best player in the world is no small feat, but after reading interviews it’s clear that he saw this as just another challenge. With Gareth Bale joining the team as another world record signing, Ronaldo found arguably the best form of his career so far. Finishing the 2013 calendar year with a remarkable 63 goals in 59 appearances, he usurped Lionel Messi and won the second Ballon D’Or of his career. He carried that form into the next year and played a crucial role in Real Madrid finally winning the Champions League again and claiming La Decima.
Cristiano Ronaldo is 33 years old now, an age at which most professional footballers (especially players who relied on speed and agility) are are well into their twilight years. It’s a true testament to his ability to change his game to play to his strengths. In his time at Manchester United and the early years in Madrid he played the role of a traditional winger, marauding up and down the touchline using pace and trickery to beat defenders and score brilliant individual goals. As he continued to play in almost every game of the season, his body started to deteriorate, with several long term injuries preventing him from reaching the levels he has set for himself. While Ancelotti and Benitez both tried playing Ronaldo as a traditional number 9, it wasn’t until Zidane came along that he really started to flourish in that role. For the last 3 seasons Real Madrid have started their big games with Ronaldo alongside Benzema upfront, with Bale dropping deeper into the midfield. This allows the players like Bale and Modric to cover the miles while leaving Cristiano to save his running for when the team is in possession.
Ronaldo has always been an intelligent player, and that intelligence has helped him adapt his game in recent years. He’s transformed from scoring a good number of mid-to-long range goals to scoring a truly ridiculous number of goals even if most of them are one touch finishes from inside the box. He actually didn’t score too many goals in important games early on, but as he has transitioned into a more direct goal threat he has been instrumental in Real Madrid’s European dominance. He’s been the top scorer in the last 5 Champions League campaigns running, that doesn’t happen unless he’s scoring big goals in big games. Just looking back through the knockout stages for the last three Champions League campaigns (15/16, 16/17 and 17/18), Ronaldo has scored 5, 10 and 6 goals in these games respectively, a huge reason why Madrid have been so impressive in Europe lately.
The mentality which drives Cristiano to improve and never be satisfied might be one of his defining features as a footballer. Yes he is naturally talented and physically one of the top athletes in any sport, but his work ethic is extremely rare and has kept him at the top of his game for much longer than other players. The confidence and drive he exudes is infectious to any team he plays for and makes him a natural leader on the pitch. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen him single-handedly win games and drag Madrid through close games by the skin of their teeth.
Without a doubt one of my most memorable experiences was witnessing his brilliance in person, when I attended a Champions League quarter final game between Real Madrid and Wolfsburg. Madrid were trailing 2-0 after the first leg and there were talks of Ronaldo being past his prime as he was struggling to find the net consistently. I went into this game excited to see my favorite team play, but worried that I was going to see them knocked out of this tournament which had become the focus of the season. What followed was truly one of Ronaldo’s greatest performances for the Merengues, he scored 3 goals to overturn the deficit and pull Real Madrid through to the Semi-Finals. They would go on to win this Champions League and the two after that, so without these goals from Ronaldo we might be looking at a very different team. Hearing 80,000 people chant Ronaldo’s name after his third goal is something I will remember for the rest of my life.
And now, after 9 years at Real Madrid, a staggering 450 goals in 438 games, 4 Champions League winners medals and 4 Ballon D’Or trophies. Ronaldo is moving on from Real Madrid and joining the Italian club Juventus. It’s going to take a long time to get used to seeing Madrid line up without him, and even longer to get used to seeing him in a Juventus strip. He has given his all for the club, and been part of one of the most successful team in Real Madrid’s illustrious history. Gracias Ronaldo for all you have done, and good luck for your future in Italy.
Jeremy's Ramblings 
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