30 Great Moments in Cristiano Ronaldo's Career

Cristiano Ronaldo is a gift to the sporting world, so it's only fitting that on Thursday, February 5, 2015, we attempt to repay the Real Madrid phenomenon in some shape to celebrate his 30th birthday.

In keeping with the theme, listed ahead are 30 of the greatest moments witnessed thus far in his illustrious career, from the days at Sporting Lisbon all the way up to his most recent exploits at the Bernabeu.

To clarify, "moment" is the key word in these selections, where certain achievements crafted over weeks and months have been omitted in place of snappier memories, celebrations that really stick in one's mind for their brief impact.

Although the list is ranked, only Ronaldo himself will know which moments he truly holds dearest to his heart and which events trump which.

Feel free to let us know which moments you consider Ronaldo's finest in the forum below.

30. Opening the Cristiano Ronaldo Museum

To some, opening a museum in homage to one's own career may be seen as tacky, even narcissistic. But in Ronaldo's defence, he needs somewhere to display one of the biggest collections of all things gold and silver the world has ever seen.

Upon opening the site in December 2013 in his hometown of Madeira, Ronaldo was quoted by BBC Sport as saying: "It's a special day, I don't want to mention specific ones. All I want is to win more and if the Ballon d'Or comes, there is extra room here."

An instrument of vanity, perhaps, but the Cristiano Ronaldo Museum is nonetheless a reminder of just how unique the player is—interpret that as you may.

29. Unveiling of Cristiano Ronaldo Statue in Madeira

Depending on how one looks upon the worship of false deities, erecting a Ronaldo statue in Madeira may be an even more grievous offence than his aforementioned museum.

Bronzed for all eternity in one of his numerous signature stances, the totem does nothing if not display Madeira's affection for their product, however, and Ronaldo will undoubtedly feel some measure of pride in its creation.

28. Coining 'That' Wink at the 2006 World Cup

It's a common trait among superstars that arrogance and what others may perceive as mere cheekiness go hand-in-hand with talent. Ronaldo is no different.

By the time the 2006 World Cup came around, he already had several seasons at Manchester United to his name, and a Wayne Rooney-led England side made for an enticing quarter-final opponent.

However, in what's been chronicled as a memorable World Cup controversy, Ronaldo lent his hand in Wayne Rooney's sending off for a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho, proceeding to wink at his bench for the part played in the drama.

He was a younger, more impetuous man at the time of such devilish behaviour, but great moments aren't always ones full of cheer, and this reminds us of Ronaldo's more devious side. 

27. Manchester United Debut

Is there anything more nostalgic than an origins story? It was, of course, Sporting who reared Ronaldo and were responsible for nurturing his talent as a youth, but Manchester United were the real deal, a European giant of world class who once took a chance on a young lad from Madeira.

As we're all aware now, it's a risk which paid dividends and then some, but it all began with a substitute appearance against Bolton Wanderers on August 16, 2003. 

It was clear from the start what he brought to the table. At the point of his 60th-minute introduction, United led the Trotters 1-0; 27 minutes after he came on, goals from Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Ruud van Nistelrooy had quadrupled that lead.

26. Sir Matt Busby Award Marks Bright Start to Old Trafford Career

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Sir Alex Ferguson will, of course, have known what a prodigious player he was acquiring in 2003. However, in claiming the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award in his maiden campaign at Old Trafford, Ronaldo had clearly left a swift impression on the fans, too.

During a six-year stay in England, Ronaldo would go on to claim the accolade—decided by the club's fans—twice more, but it took the youngster a remarkably short time to adapt to the Premier League.

In another life, with any starlet less dedicated to his craft, a fancy-footed Ronaldo may not have survived quite so capably in the English top flight. 

25. First Real Madrid Hat-Trick

Ten months after joining Los Blancos, Ronaldo netted all three goals in a 3-1 beating of Mallorca to claim his first Real Madrid hat-trick on May 5, 2010.

It's now been almost five years since the Portuguese playmaker bagged his first three-goal haul for Real, but the increasing frequency with which he scores in high numbers serves as a sign of his efforts to never stop improving.

24. A Sole Premier League Hat-Trick

No matter how incredible a talent he might be, Ronaldo managed just one Premier League hat-trick during his Manchester United tenure, an achievement which occurred during a 6-0 thrashing of Newcastle United in January 2008.

