Cristiano Ronaldo: 7 challenges for Real Madrid star in 2018
The Champions League, Ballon d'Or, and Alfredo Di Stéfano's Real Madrid records are among the seven challenges for Cristiano in the upcoming year. USA vs Mexico: FIFA Friendly live online
A fifth Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Champions League four times, the same as Clarence Seedorf, Samuel Eto’o, Xavi, Gerard Piqué, Iniesta, and Lionel Messi. If Real Madrid win in 2018, Ronaldo will become the player with the most titles in the current format. In its former guise as the European Cup, Di Stéfano, Zárraga, Marquitos Alonso, Rial, Juanito Alonso, Rafa Lesmes, and Paolo Maldini also have four, while Paco Gento has six.
A sixth Ballon d’Or
Ronaldo won the prize in 2008 while at Manchester United. After that, Lionel Messi lifted the award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015. The Portugal international won in 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017. The two players are tied with five Ballons d’Or, and Ronaldo’s next challenge is to move ahead of Messi.
Top scorer in the Champions League
Ronaldo is the top scorer in the 2017-18 Champions League with nine goals in six matches. He is pursuing a sixth ‘Pichichi’ award with Real Madrid and a seventh in his career. He topped the Champions League scoring charts in 2016-17 with 12 goals, in 2015-16 with 16, in 2014-15 with 10, in 2013-14 with 17, in 2012-13 with 12, and in 2007-08 with 8.
Win the World Cup with Portugal
The World Cup in Russia could be his last, as he will be 37 by 2022. The man from Madeira scored 15 of the 32 goals that Portugal scored in qualifying, and the team will travel east as the reigning European champions. Ronaldo maintains that Portugal are not the favourites.
Match Alfredo Di Stéfano in titles with Madrid (17)
Ronaldo has won 15 titles since joining Real Madrid in 2009: three Champions Leagues, three European Super Cups, two leagues, three Club World Cups, two Copas del Rey and two Spanish Super Cups. His team-mates Sergio Ramos and Marcelo are currently ahead of him with 18 titles each. Ronaldo is currently tied with Guti, Pirri, Alonso, and Zárraga. Raúl, Martín Vázquez, Míchel, Butragueño, Santillana, and Miguel Ángel have 16; Di Stéfano has 17; Fernando Hierro has 18; Casillas, Chendo, and Camacho have 19; Manolo Sanchís has 22, and Paco Gento has 23.
Join the LaLiga 300 club
Ronaldo has scored 289 goals in 277 matches in LaLiga, and is bidding to join Lionel Messi as a member of the exclusive club. So exclusive, in fact, that Messi is the only member. The Barcelona star has scored 364 LaLiga goals since making his debut in 2004. There are more members of the 300-appearances-in-LaLiga club (36), and Ronaldo is five appearances from drawing level with Alfredo Di Stéfano (282) in terms of matches played for Real Madrid, seven away from Juanito (284), and 24 from Manolo Velázquez (301).
Win the Golden Foot
Ronaldo has won over 50 individual prizes throughout his career, but the Golden Foot has evaded him. The prize is awarded to the best player who is 29 or older. Ronaldo, who will turn 33 in February, has been nominated three times but has not managed to finish higher than second place. Some of the most illustrious names in football are among the previous winners: Casillas (36 at the time), Buffon (38), Etoo (34), Iniesta (30), Drogba (35), Ibrahimovic (31), Giggs (37, Totti (34), Ronaldinho (29), Roberto Carlos (35), Del Piero (33), Ronaldo (30), Shevchenko (29), Nedved (32), and Baggio (36).
