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Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest goalscorer to have set foot on a football pitch. The Portugal captain has played for Sporting Club de Portugal, Manchester United, Juventus and most notably, Real Madrid during his illustrious career.
During his time in Spain, Ronaldo established himself as arguably the greatest scorer in history. He contributed a staggering 1.33 goals per game throughout his nine-year spell in the Spanish capital. That helped him rack up an astonishing five Ballon d'Or awards, while playing a key role in Real Madrid's four Champions League triumphs in five years.
The Madeira native came through the ranks at Sporting CP in Lisbon. He made 31 appearances for them, scoring five goals and providing six assists. During his Sporting spell, former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson spotted Ronaldo, and decided to take him to England.
Ronaldo wooed Red Devils fans, players and staff alike with his ability on the ball, justifying his move to the Premier League giants.
Ronaldo was the first Portuguese player to sign for Manchester United back in 2003, and never looked back. In over 300 appearances across two spells with the club, he has scored 127 goals and provided 70 assists.
He won a Premier League three-peat between 2007 and 2009 and the FA Cup in 2004. Ronaldo also played a key role in United's 2008 Champions League triumph against fierce rivals Chelsea. He scored in that final, but missed his spot-kick in the shootout. However, that miss didn't prove costly.
His scintillating performances for The Red Devils earned Ronaldo a move overseas. He had the opportunity to realise his mother's dream of playing for Spanish giants Real Madrid.
During a storied near decade-long stint at the club, Ronaldo would plunder 450 goals and provided 132 assists in 438 games across competitions. His exploits helped Madrid emerge as one of the greatest sides in modern football, especially under the tutelage of their former player Zinedine Zidane.
At Madrid, Ronaldo won the Champions League four times, La Liga twice, Copa del Rey twice and the FIFA Club World Cup three times. He also won the UEFA Super Cup twice, as well as two Supercopa de Espana.
Following a successful and record-breaking tenure in Spain, the all-time Champions League top scorer moved to Juventus in 2018. There he made 134 appearances, scoring 101 goals and providing 22 assists. He helped the Bianconeri win two Serie A titles, two Supercoppa Italiana titles and one Coppa Italia honour.
This summer, he returned 'home' to Manchester United, where it all began for him at the highest level. Ronaldo will look to guide United back to their heydays in the Premier League and make them a force to reckon within Europe.
On that note, here's a look at how Ronaldo's five Ballon d'Or wins would rank:
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo wins maiden Ballon d'Or award (2008)
After arriving from Sporting CP in 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo was eager to hit the ground running for the Red Devils. During his time in the windy north-west of England, Ronaldo has scored 88 Premier League goals in 204 appearances and provided 46 assists. He went from strength to strength with each passing year.
However, at the beginning of the 2007-08 season, Ronaldo truly evolved into a world-class player. The wiry, lanky boy had pumped iron all summer, and looked like a beast ready to be unleashed.
Having scored 17 goals and assisted 16 in the 2006-07 season, Ronaldo decided to up the ante the next campaign. He scored a stunning 31 goals and assisted a further seven, earning him some personal accolades along the way.
The Portuguese winger was named the Premier League Player of the Year in 2008 and the European Golden Shoe as well as the Premier League Golden Boot. He also won the PFA Players' Player of the Year, FIFA World Player of the Year, and of course, his first-ever Ballon d'Or award.
The young kid from Funchal, Madeira, had arrived on the big stage, and his talents were out there for everyone to see. Sir Alex Ferguson had unearthed yet another world-class player at United. His maiden Ballon d'Or triumph helped Ronaldo evolve as a player, making him more focused on winning and scoring goals than anything else.
#4 33-year-old Ronaldo wins his fifth Ballon d'Or award (2017)
The 2016-17 season was one of the most unforgettable ones for Real Madrid, as well as their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.
That's because Los Blancos won the Champions League as well as La Liga, achieving a continental double for the first time in their illustrious history. Madrid also won the UEFA Super Cup as well as the FIFA Club World Cup that year, rounding off one of the most successful years in the club's history.