As only the true elite will know, the hat-trick is a rarity which, irrespective of circumstance, will always hold a special place in the scorer's mind. So while it may have come in an unflattering context, Ronaldo's aid in crushing the Magpies will surely sit as a fond memory of his.

23. Makes Up Sir Alex Ferguson's Mind in Sporting Lisbon Friendly

Manchester United were already being linked with a move for Ronaldo prior to a 2003-04 preseason meeting against Sporting Lisbon, but his performance in that fixture effectively sealed the deal.

He failed to get on the scoresheet, but Ronaldo took his opportunity to leave a mass of Red Devils in his wake on August 7, 2003, convincing spectator Ferguson that his talent was for real. Ferguson decided he wanted it for himself. 

22. Named Captain of Portuguese National Team

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Not every great player necessarily makes for a great leader of men, but Ronaldo can boast being a combination of the two after serving as Portugal captain for the past six-and-a-half years.

What's even more remarkable is that upon taking the armband from Nuno Gomes in July 2008, Ronaldo was just 23 years of age, but none can doubt his capacity as an inspirational force.

21. Thrusting Manchester United to 2004 FA Cup Triumph

Millwall may not be the toughest opponent Ronaldo has come up against in any of his numerous tournament finals down the years, but the 2003-04 FA Cup triumph is a special one for the 30-year-old.

Winning the FA Cup in his maiden year as a Premier League player ensured there was some silverware success for the winger right at the start of his journey, scoring the opener at Wembley as part of a 3-0 demolition.

20. Named Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry

As a football player, earning individual merits in the sport is a stellar achievement, but to be so influential as to gain the acknowledgement of an entire nation is a different standard of recognition altogether.

Portugal have bestowed numerous such awards upon Ronaldo, who in January 2014 was named a Grand Officer of the Order of Prince Henry to go alongside an already overloaded collection of accolades.

To be seen as a symbol and role model for the country of his birth and international representation illustrates just how far-reaching Ronaldo's impact truly is, something only a rare few can ever hope to achieve.

19. 2009 Puskas Award

Over the course of his professional career for both club and country, Ronaldo has scored more than 450 goals, according to Transfermarkt, including tap-ins, set-piece screamers and everything in between.

Anyone even slightly aware of the maestro's talent, however, will know full well his ability to do the unbelievable, an example of which came in the shape of his 2009 Puskas Award winner.

Through the logic of FIFA's recognition as that year's Goal of the Year, one may be correct in calling the April 2009 effort the best finish of Ronaldo's career, leading Manchester United to a Champions League quarter-final win over Porto.

18. Atletico Madrid Hat-Trick Leads Real to 4-1 Derby Romp

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The scoring of any hat-trick is an occasion to be celebrated; doing so against your club's most bitter rival deserves extra credit.

In an April 2012 clash against local foes Atletico Madrid, Ronaldo starred as the key man in a 4-1 defeat, with three goals built on the two he already bagged against Los Rojiblancos in a meeting earlier that season.

The hat-trick also took Ronaldo past the 40-goal marker for the 2011-12 campaign, making him the only player in any major European league to score 40 goals in back-to-back domestic seasons.

17. Marking His La Liga Debut in Typical Fashion

Ronaldo's Real Madrid debut came during a 2009-10 preseason encounter with Shamrock Rovers, but he didn't make a statement in La Liga until August 2009. 

Deportivo La Coruna not only had the unenviable honour of being the first team to go up against Real Madrid's newest weapon in a La Liga contest, but they could only watch as he scored from the penalty spot and helped pave the way to a 3-2 Real win. 

16. 2011 Copa Del Rey Heroics vs. Barcelona

Barcelona were still a dominant side in April 2011. They were upbeat under Pep Guardiola's guidance and made their way through to the 2010-11 Copa del Rey final.

However, it was also around this time that Real Madrid's resurgence as a titan of Europe began, and where better for Ronaldo to make a statement as the pioneer of their revival?

The Copa del Rey crescendo ended 0-0 in normal time, but a Ronaldo header in the 13th minute of extra time gave Real a 1-0 victory over their El Clasico rivals, the club's first major title since 2008.

15. Reaching a La Liga Century

It initially took time for Ronaldo to find his feet in La Liga—or at least in comparison with the free-scoring figure of today—but once up to speed, there hasn't been any stopping the man marvel.

