Cristiano Ronaldo will be remembered as one of the greatest footballers of all time and, in particular, arguably the best out and out goalscorer to ever grace the pitch.
The Portuguese’s goals may have dried up somewhat in the latter stages of his career, but CR7 still boasts a number of impressive records.
Firstly, Ronaldo is in possession of the benchmark for most international goals scored, having surpassed Ali Daei who previously held the record with 109. The Portuguese is now on 115, and the gap to 2nd is sure to be extended even further in the coming year.
Elsewhere, Ronaldo is, overall, the highest-scoring football in history, netting 803 across his career to date. Pele is in second with 765 and Lionel Messi is 3rd with 759.
So, given the sheer number of goals he has scored, Cristiano Ronaldo is bound to have netted some belters over the years. And now, 101 are taking a look at his top 10 greatest ever goals.
📰 Table Of Contents
10) Vs Sevilla 2013
One of Cristiano Ronaldo’s biggest assets earlier in his career was his ability to strike the ball from long range.
A great example of this was in 2013, when the attacker smashed in a thunderbolt of a strike as Madrid beat Sevilla 4-1:
#OTD in 2013, @Cristiano unleashed this rocket in a 4-1 @realmadriden win! 🚀💜#LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/JzEyN8gizE
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) February 9, 2022
9) Vs Rayo Vallecano 2012
The next goal on this list came against Rayo Vallecano in 2012.
Ronaldo found himself around 12 yards out with his back to the opponent’s goal.
But rather than opting to find a teammate or even turn around, the Portuguese pulled off what has to be one of the best backheel goals of all time:
✨ 𝐈 𝐂 𝐎 𝐍 𝐈 𝐂 ✨
⚽️ #RayoRealMadrid
🔙 2011/12
👟 @Cristiano #LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/GmCByQgbBY— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) February 26, 2022
8) Vs Atletico Madrid 2012
As many are likely to point out, Ronaldo’s free-kick-taking ability has faded over the years.
However, the veteran forward has nevertheless scored a number of simply sensational set-piece efforts over the course of his career.
One of his best came in the Madrid derby back in 2012, and opened the scoring as Real went on to clinch a 4-1 win:
✨ @Cristiano strikes! 🎯💥#AthleticRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/22FwhplSuw
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) July 5, 2020
7) Vs Osasuna 2012
Ronaldo would score a plethora of remarkable goals in La Liga during his time in Madrid.
Arguably one of the best came in the form of his stunning long-range strike vs Osasuna back in 2012.
The Portuguese picked up the ball midway through Osasuna’s half, before controlling and smashing home a long-range effort:
🤯 ¡Imposible quedarse con uno solo! 🤯
💥 𝑮𝑶𝑳𝑨𝒁𝑶𝑺 🆚 @CAOsasuna #RealMadridOsasuna pic.twitter.com/JpRk8K7koC— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) October 27, 2021
6) Vs Liverpool 2014
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid met Liverpool twice in the 2014/15 Champions League group stages.
Los Blancos came out on top on both occasions, with the first encounter ending 3-0.
Ronaldo scored once in the 3-0 win with arguably the goal of the season, and one of his best in a Madrid shirt:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6rKHiqeQVA
5) Vs Barcelona 2011
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first trophy as a Real Madrid player was the Copa del Rey in 2011.
The capital giants would beat Barcelona 1-0 in the final, with CR7’s leaping header the only goal of the tie, a special finish from a special player:
1) Team first, individuals second.
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo being a winger, Jose Mourinho started him at the 9 position in the 2011 Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
Why? “It was better for the team.”
The result?
Ronaldo scored the game winning goal in extra time. pic.twitter.com/XkAobrFAdq
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) November 3, 2020
4) Vs Arsenal 2009
This next goal is not just about Cristiano Ronaldo’s individual brilliance, but also showcases what a deadly force Manchester United were with him as part of their attack.
United would take on Arsenal in the 2008/09 Champions League semi-finals.
The Red Devils boasted a 1-0 lead after the first-leg, and then ran riot in the second with Ronaldo scoring a brace. The first was a superb free-kick which also could have easily been on this list. But it was his second of the day that really deserves the praise, and saw Manchester United complete a deadly counter-attack with just three passes:
20 seconds really isn’t very long!
You can wash your hands in the time it took for *THAT* Manchester United counter-attack goal against Arsenal in 2009… pic.twitter.com/bhG3bELCau
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 18, 2020
3) Vs Portsmouth 2008
2007/08, one of Ronaldo’s best seasons in a Manchester United shirt before his jump to Real Madrid, saw him score a range of stunning goals.
Arguably the pick of the bunch came vs Portsmouth in January of 2008. Man United beat Portsmouth 2-0, with Ronaldo netting both goals.
And the pick of these came in the form of this stunning free-kick, which many a fan and player have attempted to emulate in the years since:
On this day in 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo scored this free-kick vs. Portsmouth.
Iconic 🎯
(via @ManUtd)pic.twitter.com/J0dzU9y5SV
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 30, 2022
2) Vs Porto 2009
Manchester United would face off with FC Porto in the 2008/09 Champions League quarter-finals.
The Red Devils drew 2-2 at Old Trafford in the first-leg, meaning they needed a win in the second to ensure advancement to the semis.
And Sir Alex Ferguson’s men would manage exactly that, winning 1-0 thanks to an absolute rocket from Ronaldo six minutes into the tie:
THREAD: Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United moments…
🤯 THAT @Cristiano wonder-strike against Porto in 2009! #UCL | @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/oDcXVK0Rf6
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 29, 2021
1) Vs Juventus 2018
Cristiano Ronaldo has become synonymous with delivering on the biggest stage.
One of the best examples of this came in 2018, when Real Madrid faced off with Juventus in the Champions League.
Los Blancos took on Juve in Turin and came away with a 3-0 win as Ronaldo scored arguably his greatest ever goal in what would end up being his final season for Real:
😱😱😱 Cristiano Ronaldo’s amazing effort against Juventus in 2018…@realmadriden | #UCL https://t.co/Fla9IXkahv pic.twitter.com/l52uICHsSF
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 9, 2020
