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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.
#3 Slapping and kicking Cordoba's Edimar Fraga
Cristiano Ronaldo was a constant on the front page of major newspapers after claiming his third Ballon d'Or award on January 12, 2015. However, just three days after that triumph, the Portuguese returned to the spotlight once again - this time for the wrong reasons.
Ronaldo was involved in disgraceful scenes during Real Madrid's clash with Cordoba on January 15, 2015. The attacker was sent off midway through the second half for slapping and kicking out Cordoba defender Edimar Praga.
He was handed a two-match suspension by La Liga. After facing a lot of criticism from the media, fans and fellow footballers, the Portuguese decided to issue an apology via his Twitter account. He wrote:
"I apologize to everyone and especially Edimar for my reflex actions in today's game."
#2 Leaving Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed a fabulous spell at Real Madrid, winning major trophies and individual accolades with ease. Four Ballon d'Or awards, three European Golden Shoes and four Champions League titles headlined an impressive stint at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, in the summer of 2018, the Portuguese took a drastic decision to leave the Spanish capital in favor of a move to Juventus. That proved to be one step forward and 10 steps backward in the career of the talismanic forward.
Ever since he parted ways with Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't won any major awards or trophies at club level outside Italy. The Ballon d'Ors, European Golden Shoes and Champions League have stopped coming. He will certainly regret leaving the Spanish league.
#1 Juventus failure
Juventus made it clear they had signed Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Champions League when they splashed €100 million to secure his services in 2018. But things didn't go as they hoped.
The Portuguese produced some brilliant performances in the tournament, especially during the 2018-2019 season, scoring all of the Bianconeri's five goals in the knockout phase. However, he failed to deliver the iconic trophy in Turin and became the subject of intense scrutiny.
After three fruitless years in the Champions League, Ronaldo decided to end his association with the Italian giants. He left the Old Lady to sign a two-year contract with his former club Manchester United this summer. It remains to be seen if he will be able to rejuvenate his club career at Old Trafford.