On March 24, 2012, he scored his 100th and 101st La Liga goals en route to a 5-1 thrashing of Real Sociedad, becoming the second-fastest player to net 100 goals in Spain's first tier, second only to Real Oviedo legend Isidro Langara.

Even then, Ronaldo accomplished the feat with less than three full seasons at Real Madrid under his belt.

14. First Hat-Trick for Portugal

Northern Ireland ruffled a few feathers in their attempts to land a spot at the 2014 World Cup, claiming a 1-1 draw against fellow qualification hopefuls Portugal in their own backyard in 2012.

What was perhaps more shocking was to see Ronaldo's side trail their foes 2-1 in Belfast's return fixture on September 3, 2013, with no prizes for guessing who was at hand to guide Paulo Bento's side through the gloom.

With the fixture in doubt and their place in Brazil's tournament at major risk, Ronaldo chose an ideal moment to score his first international hat-trick and win the tie 4-2, overtaking Eusebio as Portugal's second-highest scorer in the process.

13. Manchester United Arrival

Looking back now, it's hard to believe the Adonis-like Ronaldo was ever a skinny teenager, one who found it a tad more difficult to scythe through defences with quite as much ease. But alas, everyone has their origins.

For Ronaldo, his real rise to worldwide fame began with the August 2003 switch from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United, where he would go on to increase his reputation as a superstar force.

At the time of his arrival, then-Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson was quoted by BBC Sport as saying:

"

We have been negotiating for Cristiano for quite some time, but the interest in him from other clubs accelerated in the last few weeks so we had to move quickly to get him. It was only through our association with Sporting that they honoured our agreement of months ago.

He is an extremely talented footballer, a two-footed attacker who can play anywhere up front: right, left or through the middle.

"

Despite his greatest achievements mainly coming in Madrid, Ronaldo has always spoken fondly of his time in England, a firm part of the foundations upon which his legacy has been built.

He'll likely never forget his arrival at Old Trafford. At that point, not many will have been quite aware of just what a talent United had bagged for £12.24 million, but they would come to know.

Plus, look at that hair.

12. First Premier League Title, 2007

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Every 18-year-old prodigy might like to think the world is their oyster and they can influence it as they please, but even the best must wait before their impact can be truly felt.

Ronaldo learnt as much firsthand, having to wait almost four years after arriving at Manchester United before claiming his first Premier League title.

The 2006-07 season was the first term the rising star scored Premier League goals in the double digits (17), featuring as the club's best asset and helping beat Chelsea to top spot by six points.

Thanks to Ronaldo's influence, United sealed their ninth championship in 15 years with two games to spare, and the Portuguese wonder came to prominence, finally reaping one particular award he had pursued for so long.

11. Breaking World Transfer-Fee Record with Real Madrid Move

"Money makes the world go round" is an old adage that rings true with football as much as any other sport, where transfer fees and wages are often a common indicator of who rules the roost.

In the summer of 2009, Manchester United's much-anticipated sale of Ronaldo finally came about, moving him to Real Madrid for a staggering £80 million. At the time, it was the highest figure ever paid for a player. 

His reception at the Bernabeu was all the evidence needed to know just how excited Los Merengues were to unleash their prize, but being dubbed priciest player in history is a nice title in its own regard.

Zinedine Zidane, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona; these are some of the names who have broken the record themselves over the years, and 2009 saw Ronaldo edge ever closer to joining their immortal ranks—if not already counted among them.

10. Celta Vigo Hat-Trick Seals La Liga Records

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It was only two months ago, in December 2014, that Ronaldo became the fastest player ever to reach the milestone of 200 La Liga goals with a hat-trick against Celta Vigo.

The 3-0 victory also saw Ronaldo grab his 23rd hat-trick in Spain's top flight, itself a La Liga record.

9. Leading Portugal Single-Handedly into the 2014 World Cup

On countless occasions over the past decade and more, Ronaldo has been the driving force behind results for both club and country, but few were more important than his one-man army display against Sweden in 2013.

With a place at the 2014 World Cup on the line, the national team captain scored all four of Portugal's goals across the two legs of their playoff fixture against the Swedes.

Leading into the matchup, all the hype surrounded the prospect of either him or Zlatan Ibrahimovic missing out on qualification for Brazil. However, a hat-trick in the second leg saw Ronaldo rise to the occasion, steal the show and deservedly book his side's place in the tournament.

