5 best Cristiano Ronaldo moments of 2017

The year is coming to a close and once again it has Cristiano Ronaldo's name written all over it. With Real Madrid, the Portuguese captain has amassed five trophies in the calendar year, including the La Liga and the Champions League.

As the icing on the cake, he's added a mind-boggling fifth Ballon d'Or to his trophy cabinet. He has equalled long-time rival Messi's tally with this win.

In a year with so many highlights, we bring you five moments that defined his season.

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#5 Supercopa de Espana final

Ronaldo scores the winner in the Supercopa de Espana final

The image of a helpless Gerard Pique turning around to look at his nightmare, shirtless, celebrating the winner will be etched forever in the minds of Barcelona and Madrid fans.

The first leg of the match between the Liga winners and Copa Del Rey champions was set to end as a draw. But that's until Ronaldo came on as a substitute to beat Pique and curl it from outside the box, into the top right corner, and give Los Blancos a 2-1 lead. He was sent off a few minutes later, following a second yellow card, but the damage had been done.

Real Madrid went on to win the tie 5-1 over the two legs, but it was definitely this moment, that changed the course of the final.

#4 Champions League Semifinal first leg

Ronaldo poses after scoring a hat-trick in the first leg of the UCL Semi-Final

The Madrid teams met for the third time in four years in the Champions League, in the semifinal this year. What was supposed to be a tense contest was turned into a one-sided affair by the No.7.

The teams seemed to be on level terms until the tenth minute. In the tenth minute of the game, Casemiro delivered a cross into the box that Ronaldo headed in from six yards out, leaving Jan Oblak helpless, giving the home side an early advantage in the tie.

The match was starting to look like a dull affair and the FIFA Player of the Year had to intervene once again to make something happen. Marcelo's cross into the danger area was slipped to Ronaldo by Benzema, and not one to waste a chance, he drove an unstoppable shot into the top left, to double the lead. The first leg was almost done.

But the man himself decided to put any chance of Atletico's recovery in the next leg to bed, by linking up with Lucas Vasquez and tapping in from close range to complete a hat-trick.

#3 Club World Cup final

Cristiano nets a freekick in the Club World Cup final

For the umpteenth time in his career, people had started to write Ronaldo off. Both him and his club were going through a difficult period as they met Gremio in the Club World Cup final.

The match was deadlocked and Real Madrid turned to their main man to once again deliver on the big stage. With a vintage Ronaldo freekick, he scored in a final once again, to give the defending champions the lead. The King once again proved that being a great player was not just about scoring a lot, but it was also about scoring when it mattered.

Madrid held on to their slim 1-0 lead to win the fifth trophy of the year, for the first time in the club's illustrious history. This win might be the much-needed inspiration to get their season back on track.

#2 Champions League semifinal

Ronaldo celebrates a goal against Bayern Munich

In a game that will go down as one of the most controversial ones in Champions League history, Ronaldo's hat-trick was probably the only thing that overshadowed the shambolic refereeing in the match. Casemiro escaped a red time and again, while Vidal was shown the red card wrongly.

Cristiano made the most of the one-man deficit, by scoring a hat-trick that took the game completely away from the Bavarians. Two of his goals were controversial; one of them being clearly offside.

But at the end of the day, it was his hat-trick, on the back of two of his goals from the first leg, that helped Madrid beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. Five goals in two legs of a Champions League quarter is something for the ages.

It was the second leg performance that gave the forward and his team the confidence to beat any team they may encounter in the next stages of the tournament.

#1 Champions League final

Ronaldo celebrates a goal in the final

Cometh the moment, cometh the man. He had scored five in the quarters and three in the semis. There was no way he could score again in the final. The law of averages just had to catch up. But in the biggest match of them all, Real Madrid opened the scoring through their ace forward and had one hand on the trophy. The goal though would be cancelled out by a stunning strike from Mandzukic.

Casemiro restored the lead, but the game was far from over. And like in the previous ties, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped forward to kill the game. He ran into the box unmarked to meet Modric's cross and turn in a perfect poacher's goal. Juventus had a mountain to climb and they eventually lost 4-1.

Ronaldo capped off a brilliant Champions League campaign with two goals in the final, that helped Los Merengues defend their title(the only team to do so) and virtually handed him the Ballon d'Or.