Cristiano Ronaldo belongs to the upper echelons of football, his name right up there with the all-time greats of the game. For the time being though, he enjoys his legendary status in modern football, a game where few have come close to mimicking his accomplishments.The rise of Cristiano Ronaldo is both an inspiring and daunting tale for which Sir Alex Ferguson will always be given substantial credit. His willingness and urgency to sign the Portuguese after the friendly game between Sporting CP and Manchester United gave this tale the perfect start.The Red Devils signed a player who had the potential to become the best. But he was also an entertainer who could indulge the crowd for the whole 90 minutes. That latter trait, as we know it now, wasn't appreciated by important first team members at the time.Cristiano Ronaldo had a market value of €18m in 2004It was exactly why the obsession with stats, scoring goals and chasing records began that transformed Cristiano Ronaldo into a goalscoring machine. The market, however, was reading things differently and quite evidently there was more remarkable talent in Europe in comparison to the raw Portuguese.After spending a year in England within the ranks of Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo was deemed an exciting talent. However, there were those considered more valuable. Players who would give more return for the money invested and were closer to being the finished product than the Portuguese was.Here are five young players who had a higher market value than Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004.#5 Arjen Robben - €20mChelsea v Everton - Premier League 2004Even though Euro 2004 happened in Portugal, it helped a certain Dutchman to leapfrog Cristiano Ronaldo on the market. Arjen Robben announced himself to the world in style with his exquisite performances in the Netherlands' semi-final run. His two seasons with Eredivisie outfit PSV Eindhoven brought him on to Chelsea's radar, who signed him for €18m.The 2004-05 season began with the Blues cruising past their opponents game after game. Robben became a central part of Jose Mourinho's attacking philosophy. His verstality was duly exploited by the Portuguese manager, who played him both on the left and right wings.Chelsea FC@ChelseaFC'If there's a player at the top of his game at the moment - it's Arjen Robben!' 🔥A big win against Portsmouth, and a seventh successive win for the Blues on the way to becoming 2005 champions! #CFCWatchParty4:35 AM · Apr 30, 20201799292'If there's a player at the top of his game at the moment - it's Arjen Robben!' 🔥A big win against Portsmouth, and a seventh successive win for the Blues on the way to becoming 2005 champions! #CFCWatchParty https://t.co/Ctv2KkjRDQThe 20-year-old's pace, directness and ability to run at defenses was exciting and yielded results. His partnership with fellow wingman Damien Duff became a regular talking point in the 2004-05 Premier League season. The man valued just a little more than Cristiano Ronaldo was quick to enter the limelight.With Robben's pace, Chelsea had established a killer counter-attacking philosophy that was too good to be prevented on most occasions. It was unfortunate that due to injuries he couldn't play more than half of the Premier League games that season.The Dutchman still finished with incredible figures of seven goals and nine assists in 18 appearances.#4 Robinho - €22Argentina & Brazil TrainingRobinho could have been talked about in the same regard as Dani Alves today if it wasn't for his difficult attitude, on and off the pitch. Despite boasting a CV as envious as any, the Brazilian couldn't maintain the high standards expected of him at the top-level.But there was a time when the hype around Robinho was real, so much so that he was valued over Cristiano Ronaldo. The Brazilian played for the same club that Pele represented, FC Santos. He was primarily a left-winger but completely capable of playing anywhere in the attacking trident.Plaantik@PlaantikSantos FC have terminated their newly-signed contract with Robinho by mutual agreement after a sponsor made reference to the player's past sexual assault case and cut its ties with the club.6:52 AM · Oct 17, 2020Santos FC have terminated their newly-signed contract with Robinho by mutual agreement after a sponsor made reference to the player's past sexual assault case and cut its ties with the club. https://t.co/VlphoCTLQ9Between 2003 and 2005, Robinho scored 81 goals in 180 appearances. Though the exaggerated comparisons with Pele were taxing, he continued developing. His work-rate was always questionable, but the flashes of raw talent and the untapped potential, if harnessed carefully, could have made him a beast.In 2005 Real Madrid came calling and signed Robinho for €24m. After three years in Spain, the forward moved to Manchester City, in the same neighborhood where Cristiano Ronaldo had already captured hearts.A year later, Cristiano Ronaldo made his big money move to Real Madrid, and the rest, as they say, is history.Check out Cristiano Ronaldo's movie, Ronaldo, on any online portal.