Ranking the 5 most forgettable moments of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career
Cristiano Ronaldo is well-known for creating some of the most iconic moments in football history. The attacker has been a huge nightmare for opposition teams over the last two decades, with his unbelievable exploits in front of goal.
The Portuguese is definitely in a league of his own when it comes to individual brilliance. Stepping up on the biggest stages and single-handedly tearing opposition defenses apart, Cristiano Ronaldo's reputation as one of football's greatest isn't a product of luck.
However, despite having achieved many legendary feats in his career, it is worth noting the 5-time Ballon d'Or winner has also recorded a few lows. Whether on or off the pitch, CR7 has a couple of ugly memories he would love history to forget.
In line with that, we take a look at five of the most forgettable moments we've witnessed so far in the attacker’s career.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo's infamous wink at the 2006 World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines for the wrong reasons when Portugal and England locked horns in the World Cup quarterfinals in 2006. The Portuguese pulled off a highly controversial gesture during the encounter that made him fall out with English fans.
His then Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney landed in trouble for stamping on Portuguese defender Ricardo Carvalho in the 62nd minute of the match. The Englishman was shown a red card for the offense, with Cristiano Ronaldo playing a huge part in that as he mounted pressure on the referee.
As Rooney walked off the pitch, Ronaldo controversially winked towards the dugouts, as if to say 'job done'. That gesture angered the English fans who vilified him in the Premier League and even vandalized his house in Manchester.
#4 Real Madrid's 5-0 El Clasico humiliation
Ahead of the November 2010 El Clasico, Cristiano Ronaldo was asked about Real Madrid's chances against a rampant Barcelona side that had just thrashed Almeria 8-0. The Portuguese challenged Blaugrana to score eight against his team as well but that ended up leaving him with bitter experience.
Barca didn't bag eight goals in the encounter but they delivered one of the most humiliating defeats ever to Ronaldo and his colleagues. The Catalans ran riot at the Santiago Bernabeu, dominating the match from the beginning till the end and coming out with a convincing 5-0 victory. It remains one of the worst defeats of the Portuguese's career.