5 events that defined Cristiano Ronaldo’s 36th year
The most popular sportsperson in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, celebrates his 37th birthday today. The man from Madeira has won several trophies and titles in football, achieving beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.
Yet, even at 37, Ronaldo is as hungry as he was a decade back, maybe even more. He constantly pushes himself to be better, to defy biology, and to turn his critics into his biggest admirers.
Today, we will celebrate the superstar’s birthday by taking a look at the top five events that defined his 36th year on this planet.
Now without further ado, let’s get to it.
#5 Return to Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo has played for some of the most decorated clubs in his career. All of his teams have treated him with the utmost respect and showered him with love. Yet his second club Manchester United hold a special place in his heart.
Having capped off a somewhat disappointing spell with Juventus, Ronaldo decided to swap shirts last summer. Manchester City were reportedly in contention for the superstar’s signature, but United couldn’t possibly afford to let their No.7 join their crosstown rivals.
A transfer was agreed, and the 37-year-old returned to Old Trafford to much fanfare.
Born in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.
The skinny Portuguese boy who went on to become the greatest player in the history of football.
37 years old today.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CRISTIANO RONALDO DOS SANTOS AVEIRO. 🐐
https://t.co/URfQFSMEvK
He scored three goals in his first two games for the Red Devils, including a brace in his debut against Newcastle United. The explosiveness has waned since then, but the Portuguese remains the club’s leading scorer for the season.
Had it not been for his six goals in the Champions League, United could have found themselves in the Europa League knockouts.
The superstar unfortunately missed a crucial first-half penalty kick in Manchester United’s FA Cup loss to Middlesbrough on Friday night. The onus will be on him to make amends in the Red Devils’ next Premier League outing against Burnley on Tuesday.
#4 Failure to make Ballon d’Or three-man shortlist
For the first time since 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo failed to break into the three-man shortlist for the respected individual accolade Ballon d’Or. The five-time winner finished sixth in the 2021 Ballon d'Or rankings with only 178 points.
Ronaldo’s arch-rival, Lionel Messi, finished first with 613 points, bagging his seventh Ballon d’Or in the process. Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski finished second with 580 votes and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho wrapped up the top three with 460 points.
Happy birthday to Cristiano Ronaldo, who turns 37 today.
1103 Games
803 Goals
229 Assist
5x Ballon d'or winner
4 European golden shoe
7x UCL Top Scorer
34 Career trophies won
🐐❤️ https://t.co/gAlgdYiMIc
The Manchester United star’s former teammate Karim Benzema finished in fourth position, amassing 239 votes.
As expected, the Portugal skipper was not present at the presentation ceremony, but is being backed to return with a vengeance this year.