A staple of the European recreation for the perfect a part of 20 years, seeing Cristiano Ronaldo make his Al Nassr bow in Saudi Arabia will undoubtedly be unusual for a lot of.
His transfer was accomplished in December following widespread studies linking him with a Saudi swap ever since he and Manchester United parted methods the earlier month.
Ronaldo featured in a type of Saudi all-star XI match in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain throughout the week however will make his official Al Nassr debut on Sunday to primarily deliver the curtain down on one of many best careers within the historical past of European soccer.
Whereas writing off Ronaldo is all the time unwise, a mix of the striker’s age and the unsavoury nature of his second spell at United make a return to elite European soccer appear unbelievable.
Nonetheless, as a five-time Champions League winner and the highest scorer within the historical past of European soccer’s premier membership competitors, Ronaldo’s legacy as one of many all-time greats is safe.
However with seven top-flight league titles and a plethora of different trophies to his identify, Ronaldo’s affect on the continental recreation went past his targets on the grandest membership stage.
Forward of Al Nassr’s conflict with Al Ittifaq, Stats Carry out seems to be again on his seismic affect in European membership soccer.
Ronaldo’s Premier League emergence
Ronaldo’s return to the Premier League could not have gone to plan – the 37-year-old solely scored as soon as within the competitors this time period earlier than an explosive interview with Piers Morgan led to his Outdated Trafford exit.
Nonetheless, the three-time Premier League winner actually made his mark in England, scoring 103 targets in 236 top-flight video games for United.
Having burst onto the scene as a tough winger, Ronaldo recorded 37 assists within the competitors for the Purple Devils, who he additionally helped to their third European title in 2008.
He additionally claimed his first Ballon d’Or whereas in Manchester in 2008 after scoring 31 targets of their title-winning 2007-08 marketing campaign – that single-season tally has solely been bettered by three gamers within the competitors’s historical past.
Making historical past with Madrid in LaLiga
Given the way in which his United spell ended, it stays to be seen whether or not Ronaldo can be remembered as an Outdated Trafford legend or not. However there’s little doubt about his legacy at Actual Madrid, the place he actually made his identify as one in all soccer’s best as he turned Los Blancos’ high scorer with 450 targets in all competitions.
Extremely, the Portugal ahead averaged over a purpose per recreation all through his trophy-laden spell in Spain, hitting the online 311 instances in 292 appearances in LaLiga.
Ronaldo scored with 16 per cent of his photographs for Madrid, a better share than he managed within the Premier League, Serie A or the Champions League.
Madrid could also be famed for his or her Champions League accomplishments, however Ronaldo additionally helped them to 2 home title triumphs in 2011-12 and 2016-17, netting 46 instances as Jose Mourinho’s facet earned 100 factors within the first of these campaigns.
Serie A hit with the Bianconeri
Given Juventus’ failure to win the Champions League, few think about Ronaldo’s time in Turin to be an unmitigated success. The uncooked numbers, nonetheless, counsel in any other case.
Managing 81 targets in 98 league appearances for a membership in perpetual disaster – with a conversion price of 15 per cent – tells the story of how Ronaldo developed in Serie A, honing his recreation as the last word penalty-box ahead in his advancing years.
Regardless of a tumultuous interval that noticed Maurizio Sarri change Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus stretched their unimaginable run of Scudetto success to 9 consecutive seasons.
That stint resulted in Ronaldo’s closing full marketing campaign on the Allianz Stadium, although he nonetheless completed as Serie A’s high scorer with 29 targets.
The Champions League grasp
For many who consider Ronaldo to be the best to have performed the sport, the Portugal ahead’s exploits within the Champions League are all the time the essential issue.
Ronaldo’s file of 140 targets within the competitors is unmatched, although his nice rival Lionel Messi (129) could have one thing to say about that if he declines to observe his fellow ahead’s lead in exiting Europe.
Averaging nearly a purpose contribution per recreation (180 in 183 appearances), Ronaldo gained an astonishing 115 video games within the Champions League, lifting the trophy 5 instances – a joint-high tally.
As Madrid cemented their standing as European masters by successful three consecutive titles between the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons, Ronaldo top-scored within the competitors each season, consolidating his legacy as the last word big-game participant.