What’s the story?
Youtuber Rich Leigh took it upon himself to find out the legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo, using FIFA 17’s Career Mode. Ronaldo’s return to his boyhood club would be a dream come true for many fans. But what if that proved to be a reality? Let’s find out how he would get on.
The context
Ronaldo may be blazing all guns in Real Madrid right now but he may not stay there forever. A return to the Portuguese League would surely grab eyeballs across the world.
The heart of the matter
Ronaldo made an instant impact in his first season back at the club. He helped Sporting win the league, losing only three games throughout the entire campaign. He seamlessly fitted in the left wing position and was the fourth highest scorer in the league. He ended the season with 13 goals and 8 assists as Sporting came close to completing the domestic double but lost in the final of the Taca Portuguesa to Porto.
In the Champions League, they couldn’t make it past the last 16. Ronaldo dropped down two ratings to 92 by the end of the season with his physical stats beginning to deteriorate.
Season two was another great showing for the Portuguese. He finished with a total of 16 goals and 12 assists. It wasn’t enough for Sporting to hold on to the top spot though, and they finished the campaign in third. Once again, they exited the Champions League in the Round of 16. Ronaldo, now 33, dropped to a 90 rating with his physical scores continuing to take a hammering.
In his third season, Ronaldo went on to score 16 goals but only managed four assists. Sporting came third in the league but came bottom of their group in the Champions League. Ronaldo’s rating slipped again to 87 – with his sprint speed down to 73.
What’s next?
By season four, Ronaldo dropped to an 83 rating. Sporting still managed to hang on to the third spot in the league, though. They crashed out of the Champions League – dropping into the Europa League where they didn’t even make it to the last 16.
By Season five, Sporting lost their faith in Ronaldo. He played just six games for the club as his form got worse. Sporting went on to come second in the league, but Ronaldo dropped down to an all-time low of 79. Therefore, it was hardly a surprise to see him hang his boots at the end of the season.
Author’s take
One of the all-time greats in the modern era, Ronaldo goes through the same lows as any other player towards the end of his career.
