THE

YOUNG

PORTUGEUSE

STAR

2003-2006: Young hope in England

The future of Cristiano Ronaldo changes at 18 on August 6, 2003, during the inauguration of the Alvalade XXI stadium. While Sporting receives Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo plays a great game and Sporting wins 3-1. On the way back, the Manchester players only talk about him and ask Alex Ferguson to recruit him. On August 12, 2003, Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Manchester United for 15 million euros. He asks to use number 28, the same he wore at Sporting the previous year, but Ferguson gives him the club's no 7 worn by players who have written the club's history like Bobby Charlton, George Best, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. It was then that he acquired his nickname "CR7". He made his debut as a starter against Bolton in the Premier League. He causes a penalty and stands out for his technical gestures. Ronaldo then scored his first goal in the colors of Manchester United in the Premier League against Portsmouth on a free kick in November 2003. He then scored against Manchester City with a volley and Tottenham with a shot from 25 meters. He also scored in the FA Cup final against Millwall, opening the scoring with a header and winning his first trophy with Manchester United after their 3-0 victory. In total, he played 40 matches in which he scored 6 goals. During the following season, Cristiano Ronaldo opened his goal counter against Birmingham. He scored more goals during this season and gained playing time. He began to impose himself as a starter within the team despite some difficulties at the collective level. Because of his technique and his age, he is considered a big hope for the club. He scored his first goal in the Champions League in the preliminaries of the 2005-2006 season against the Hungarian team of Debrecen. On February 26, 2006, he scored the last goal of his team's big victory (4-0) against Wigan in the Carling Cup final, his 25th goal for the club. Cristiano Ronaldo will also receive a yellow card for removing his shirt during his celebration. During this season, he scored several doubles in the league where he scored 9 goals. He scored 12 goals in 47 games and made 8 assists.

2006-2007: The Explosion

Back in England after the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Cristiano is booed and insulted by the English public following the affair with Wayne Rooney during the World Cup in the match England - Portugal, and rumors of a transfer to Real Madrid or FC Barcelona appear. It will quickly change the public's mind. From the start of the season, Cristiano is much more important within the team: he is sharper, more collective and more powerful. He was voted player of the month for November and December, becoming the third player in Premier League history to be so for two consecutive months. He scored many more goals and totaled 17 in the Premier League, accompanied by 14 assists, which earned him the title of best young player and best player in the championship, which he also won with his teammates. It was also during this season that he appeared more in the Champions League: he scored his first double against AS Roma, during the Red Devils' 7-1 victory over the Italians. Against AC Milan, he shined and opened the scoring in the 3-2 victory at Old Trafford, but was like the rest of his team powerless in the 3-0 defeat at San Siro. The Milanese will ultimately win the competition. According to many observers, it was during this season that his contribution to the Mancunian game was the most important. Indeed, in addition to a large number of assists, the game of the Portuguese, based on many dribbles and very technical, is decidedly more spectacular. Presented as a serious candidate for the France Football Golden Ball, he will finally and logically finish second with 277 points behind the Brazilian Kaká (444 points) and ahead of the Argentinian Lionel Messi (third with 255 points).

2007-2008: Towards the Golden Ball

In the Premier League, Cristiano proved to be more powerful and a better finisher by becoming the top scorer in the championship. He achieved the same in the Champions League where he scored five goals in five group games, including two goals against his training club, Sporting Lisbon. He also apologizes to the public in the first leg after scoring. In January 2008, he extended his contract at Manchester United until June 2012, putting - for a short time - an end to speculation about a possible transfer to Real Madrid who are ready to pay 90 million euros. He receives an annual salary of nine million euros, becoming the highest paid player in the history of the club ahead of his teammate Rio Ferdinand. The second half of the season promises to be a confirmation. On January 12, 2008, he scored his first hat-trick for Manchester United against Newcastle United. Scorer against Lyon in the round of 16 of the Champions League, the Portuguese did it again against AS Roma in the quarter-finals. In the league, he scored important goals against Arsenal and Liverpool, and broke George Best's record with a brace on March 19, 2008 against Bolton, becoming the club's top scorer in one season. He finished the season as top scorer with 31 goals in 34 Premier League and Champions League games with eight goals in eleven games. He was voted best player by his peers, the press and the public for the second consecutive year. But he notably achieved a Premier League – Champions League double with his team. Despite difficult performances against Barcelona (missed penalty at Camp Nou and disappointing return match) in the semi-finals of the Champions League, he opened the scoring with a header in the 26th minute against Chelsea in the final on May 21, 2008. After an equalizer from Frank Lampard, the two teams are separated on penalties: Ronaldo misses his own, but Manchester wins the session and therefore the Champions League. At the end of the match, the Portuguese is elected man of the match. During this season, CR7 evolved a lot, becoming more physical and more prolific in front of goal (42 in all competitions), which earned him to be favored for the Ballon d'Or by observers. He won his first European Golden Boot at the end of the season. Following Euro 2008, Cristiano underwent surgery on his right foot. He had been suffering from recurrent inflammation for several months, caused by the detachment of two fragments of cartilage in his right foot. The player could have been operated on at the start of the year which would have made him unavailable for the rest of the season, but he preferred to finish the season despite the pain.

2008-2009: A difficult season

During the summer, he tried to join Real Madrid but ended up staying at Manchester United. Unavailable following his operation, Ronaldo misses the UEFA Super Cup which his team loses 2-1. He plays again in mid-September when he comes into play in the Champions League against Villarreal. After an inglorious comeback in front of the fans following his attempt to sign Real Madrid, he found his way back to the net and made a good start to the Premier League season. On November 15, 2008, he passed the 100 goal mark with Manchester United by scoring his 100th and 101st goals against Stoke City. After this double follows a period of eleven games without goals in the league for Ronaldo. On December 2, 2008, he won the 2008 Ballon d'Or ahead of Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres. He is the third Portuguese Golden Ball after Eusebio (1965) and Luís Figo (2000). It is also the fourth Golden Ball playing for Manchester United after Denis Law (1964), Bobby Charlton (1966) and George Best (1968). He was also elected best FIFA player of the year 2008 on January 12, 2009. He won with his team the Club World Cup 1-0 against LDU Quito in the final on December 21, 2008 where he made the assist for his teammate Wayne Rooney and won the 2008 Adidas Silver Ball. On January 11, 2009, the Portuguese took part in his team's 3-0 victory over Chelsea with an assist for Dimitar Berbatov. He found his way back to the net against Derby County in the Cup and then against West Brom in the Premier League. Against Inter Milan in the knockout stages of the Champions League, he scored his first goal in this edition. In Porto, after a 2-2 draw in the first leg, Ronaldo opened the scoring with a powerful shot from 35m, which won him the Puskás Prize and sent his team to the semi-finals. In the league, he participated in his team's 5-2 victory against Tottenham by scoring a brace that allowed him to reach sixteen goals and won the Carling Cup against the same team. In the semi-finals of the Champions League, he scored twice with an assist against Arsenal in the second leg. Manchester United have won the league for the third consecutive time. Cristiano Ronaldo finished second top scorer (18 goals) behind Nicolas Anelka. In the final of the Champions League, on May 27, he is aligned at the top, and elected after the match best player on the Manchester side, but his team loses 2-0 in Rome against FC Barcelona.