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#3 Against Spain in 2018
Cristiano Ronaldo has been a force to be reckoned with in club football — one of the best the game has ever witnessed. However, in internationals, he has always faced a degree of criticism, with many claiming he has not been prolific against top national sides.
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So, when Spain and Portugal were pitted in the same group in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the majority wrote Cristiano Ronaldo off, predicting their tie to result in a straightforward win for Spain. On matchday, however, Spain witnessed the full wrath of an in-form Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo was the first to break the deadlock with a sweetly-struck penalty in the fourth minute. Diego Costa restored parity for Spain but Ronaldo pulled Portugal ahead just before half-time by catching David de Gea off guard.
Spain scored twice in the second half to put themselves in the driving seat, but Ronaldo’s exceptionally executed free-kick from just outside the box earned Portugal a point. With the treble that night, Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest hat-trick scorer in the FIFA World Cup.
#2 Against Arsenal in 2009
Arsenal and Manchester United have played out some nail-biting fixtures over the years. They had the opportunity to add one more chapter to their historic tale in 2009, when they met in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Manchester United came into the second leg - away at Arsenal - with a slender one-goal advantage. Park Ji-sung doubled United’s tally under the 10-minute mark in the second leg, thereby settling the nerves of his team-mates. However, it was Cristiano Ronaldo’s insane free-kick which became the highlight of the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo stood over the ball on the right side of the pitch, 40 yards away from Manuel Almunia’s goal. The famous commentator, Clive Tyldesley, thought it was too far for Ronaldo to even think about taking a direct shot at goal. Moments later, he was forced to exclaim in wonder as Ronaldo hit the back of the net. The winger doubled his tally later in the match, topping off a perfectly executed Manchester United counter attack.
#1 Against Wolfsburg in 2016
When Real Madrid drew Wolfsburg in the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, Madridistas expected a walk in the park for their team. However, Wolfsburg’s spirited 2-0 win in the first leg left Real Madrid with a mountain to climb in the second leg.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid's talisman, was tasked with the impossible - to enable Real Madrid's progress to the semi-finals. The Portugal captain pulled one back in the 15th minute and then restored parity in the tie just two minutes later, both with the help of his unmatched off-the-ball movement.
The third and most special of the lot came with 13 minutes left to play. Cristiano Ronaldo stood over the free-kick outside the box and somehow breached the wall with impeccable precision, leaving the Wolfsburg goalkeeper dumbfounded. The match ended 3-0, which shot Real Madrid into the last four and eventually bag their 11th UEFA Champions League title.
