Why Is Cristiano Ronaldo So Good?

Photo Credit – Oleg Dubyna (no changes made) under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Licence

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous footballers of all time. The Portuguese forward has played all over the world, making him a global superstar. His Instagram account has the most followers ever, and he has an honours list that only a select few can compete with. But why is Ronaldo so good at football?

In this in-depth Elastico article, we’re going to explore the reasons why Ronaldo is so good at football, looking at his physicality, mentality, technical abilities, and consistency. If you want to find out more about these topics, this article is for you.

Why Is Ronaldo So Good?

Some of the reasons why Ronaldo is so good at football include having impressive physicality, elite mentality, and world-class technical abilities. These traits have allowed him to consistently play at the highest level, breaking records and creating a long-lasting legacy during that time.

Mental and Emotional Fortitude

One of the main reasons why Ronaldo is good at football is his mental and emotional fortitude. He prides himself on having an elite mentality, and has developed and used it to drive him forward over many years.

Mentality is a huge part of football and is one of the main factors that separates players from being able to reach an elite level or not. Let’s look a little closer into the reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo’s mentality is so strong.

Ronaldo’s Mindset and Determination

Ronaldo quickly learned that he had the ability to become one of the world’s greats, and since then his mindset was set on only one thing – to become the best footballer ever. 

The forward once said, ‘I know that if I set my mind to something, even if people are saying I can’t do it, I will achieve it.’ He firmly believes that if you don’t believe something, you will never achieve it, and this ethos has carried him to the top.

Battle With Lionel Messi

For the majority of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has been in battle with Lionel Messi for the title of the ‘Greatest of all time’. This is a hotly debated topic among football enthusiasts, but we want to discuss how this has affected Ronaldo’s mentality.

These two greats have carried each other to the top of the game, and having someone constantly performing at his level has helped Ronaldo maintain his elite mentality. When Messi won four Ballon d’Or awards in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, Ronaldo could’ve given up, however he went on to win four of the following five awards afterwards.

Physical Attributes

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Abilities

Another reason why Ronaldo is so good at football is because of his physique and athletic ability. He is known for being physically strong, quick, agile whilst having excellent coordination, and balance.

He also has exceptional jumping ability and aerial prowess, which makes him a threat during crosses and set pieces. All of these abilities mean that Ronaldo is a force that’s hard for defenders to stop. Watch Ronaldo score a gravity-defying headed goal for Juventus:

When he was in his footballing prime, Cristiano Ronaldo’s abilities were at their highest level. This was during his time at Real Madrid, where he enjoyed the greatest spell of his career. He would score so many goals during his time at Madrid because opposition defenders would find it hard to compete against him.

It’s also worth noting that Ronaldo is still playing football in his late-thirties. It’s quite common for forward players to retire before the age of thirty-eight, yet Ronaldo is still regularly playing at both domestic and international level.

Because of the physical nature of the forward position in football, players are likely to suffer regular injuries that mean they have to retire at an earlier age. For example, forwards have to be explosive and this can be linked to having regular hamstring injuries. The fact that Ronaldo is still playing in his late-thirties is testament to his elite physical attributes.

Nutrition and Recovery

Ronaldo has always been known for having an incredible physique, and this has been no fluke. The Portuguese captain has regularly discussed this in interviews, explaining how he takes training, nutrition and recovery very seriously.

Most footballers will have a good approach to nutrition, however Ronaldo has taken this to the next level during his career. He has been consistently disciplined in the gym, ate like an elite athlete, and has ensured that he gets the right amount of recovery afterwards. His consistency to these things, is what sets him apart from the crowd, as he’s been able to do it across two decades, playing at the highest levels into his late-thirties.

How It Contributes to His Success on the Field

So how do Ronaldo’s physical attributes contribute to his success on the field? The fact that he is stronger and faster than most of his opponents has meant that he’s been able to create more goalscoring opportunities during his career.

For example, he can easily take on a defender and has done so many times in order to score goals in matches. His ability to jump higher than the majority of his opponents benefits him, too. This means that he has a higher chance of converting a headed chance from a cross in comparison to lots of other attacking players in the game.