8. Earning All the English Honours in 2008

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As he edged closer and closer to the peak of his powers, it's inevitable that the last few years of Ronaldo's Old Trafford career would also be his finest at the club.

As such, the player hauled in the individual trophies to go alongside any team accolades, particularly in 2008, when he was named FWA Player of the Year, PFA Players' Player of the Year and Barclays Player of the Year.

It was the second year in a row that Ronaldo managed to clinch the trio of awards, but while the first may have vindicated praise of his quality, the second showed that he was on another level in terms of consistency, too.

7. Claiming La Liga's Crown

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Having won three successive Premier League titles during his time in England, one might expect Ronaldo to have added a few La Liga crowns to his cabinet by now, but the tally remains at just one.

That triumph came in 2012, where Real exorcised the demons of years gone by to beat the previously undeniable Barcelona by a massive nine-point gap, reaching 100 points in the process.

It may have taken three years for Ronaldo to finally top the Blaugrana and establish Real as the in-form force of La Liga, but it was worth the wait.

6. Clinching His First Champions League Title

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To date, Ronaldo has two Champions League winners' medals locked away in his silverware stash, the first of which came near the pinnacle of his Manchester United career.

On May 21, 2008, the Red Devils' talisman had a mixed day as he scored the opener in the European final against Chelsea before going on to put their victory in danger with a missed spot kick in the penalty shootout.

The unsettled footing of one John Terry ensured Ronaldo's mistake didn't cost United that year's title, and he reached the peak of European football with the club who saw fit to invest so heavily in his potential as a teenager.

5. Claiming the 2014 Ballon D'Or

The third and most recent of Ronaldo's Ballon d'Ors served as a reminder—if ever one was needed—that the Portuguese captain is swiftly catching up on Lionel Messi's four-trophy haul.

Scoring 61 goals and making 22 assists in 60 appearances throughout 2014 was the hard part, but his crowning moment in Zurich this January was yet more realisation of his status as the world's best at present.

As if the trophy itself wasn't enough, Ronaldo marked the crystallisation of his success with an odd, cocky howl—another reason why it was so great.

4. Marking 2008 with Ballon D'Or, World Footballer of the Year Accolades

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Ronaldo's finest year as a Manchester United player undoubtedly came in 2008, when his influence helped guide the Red Devils to a Premier League and Champions League double.

The up-and-coming superstar was building traction as a Ballon d'Or contender prior to the 2007-08 season. But those team achievements were built upon with individual prizes, winning his first Ballon d'Or and World Footballer of the Year crowns in the 2008 celebrations.

Ronaldo himself may argue that each and every Ballon d'Or is as significant as the others, but the first will assuredly rank near the top of his list, an indication that his talent was in it for the long haul.

3. Bidding Farewell to Old Trafford with a Double

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Everyone at Old Trafford will have been saddened to see Ronaldo depart their borders in 2009, from the hierarchy to the playing staff and every bit of the fanbase he had entertained during his stay.

However, being the generous character he is, Ronaldo signed off on this portion of his career with aplomb, winning a final Premier League title and the League Cup in 2009, just months before his Real Madrid switch.

He was helpless to prevent the Red Devils losing 2-0 to Barcelona in that year's Champions League final, but one couldn't suggest Ronaldo didn't give his all to the club's cause until the very end.

2. 2013 Ballon D'Or Victory

Having watched Lionel Messi lift the title for the preceding four years in succession, Ronaldo ended a Ballon d'Or hoodoo in January 2014 by claiming the 2013 honor. 

Evidently, the award meant a lot to the player, as he proceeded to let the tears flow, almost in some relief that Barcelona's star man had finally been defeated and the Catalan grip on Europe was receding.

Over the course of 2013, Ronaldo scored a stupendous 69 goals, more than runners-up Messi and Franck Ribery combined (67).

1. Guiding Real Madrid to 'La Decima'

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Having thrived so successfully under the guard of the Galacticos at the turn of the century, Real Madrid were disappointed to go 12 years without a European title; that is, until Ronaldo arrived.

With arguably the best player ever to have existed under their roof, the club's agonising wait for their 10th European title came to an end in May 2014, and Ronaldo was at the root of it all.

The forward scored 17 goals in the process of claiming La Decima, the most ever managed by one player in a Champions League season, including a 120th-minute finish in the 4-1 final defeat of rivals Atletico Madrid.