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Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest goal scorer in football history. Having scored 803 goals at the time of writing, it is hard to argue with the Portuguese star’s legacy. Despite starting his career as a wide midfielder, Ronaldo has transformed into an out-and-out striker over the last few years.
The Manchester United talisman is the most prolific forward ever. However, he wasn’t always a poacher. Ronaldo built a reputation for being a skilful winger who could get past players as if they were mere training cones during his initial years.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a bag full of tricks during his early days
Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed beating opposition defenders during his first stint in the Premier League. The pace, quick feet and trickery were more than enough to embarrass any player. Premier League defenders in the late 2000s dreaded going up against Ronaldo.
As Ronaldo grew in prominence, he focused more on his finishing ability. With that being said, he doesn’t leave any stone unturned to showcase his flair. On that note, let’s look at five players humiliated by Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch:
#5 Michael Essien
Michael Essien’s name always pops up when discussing the best African midfielders of all time. The Ghanaian legend is famous for his work at Chelsea, wherein he formed a potent trio with Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack/Claude Makelele.
As mentioned earlier, Ronaldo was a force to be reckoned with during his early days with Manchester United. During the 2008 Champions League final vs Chelsea, he came up against Essien. A step over later, and the flashy winger was away from Essien.
The retired midfielder has had a fruitful career in defensive midfield at both club and country level. However, he could not help himself against a youthful Ronaldo. Manchester United ended up winning that game on penalties.
#4 Antonio Rudiger
Antonio Rudiger has been among the best centre-backs in the Premier League over the last year. The German defender is ideally suited in Thomas Tuchel’s system. He was an influential presence at the back in their Champions League-winning campaign.
Cristiano Ronaldo went toe-to-toe with Rudiger in the Group D match between Portugal and Germany at Euro 2020. During the first half, Ronaldo flicked the ball into the air and made a no-look pass that took Rudiger by surprise. Ronaldo also pointed his hands in another direction to make the moment more comical.
The flair from the former Juventus forward brought a reaction from the crowd at the Chelsea defender’s expense. The game ended in a 4-2 win for the Germans. Although these nations were expected to perform well at the Euros, they failed to win in the knockout rounds.
#3 Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets and Cristiano Ronaldo have squared off on numerous occasions. Busquets was a vital cog in the pivot for Barcelona and Spain. Despite being one of the best players in his position in modern football, Busquets struggled to contain Ronaldo at times.
While Ronaldo has outsmarted Busquets quite a few times, there have been a few moments where the Spanish midfielder has looked clueless. When Ronaldo used to don the number 9 jersey for Real Madrid, the Portuguese superstar nutmegged Busquets with ease.
The match was being played at the Santiago Bernabeu, and the skill drew massive applause from the crowd. Busquets was left embarrassed as he didn’t see the nutmeg coming. Ronaldo has also dribbled past Busquets while representing Portugal.
#2 Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is the greatest left-back in the Premier League era. The Englishman got the best of both worlds as he was a prominent player in the Arsenal invincible team and Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side. Cole is now serving as first-team coach at Everton.
The former England international had plenty of intense match-ups with Cristiano Ronaldo on the flank. Although he was one of the few full-backs to keep Ronaldo in check, the Manchester United forward was able to beat Cole on a few occasions.
While playing for Arsenal, Cole was embarrassed by Ronaldo. The Portuguese icon was just 18 years old back then. He dribbled past Cole with ease, causing the Arsenal left-back to end up on his backside. It was a humiliating moment for a usually solid defender.
#1 Gerard Pique
Gerard Pique has been one of the best centre-backs of his generation. The Spanish defender shared dressing rooms with Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United. Once they were both in La Liga, their battle was always one to watch out for.
As Ronaldo played primarily as a left-winger and Pique as a right centre-back, they often encountered each other. Pique held his own against most forwards. However, Ronaldo’s pace and skill got the better of Pique more often than not.
The former Real Madrid talisman used a variety of skill moves to get past Pique, including step-overs, Ronaldo chops and simple ball flicks. As Pique could not keep up with Ronaldo’s insane speed, the Portuguese international dribbled past Pique like it was a piece of cake.
