The legendary career of Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid remains an example of an excellent attacker. The Portuguese star, who scored 50 goals in 54 games in his first year at the Bernabéu after joining Barcelona in 2009, had a massive opportunity to do so after his world-record transfer in 2009 of more than €94 million, having started with Manchester United under his belt at the time.
Fernando Sañudo and Gaspar Rubio were the only two men in Madrid’s long history who used to do the same in less time. Sañudo remains the leader with only 47 games required, but his career was prematurely ended as a result of military service during the Spanish Civil War. Rubio is another legendary name in the club’s history, right next to Ronaldo.
In Ronaldo’s case, this was just the beginning. He would change in the next nine years to become the all-time top scorer in Real Madrid with 450 goals in 438 games. His clinical finishing, athletism, and capacity to perform on the largest stage contributed to Los Blancos’s dominance not only in the LaLiga but also in Europe.
The Portuguese forward’s figures are fantastic compared to those of most of his contemporaries. Even legends like Raul and Karim Benzema achieved their marks much later. Other Madrid legends who have come behind Ronaldo in this list include Alfredo Di Stéfano, which further points to the influence of the modern icon.
Now that the new players, such as Kylian Mbappé, are becoming the stars in the legendary white shirt, the legacy left behind by Ronaldo can be used both as a reminder and an inspiration of the high standards he left behind in the era. Records are meant to be broken, but the scorching beginning of Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid is imprinted in football’s history.
