After shining on the world stage for Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo has called time on his Real Madrid career to join Serie A champions Juventus. We look back at his record-breaking stats during a sensational nine-year spell in Spain.
Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 for a then-world record fee of £80m and proceeded to exceed all expectations at the Bernabeu – overtaking Raul to become the club’s all-time top scorer three years ago.
After a modest inaugural season in Spain with 34 goals, the Portuguese went on to score in excess of 40 for eight consecutive seasons, smashing a career-topping 69 in 2011/12.
Ronaldo’s final game for the club was in the Champions League final against Liverpool, with the 33-year-old winning the trophy for the fifth time in his career – four with Real – and ending his nine-year term on a record-breaking 450 goals.
In total, 311 of his goals came in La Liga, but a staggering 105 came against Europe’s elite in the Champions League – being the competition’s all-time top scorer with 120 and the first to net 100 for one club.
He has also scored 22 in the Copa del Rey and another 12 shared among the Club World Cup, Spanish Super Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
Lethal from any angle, Ronaldo netted 298 of his Real collection with his favoured right boot but was almost as prolific with his head as he was with his left boot, heading 70 goals and scoring 81 with his left foot.
His iconic stance while preparing to take direct free-kicks is a sight that frightens ‘keepers the world over, and rightly so – smashing 62 of his goals for the club from outside the box.
The Portuguese leaves big boots to fill in Madrid, where the club will now need to replace a talisman who held a staggering goal ratio in excess of one per game – 450 in 438, to be precise.
In fact, Ronaldo’s return at Real is almost twice as effective than for any other team he has represented, including Portugal, for whom he averages 0.6 per game.
Ronaldo departs Madrid with a record-breaking legacy and has arguably etched himself into Real history as their greatest ever player to date.
But his dedication and athletic physique prompts many to believe there are several seasons left in Ronaldo before he bows out of the game for good.
Since his world-record transfer to Madrid, only Lionel Messi has scored more goals in Europe’s top five leagues. But the pair’s goal race does not end with Ronaldo’s career in Spain, as the forward embarks on pastures new in Italy.
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