Having failed to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or for the first time in close to two decades, many people's perspectives have shifted regarding Cristiano Ronaldo, but having given football so many iconic moments, the legendary forward deserves to be given his flowers.
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The act of giving an individual roses is universally recognised as an acknowledgement of love and/or praise. It is an expressive way of showing someone affection and given what has transpired for the 38-year-old over the past year, the Madeira native may need some.
What happened to Ronaldo?
The 2022/23 season started off horrendously for the legendary marksman. He, and his now-former agent Jorge Mendes, were rumoured to be actively looking to shift to a UEFA Champions League-contending side from Manchester United. Following a drawn-out off-season, the entirety of which he missed under new manager Erik ten Hag in the hopes of achieving his desired move, he reluctantly returned to Old Trafford just before the campaign commenced.
This must've not gone down well with the Dutch tactician because after United's 4-0 defeat to Brentford, Ronaldo would only start three of the next 12 league games. He was obviously not a fit for Ten Hag stylistically on the pitch, as well as in terms of a presence in the dressing room. One of the occasions which proves as evidence of the latter was his walking off from the bench minutes before his teammates secured a 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur.
However, the straw that broke the camel's back was undoubtedly the interview he did with Piers Morgan. In the now-infamous conversation, the Portugal international lambasted practically the entire club, from its infrastructure all the way through to some of the staffing decisions they had taken, including the appointment of Ten Hag. The interview was ultimately the nail in the coffin for Ronaldo's career at United, and it shortly afterwards that he and the club decided to mutually terminate his contract.
All this transpired prior to his latest attempt at winning a FIFA World Cup title in Qatar, which was unsuccessful as Portugal were dumped out at the quarter-finals stage by Morocco in a 1-0 defeat. Argentina would go on to win it as his long-time rival Lionel Messi achieved the one thing he had never been able to do. So, as he witnessed his rival bask in the glory of being world champion and being without a club, the court of public opinion was not in the forward's favour.
Why does Ronaldo deserve his flowers?
People seem to have short memories, though, which is surprising considering the winger-turned-striker occupied the summit of world football for about 16 years. Sir Alex Ferguson bought the boy from Sporting CP and moulded him into becoming one of the very best the world has ever seen.
The last player to win the Ballon d'Or while playing in the Premier League, the skilful attacker would help the Red Devils win multiple league titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy in 2008 before becoming the world's most expensive-ever player when he switched being a Mancunian to become a Madridista as Real Madrid acquired his services in 2009 for a then-world record fee of €94 million (R1.9 billion).
His first season in the Spanish capital was decent by his standards, only the measly 33 goals in 35 matches for Los Blancos, but after his debut campaign, he would never score less than 40 goals a season for Los Merengues as he went on to become the club's all-time top goalscorer with 450 goals in 438 matches. He would help the Spanish giants capture four Champions League titles, two LALIGA trophies, three FIFA Club World Cups, two Copa del Reys and two Supercopa de Espana titles. Not to forget the four other Ballon d'Or trophies he would add to his illustrious cabinet.
After falling out with Real president Florentino Perez in 2018, Ronaldo would make the move away from the Santiago Bernabeu to Italy's most successful side in Juventus, and continued to bang in the goals for the Old Lady. The clinical marksman would score 101 times in 138 matches for the Bianconeri as he added two Serie A titles to his name before he ultimately made a seemingly glorious return to the Theatre of Dreams.
What's next for Ronaldo?
After his second United exit, Ronaldo tried to find a Champions League side that was willing to take him on board but it appeared that while teams recognised the world-class ability he still possessed to find the back of the net, none of them wanted to deal with the drama of having him on their books. That failure ultimately saw Mendes and Ronaldo part ways, and the iconic marksman would become the first of many European superstars that would make their way to the Saudi Pro League as he signed with Al Nassr in January 2023.
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The Knights of Najd are believed to be paying him €200 million (R4.1 billion) in what is a record contract for a footballer, and he is still proving prolific in the Gulf despite nearing the age of 40. He already has 20 goals and seven assists in 24 appearances for his new side, and while he is likely to still be capable of scoring at the highest level in Europe, perhaps this is the most apt way for him to bow out of the beautiful game.
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