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Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the best players to have graced this beautiful game. During a nearly two-decade-long and illustrious career for club and country, he has scored goals and won trophies galore, while creating numerous records.
To name a few, Ronaldo is the all-time top-scorer in Real Madrid and Champions League history. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner recently became the first Juventus player to score 100 goals in just three seasons at the club.
Despite turning 36 earlier this year, Ronaldo's appetite to score goals and succeed remains undiminished. After winning his first Capocannonieri award last season, Ronaldo was a standout performer at Euro 2020, scoring five goals and registering an assist even as Portugal were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Belgium.
However, over the years, Ronaldo's ultra-competitive streak has seen the player lose his temper on the field. Be it for the referee ruling out a legitimate strike or a teammate getting in the way of Ronaldo's goalbound effort. On that note, here's a look at five such instances in no particular order:
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo headbutts an opponent (2007)
Cristiano Ronaldo has learned to better control his emotions on the field over the years. But that wasn't always the case when he began to make a name for himself as a world-class player during his first few years at Manchester United.
During a Premier League game between Manchester United and Portsmouth in 2007, Ronaldo leapt for a header but ended up headbutting his marker Robert Hughes. The reaction, which was apparently a reaction from Ronaldo after a provocation from Hughes, earned the Portuguese a straight red card, as it happened right in front of the referee.
Hughes would later brush down the incident, saying:
"I don't know whether he meant to or not, but he just connected a little bit harder than just leaning his head on me. It was right in front of the referee, who saw fit to give him a red card. It was on the forehead, on the side, it wasn't enough for a bruising. I thought we were going in for a typical head-to-head without contact, and he came a little bit faster."
After serving his suspension, Ronaldo said:
"I have taken a lot from this punishment. I am mentally prepared now to tolerate anything that my rivals can throw at me. This is a personal promise I have made to the manager. It will never happen again."
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo kicks an opponent (2015)
In a keenly fought La Liga game between Real Madrid and Eibar in 2015, the visitors, looking to find a winner, were reduced to ten men. Their star forward Cristiano Ronaldo saw red for kicking Edimar Fraga for pulling him at the post.
Ronaldo's misactions eventually did not cost his team a win as Gareth Bale scored from the spot after his free-kick was handled by an Eibar player inside the box.
The then three-time Ballon d'Or winner apologized for his reckless actions, putting out a tweet that read:
"I apologise to everyone and especially Edimar for my thoughtless action in today’s game".
During the match, Cristiano Ronaldo was also caught on camera punching another Eibar player, Jose Angel Crespo.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo screams at teammate for denying him a wonder goal (2010)
During a friendly game between Portugal and Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo was apparently furious at his teammate Nani for denying him an excellent goal.
After a typically marauding run down the left, Ronaldo did well to take out a few Spanish defenders and evaded the challenge of another. He then unleashed a sumptuous lob over Iker Casillas at the far post. But his teammate Nani, apparently in an offside position, propped up at the most inopportune moment to head home the goal, and the strike was ruled out.
Replays later suggested that the goal should have stood, as Gerard Pique had played Nani onside. Even so, Nani's silly intervention had robbed Ronaldo a truly beautiful goal.
Nani would later tender a public apology to his teammate, saying:
"I touched the ball because I thought I wasn't offside. Everything happened so quickly. After having time to think about it I apologised to Ronaldo. It was a great piece of play and I shouldn't have ruined it."
Nevertheless, the disallowed goal did not have any impact on the result, as Portugal floored the newly crowned champions 4-0.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo is furious at teammates in Portugal's six-goal thriller (2016)
During a key Euro 2016 game between Portugal and Hungary, Cristiano Ronaldo went wild with fury after his team conceded barely minutes into the second half.
In a must-win game for the eventual champions, it was Zoltan Gera who drew first blood for Hungary before Portugal equalized on the cusp of half-time. The unexpected group winners took the lead for the second time in the match two minutes after the interval.
Ronaldo provided a swift riposte for his first goal of the tournament, which also made him the first player to score in four successive European Championships. But before Portugal had a chance to settle in and look to score a winner, Balazs Dzsudzsak produced a long-ranger, which left Ronaldo seething at his teammates for failing to close down the player.
The Portugal captain, though, once again put his team back on level terms, and Portugal eventually escaped to the Round of 16 as one of the three best third-placed teams.
Incidentally, Adam Szalai hit the woodwork for Hungary. Had that strike gone in, that would have sent the Iberian nation crashing out of the tournament, and Euro 2016 would have had a different winner.
Ronaldo later said about the game:
"A crazy game, we were out of the European Championship three times, and we were always chasing the game."
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo seethes at referee for denying a legitimate goal (2021)
During a FIFA World Cup 2022 qualification game between Serbia and Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo animatedly remonstrated with the referee for disallowing what should have been his late winner.
With no VAR available to assist the referee that night, Dutch referee Danny Makelie failed to see that Ronaldo's effort had crossed the line before Serbian defender Stefan Mitrovic scrambled the ball clear. That came after Portugal had squandered a 2-0 lead in the away game.
Despite Ronaldo protesting the call, the decision stood, and the furious player tore the captain's armband he was wearing and stormed off the pitch at the end of the game.
The referee later apologised to Cristiano Ronaldo for his error, as Portugal were denied two points in what could be a tight qualification group.
