August 6, 2003: love at first sight of the Red Devils
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The José Alvalade stadium finally opens its doors in Lisbon. Sporting Portugal inaugurated it by hosting Manchester United in a friendly match. A certain Cristiano Ronaldo Dos Santos Aveiro, 18, starts on the left side for Sporting. "
We had missed Ronaldinho's signing, so we were a bit squeamish at the time,"
Rio Ferdinand recalled last year at an event for the FIFA 20 video game.
John O'Shea played right-back against him. . We got to half time and O'Shea must have had an oxygen tank next to him. He was in pieces, he was setting there, panting.
Midfielder Nicky Butt recalls a long wait that followed the game: "
We ended up sitting in the team bus for about three hours after the game.
Everyone got angry because we just wanted to leave.
But it turned out that manager (Sir Alex Ferguson) and David Gill (former general manager) were in the stadium signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Six days after the match, the Portuguese became a Red Devil.
SEE ALSO -
Ronaldo's top 5 goals for Juventus in Serie A (2018-2021)
August 16, 2003: first match, first chills
Manchester United's first game of the season, at Old Trafford.
61st minute.
Under a radiant sun, a young Portuguese with blond locks comes into play in place of Nicky Butt.
The Red Devils are already leading 1-0 against Bolton.
If Diego Forlan or Ruud van Nistelrooy had been more skillful on Ronaldo's services, the Portuguese would have signed his first assists.
Final score: 4-0 while van Nistelrooy missed a penalty obtained by ... Ronaldo.
The roars of Old Trafford over the frenzied dribbling of the Portuguese were already there.
For the first time in his career, the kid from Madeira wears the number 7 on his back.
This is the birth of "CR7".
May 21, 2008: Champions League first, emotional lift
From hero to zero ... to hero again. 26th minute, With a perfect header at the far post behind the back of Michael Essien, Cristiano Ronaldo opens the scoring for Manchester United in Moscow, in the Champions League final against Chelsea. Frank Lampard equalizes before half-time (1-1). The two teams need extra time to decide. From a shooting session itself. Ronaldo is the third shooter of his team. His soft shot halfway up was repelled by Petr Cech, who left on his right. In the Moscow rain, Ronaldo returned to midfield with his head bowed. Luckily for him, John Terry missed the match point by shooting the post. The real hero of the evening is Edwin van der Sar who pushes back Nicolas Anelka's last attempt. All Mancunians run to their guardian. Except Ronaldo,his nose in the lawn, unable to hold back tears. CR7 wins its first Champions League. He won 4 more with Real Madrid and became the top scorer (135) and passer (42) in the history of the competition.
December 2, 2008: the first of his five Ballons d'Or
The runner-up to Brazilian attacking midfielder Kaka in 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo had his revenge in 2008. A few days before embracing the golden trophy, he was already bragging about his new status as a megastar.
"
I am the first, second and third best player in the world,
" he said.
On December 2, the Portuguese is indeed the winner of the Ballon d'Or France Football.
The boss of the magazine, Denis Chaumier, and the journalist Christian Jeanpierre give him the trophy on the set of TF1.
Since then, Ronaldo has never left the Ballon d'Or podium: 5 first places, 6 second places and a third place.
The beginning of a domination with his eternal rival, Lionel Messi.
June 26, 2009: departure for Real Madrid
No “
back-to-back
” in the Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United lost in the C1 final against FC Barcelona on May 27, 2009 (2-0).
A month later, the Portuguese said goodbye to England, where he won 9 trophies including 3 Premier League.
He joined the prestigious Real Madrid club which had courted him for two long years.
His transfer, estimated at € 94 million, was then the most expensive in football history.
SEE ALSO -
Cristiano Ronaldo's presentation to Real Madrid in 2009