Ranking 5 greatest forwards who partnered Cristiano Ronaldo at club level
The recent switch to Manchester United saw Cristiano Ronaldo return to the Premier League after a 12-year absence. Over the years, the Portuguese legend has gone on to win everything club football has to offer, with 33 distinguished titles to his name. In addition to the sumptuous number of accolades, Cristiano Ronaldo also gained some valuable experience by playing alongside the best of the lot.
Some notable teammates of Cristiano Ronaldo
Donning the prestigious jersey of Real Madrid for nine years, the prolific forward was awarded the chance to play with some legends of the game. During his stint in Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo got to share the locker room with the likes of Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Marcelo and Raul, among others.
2018-19:
- Real Madrid lose Ronaldo.
- Real Madrid make worst start to season in history.
- Juventus sign Ronaldo.
- Juventus make best start to season in their history.
2021-22:
- Juventus lose Ronaldo.
- Juventus make worst start to season in 66 years.
The Ronaldo Effect 🤯 https://t.co/4yGXPCb9qJ
However, his initial venture into the top five European leagues began with Manchester United back in 2003, with Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes by his side. His elongated and illustrious career has also seen him play ball at the Allianz Stadium for Italian giants Juventus. During the said tenure, Cristiano Ronaldo was fortunate to have Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini as his acquaintances.
In hindsight, Cristiano Ronaldo has had the cream of footballing royalties to call him a teammate. Over the years, the 36-year-old goal-machine also got the chance to play with some legendary attackers. With this notion in mind, let's take a look at five of the best forwards who have partnered Cristiano Ronaldo at club level:
#5 Carlos Tevez (Manchester United)
Currently a free agent at the ripe old age of 37, Carlos Tevez was once feared by all the Premier League defences due to his exceptional goal-scoring prowess. Despite the erratic Argentine only spending two years with the club on loan, he was successful in establishing a formidable partnership with the Manchester United attackers.
In a fabled forward trio that also included Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Tevez still managed to stand out. He combined with the six-time Ballon d'Or winner in 80 games, amounting to approximately 5,000 minutes on the pitch.
Carlos Tevez: "If I retired and had to put together a farewell match, my team would be Buffon, Hugo Ibarra, Rio Ferdinand, Gabriel Heinze, Patrice Evra, Scholes, Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Rooney. I’d stay on the bench."
#quoteoftheday https://t.co/JAkdc5nEvm
The duo were instrumental in establishing United's supremacy on the domestic and European front. Their partnership was cut short after just two seasons when Tevez decided to join cross-town rivals Manchester City in one of the most controversial transfers ever.
#4 Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United)
Considered to be one of the best forwards during his spell with Manchester United, Ruud van Nistelrooy joined the English giants in 2001 for a sizeable fee of €28.5 million. However, the Dutch striker inexplicably left the club in 2006 to join forces with Real Madrid.
Therefore, he only got to spend three years alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford. Nevertheless, the duo did not need much time to adapt to each other's style of play, as reflected by their extraordinary attacking output and number of titles.
The most lethal strike force in the premiership to date is Ruud van Nistelrooy & Ronaldo combination. https://t.co/6Y6QZnqo8M
In 91 appearances together, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy combined to produce 14 goals. Following the Portugal international's record-breaking switch to Real Madrid in 2009, the duo were reunited for a span of six months.
Also read: 5 Ballon d'Or nominees from obscure nations in the 21st century