Coming up for 32, Ronaldo is still bagging the Ballon d’Or even though the end of his career should be in sight. An unstoppable drive to be the best is behind 15 years of reinvention as Ronaldo’s game has changed to suit his competition, teammates and his own body

Force of Personality

If there’s something that’s true for Ronaldo and isn’t always for Messi, it’s that Ronaldo always wants it more than his opponents.
And just by checking out some Ronaldo facts and info you see how this obsession with being the best has lifted him to a level only a couple of players in history have reached.

Always Changing

After watching him for almost 15 years, what’s so amazing about Cristiano Ronaldo is the way he evolves.
You understand the endless work he must put in on the training ground when you see the different stages of his career.

Putting on Pounds

So he started as an elusive winger at Sporting and then Manchester United. At that time he had the pace and the tricks, but the temperament wasn’t there and he needed to add a bit of muscle.
Once he beefed himself up to meet the rigours of the Premier League you had the ultimate individual who could win a game alone with long-shots, solo goals and free-kicks.

The Creator

At Real Madrid he changed again, and became more aware when his teammates were in better scoring positions.
At this point he had matured as a person. And by 2014-15 he was registering 21 league assists compared to seven in 2009-10.

The Poacher

And now, with pace waning a little, Ronaldo has sharpened his penalty box instincts and relies on movement off the ball more than on it.
In 2016-17 he’s making less than one dribble a game, which is astounding for a player whose early career was defined by mazy runs.

The Conclusion

So what’s astonishing is how different Ronaldo is now to the player who hit form at Manchester United a decade ago. And yet he remains one of the best two players in the world.
This shows that the key to his talent lies in his personality. And the reason he is still at the top of the game is because he still wants it more than anybody else.