10 of Cristiano Ronaldo’s best headers: Part 2

Ronaldo’s headed goal against Hungary ensured Portugal went through to the last 16 of the competition at Euro 2016

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the preeminent headers in world football today. His NBA-style leap, which reaches a ground clearance of 78 cm (31 inches), helps him beat some of the very best defenders in the business and score goals for fun from aerial balls. He has scored headers in some of the most important matches of his life.

In Part 1, we surfed through some of Ronaldo’s best headed goals. In truth, there are too many memorable moments from any season of his career to pick from. Volume 2 brings to you another delightful collection of expertly taken goals:

#5 Against Hungary, UEFA Euro 2016 group stages

Portugal’s victorious Euro 2016 campaign is always remembered as the triumph of a team which did not rely on individual performances, but it took one hell of a performance from its greatest player for them to even make the knockout stages.

Ronaldo had not been his most clinical self in the first two group games, causing detractors to rear their ugly heads with venomous words for him in the press. As always, he set about making them look like dunces in a manner that only he can do.

Hungary were able to score three fortuitous goals against Portugal, but Ronaldo played like a man possessed in that game. First, he played Nani in on goal with a world-class through ball. Next, he turned a cross from the right wing into the goal with a sweet backheel.

After Hungary had scored their third, he powered in an unstoppable header into goal off an assist from Ricardo Quaresma. It was a bullet header – a dream of a goal for any striker to score.