Cristiano Ronaldo's year by year transformation in looks since past 15 years

Cristiano Ronaldo has now turned 33 and it has now been a little over 15 years since he had signed the contract with Manchester United and shot to fame overnight. Sir Alex Ferguson was highly impressed by a young Ronaldo when his side suffered a 1-3 loss to Sporting CP -- the club Ronaldo played for. There was urgency shown by the Manchester United staff to bring the Portuguese player on board and he was roped in for £12.24 million.

The then 18-year-old Ronaldo had become the most expensive teenager in English football at that time. His arrival at United saw him getting the prestigious number 7 shirt amidst a lot of expectations. In an overall 292 appearances for United, Ronaldo scored an impressive 118 goals and even received the Ballon d'Or as well as the European Golden Shoe in 2008.

The Portuguese then joined Real Madrid for a then record transfer fee of £84.60 million and the rest, as they say, is history. The Funchal-born player won almost every title possible with the Los Blancos, scoring a club record 450 goals in 438 appearances. The forward can currently be seen playing for Italian giants Juventus after his transfer. Real Madrid received a mammoth £105.30m for Ronaldo, which is still the most any over-30 player has received ever.

One can go on and on writing about Ronaldo's achievements and what a great talent he really is. However, in this article, we aim to take a look at something different -- something unique. How has Ronaldo transformed in terms of looks and structure since he signed the contract for United? We look to answer the same question and will show his year by year transformation in pictures -- from being a lanky pimpled teenager with crooked teeth when joining Manchester United in 2003 to the muscular gentleman with the most chiselled and enviable body -- and mesmerizing face -- in 2018.

Each person goes through massive facial and structural transformations each year. However, Ronaldo's case is a little extreme as there are plenty of changes one sees in him over the years. So without further ado, let us dive in and look at Ronaldo's transformation pictures of the last 15 years:

#1 2003-04 season

Cristiano Ronaldo playing for The Red Devils in 2003 (Age 18)

This was just his first season with the Red Devils and Ronaldo was just taking in the newly found fame and recognition. He went on to score 6 goals in 40 appearances for United that season. This was Ronaldo's developmental phase and he regards Alex Ferguson his father in the sport, someone who had a tremendous influence on his career.

#2 2004-05 season

Manchester United finished runner-up in the FA Cup and Ronaldo bagged 9 goals in 50 appearances for them that season. Ronaldo already bore a cleaner and smarter look in 2004. Many experts around the globe predicted that the Portuguese international would go on to become something big as he had shown sparks of brilliance on the field that season.

#3 2005-06 season

Looks like Beckham gave him a few hair styling tips for the season. The Portuguese also got 12 goals in 47 matches for the Red Devils in addition to lifting the League Cup and scoring United's 1000th Premier League goal.

His ear piercings also became a rage among young football fans and the look was appreciated by many. His body transformation also became evident and it was clear Ronaldo had been spending a lot of time at the gym.

#4 2006-07 season

Ronaldo was booed by many fans during games for his famous altercation with Wayne Rooney during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, it proved to be his breakthrough season as he scored 23 goals in 53 appearances. Ron also helped United win their first League Title in 4 years. It was also Ronaldo's first of three league titles which he won with The Red Devils.

#5 2007-08 season

The versatile attacker lifts his second successive title with Manchester United. This proved to be his most successful season with the club as he scored 42 goals in 49 appearances overall. Ron also won his first Champions League trophy with the club besides winning the coveted Ballon d'Or award in 2008 for his delightful performance.

#6 2008-09 season

Ronaldo won his third successive league title with Manchester United as the club also finished runners-up in the Champions League. It was another fruitful season with the Red Devils as he scored 26 goals in 53 appearances. This was his last season for Sir Alex Ferguson's side and the end of an era.

#7 2009-10 season

Ronaldo made a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid ahead of the 2009-10 season. He started looking classy and elegant besides looking more manly. Ronaldo managed to score 33 goals in 35 appearances in his debut season for the Los Blancos even though they failed to win any significant title.

#8 2010-11 season

Ronaldo lifted the Copa del Rey title with Real Madrid this season and scored 53 goals in 54 appearances for them. He scored the winning goal in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona to secure his maiden Spanish title -- a moment the Portuguese cherishes till date.

#9 2011-12 season

It was another immensely successful year individually as Ronaldo scored a record 46 league goals and another 14 in other competitions in an overall 55 appearances. This makes it an astonishing 60 goals in a single season. His individual contribution helped the Los Blancos win their first league title in 4 years.

He gets veneers for his teeth which give him the perfect smile.

#10 2012-13 season

The talismanic forward scored 55 goals in 55 appearances in all competitions. Looks-wise, Ronaldo experimented a lot with his hairstyles throughout the season and changed them quite often. He also lifted the Ballon d'Or in 2013, his 2nd overall.

#11 2013-14 season

Another successful season for Ronnie as he scored 51 goals in 47 appearances. Although Real Madrid did not win the La Liga, they secured the UEFA Champions League title that season. Ronaldo also won his 2nd consecutive (and 3rd overall) Ballon d'Or title.

#12 2014-15 season

Ronaldo scored 61 goals in 54 appearances -- his most in a single season for Real Madrid. However, his individual brilliance was not sufficient and the Los Blancos did not lift any silverware that season.

His body fat percentage was extremely low and he still possessed terrific athleticism despite nearing the age of 30. The celebration Ron did -- in which he removed his shirt -- is replicated by players around the world.

#13 2015-16 season

Real Madrid bounced back to lift the La Liga title in 2015-16. Ronaldo's contribution of 51 goals in 48 appearances was again vital for the Spanish giants. The Los Blancos lifted the Champions League trophy as well. Ronaldo became Real Madrid's all-time top scorer in the Spanish League as well as all competitions as he surpassed Raul that season. He won his 4th Ballon d'Or title as well.

#14 2016-17 season

Ronaldo scored 42 goals in 46 appearances overall and helped Real Madrid win the Champions League title for the second season running. His 500th club career goal also came in the same season.

The Los Blancos also went on to win the Spanish League this season. The dynamic striker would win another Ballon d'Or title to equal Messi's record of 5 titles. Ron would also win the UEFA European Championship with Portugal in 2016 making it an extremely fruitful year for him overall.

#15 2017-18 season

This was Ronaldo's 9th and final season for the Spanish giants Real Madrid. He scored 44 goals in 44 appearances and helped the Los Blancos win their third successive Champions League title (a record).

Ronaldo now plies his trade with Juventus and this is how he is looking for the Black and White outfits in the ongoing 2018-19 season:

Speed, skills, looks, fame, money, stamina -- Ronaldo has everything. Besides playing for the topmost clubs, Ronaldo has also achieved paramount success for his country -- Portugal -- and is the top scorer for the national team with 85 goals in 154 appearances.

His transformation has been such that everyone desires to be like him. It would be fair to call him the Greek God in football. His smile is so electric thanks to his perfect veneers that it can send anyone's heart racing. His lanky body has been replaced by a hunky body -- perfectly tanned. His hair is not unkempt anymore -- rather -- people want to replicate his hairstyles. Besides a football player, Ronaldo has also become a huge fashion and style icon.

Over time, there is only one thing that has remained constant in the Portuguese -- his passion, commitment, and dedication for the beautiful sport of football. Ronaldo's is a story of 'rags to riches' -- true -- but it does not take away the tremendous amount of hard work he has put in, and still puts in, to be the best in the world.

Edited by Shruti Sadbhav