Cristiano Ronaldo came into the season as a newly-crowned European champion, having led his side to a win against France in their backyard. Ronaldo scored three and assisted as many goals as Portugal won their first major international title. He looked like a lion ready for his hunt.
For Madrid, Ronaldo scored 42 goals and dished out 12 assists in 46 appearances. He was huge in the knockouts of the Champions League, scoring ten goals to propel Madrid to consecutive titles.
During the season, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Bayern Munich and two against bitter rivals Atletico Madrid. He also scored two goals in the Champions League final against Juventus, which Madrid won 4-1.
In the process, he showed that he was a serial winner and would fight to win accolades and set new records each year.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo ends Lionel Messi's four-year Ballon d'Or stranglehold (2013)
It was a tough choice ranking Cristiano Ronaldo's 2013 Ballon d'Or win above his one in 2017. However, as he ended Lionel Messi's four-year stranglehold in the Ballon d'Or award in 2013, his triumph that year ranks higher.
Real Madrid endured a tumultuous and heart-breaking campaign despite their talisman putting up astronomical numbers on the board. They reached the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League for the third consecutive year, but fell 4-3 to Borussia Dortmund.
Los Blancos also had a memorable run in the Copa del Rey, defeating Barcelona to set up a mouth-watering final with city rivals Atletico Madrid. However, they came up short in that game.
They also finished second in La Liga to Barcelona to round off a tough season. Madrid were close to winning four trophies, but walked away with just one - the Supercopa de Espana - which they won on away goals against Barcelona.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo ended the season as Real Madrid's top scorer in the league with 34 strikes. He was also their top scorer across competitions that season with 55 goals.
For his performances and goalscoring exploits, Ronaldo won the Pichichi trophy, the European Golden Shoe and La Liga Best Player award. And, of course, he won the coveted Ballon d'Or award. He also bagged 13 assists in 55 games across competitions that season.
Although that was not enough to win silverware for Real Madrid, Ronaldo showed that he could maintain his level no matter the competition or opponent. That speaks volumes about his killer instinct and winning mentality.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo wins his fourth Ballon d'Or award (2016)
In 2016, Cristiano Ronaldo was a beast for club and country. Real Madrid were without Iker Casillas for the first time since the 1998-99 season after the custodian's move to FC Porto. However, that did not seem to deter Los Blancos from achieving their goals.
Madrid won their first Champions League title in over a decade in 2014. They now looked to cement their place at the top of Europe's premier football competition. Ronaldo took the onus upon himself to deliver that for Real Madrid, showing he meant business in the 2015-16 season.
During the season, Ronaldo scored 51 goals and provided 15 assists in 48 appearances across competitions. He was Real Madrid's top scorer in La Liga as well as in all competitions that campaign. In the Champions League, he racked up 16 goals and four assists in just 12 games that season. He played a key role as Real Madrid won the competition for the second time in three years.
He was also crucial in Portugal's triumphant Euro 2016 campaign, scoring three and setting up as many goals. Arsenal defender and Ronaldo's Portugal teammate Cedric described that triumph as something that would last for a lifetime.
Such was his impact for club and country that Ronaldo fully deserved the Ballon d'Or award that year.
#1 Ronaldo wins his third Ballon d'Or award (2014)
The 2013-14 season was Cristiano Ronaldo's best in terms of output. He won the La Decima - Real Madrid's tenth Champions League title, where he played a key role.
In 47 appearances across competitions that season, Ronaldo netted 51 goals and provided 17 assists. He scored a record 17 goals in the Champions League. He was Real Madrid's top scorer in La Liga with 31 goals, as well as overall top scorer with 51 goals across competitions.
Real Madrid finished third in La Liga, albeit on goal difference. But they won the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, winning the latter competition in remarkable fashion against Barcelona. Gareth Bale scored an incredible winning goal in a game where Ronaldo was ruled out.
That season, Cristiano Ronaldo awakened a sleeping giant in Real Madrid by bringing them back into business in the UEFA Champions League. In the process, he set himself and his team up for more success in the competition. Little did he know that the team's exploits in 2014 would turn around their fortunes for the better.