If, on average, Ronaldo is creating lots more goal scoring opportunities during matches, he’s likely to score many more goals in comparison to other players. This is what puts him at the top of most football statistic tables, and what makes Ronaldo so good at football.

Ronaldo’s Technical Skills

When discussing ‘Why is Ronaldo so good?’ it’s worth analysing his impressive technical skills. He is technically gifted, and this is another factor that sets him apart from the crowd. In fact, Cristiano Ronaldo’s abilities put him in the top percentile of players to ever play the game.

Ronaldo’s Style of Play

Ronaldo is known for his powerful shots and accurate finishing, as well as his ability to dribble past multiple opponents with ease. He has always been associated with being a skilful player, regularly showboating to the crowds that watch him. It’s rare to see him play 90 minutes without seeing him complete a dozen step overs.

In his earlier years and during his prime, Ronaldo operated more as a wide forward and would thrive in 1v1 situations up the field. He would always fancy himself to beat his man, whether it be through trickery, pure speed or pushing them off of the ball.

Like all footballers, in the later stages of his career, Ronaldo has had to adapt his playing style. He would play more regularly in a central forward position, relying more on his movement in the final third to create goalscoring opportunities.

He would also utilise his world-class finishing ability from these central areas to score a wide range of different goals, adding to the reasons why Ronaldo is so good at football.

Consistency and Longevity

Another key factor as to why Ronaldo is so good, is the fact that he’s been consistently performing at an elite level for a long period of time. Many footballers have “purple patches” whereby they might play well for a few games, or have a great season, but not many purple patches last as long as Ronaldo’s.

Ronaldo’s Ability to Maintain High Performance Levels for Over a Decade

Cristiano Ronaldo’s abilities mean he has maintained incredibly high performance levels for well over a decade.

From the years of 2007 to arguably 2021, Ronaldo has consistently played at a high standard, according to his statistics. During this time, there were only two seasons where he’d scored less than 30 goals in a season across all competitions, these were 2008/09 at Manchester United where he scored 26 goals in 53 appearances, and 2018/19 at Juventus where he scored 28 goals in 43 appearances.

By all accounts, these seasons were no failures, but for the other twelve seasons his goalscoring record was ridiculously good.

Season	Team	Appearances	Goals
2007/09	Manchester United	49	42
2008/09	Manchester United	53	26
2009/10	Real Madrid	35	33
2010/11	Real Madrid	54	53
2011/12	Real Madrid	55	60
2012/13	Real Madrid	55	55
2013/14	Real Madrid	47	51
2014/15	Real Madrid	54	61
2015/16	Real Madrid	48	51
2016/17	Real Madrid	46	42
2017/18	Real Madrid	44	44
2018/19	Juventus	43	28
2019/20	Juventus	46	37
2020/21	Juventus	44	36
2021/22	Manchester United	38	24

Cristiano Ronaldo’s goalscoring record from 2007-2022

By looking at our table, you can see that the stats speak for themselves. It’s really impressive that Ronaldo has been able to post numbers like that for so many consecutive years during his career.

Reasons for His Longevity and Continued Success

There is no one set reason why Cristiano Ronaldo has been able to enjoy a long, fortuitous football career. It has been a combination of many things that, when put together, have allowed Ronaldo to flourish and become one of the best ever. Here are some of those factors:

• Mental toughness
• Incredible work ethic
• Elite physical fitness
• Technical talent
• Adaptability
• Professionalism.

Legacy and Impact on the Game

Ronaldo’s Place Among the Greatest Footballers of All Time

Ronaldo has cemented his place among the greatest footballers of all time. The greatest players of all time is a subjective debate that can divide opinions, but it’s safe to say that Ronaldo deserves to be in the top 3–5 players of all time.

There are few who come close to Ronaldo in terms of statistics, and he has competed in leagues all across the world, which is all the more impressive. Some of the greatest players of all time haven’t played for many clubs during their careers, but Ronaldo has succeeded at the highest level, time and time again.

His Influence on the Sport and Future Generations

Ronaldo is an icon, and has gained such popularity during his career, inspiring millions of people over the years. He continues to inspire future generations too, his famous ‘Siu celebration’ is regularly replicated by youngsters in local football settings and also used by professional footballers too.

A prime example of Ronaldo inspiring future generations would be his relationship with Argentine Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho, at just 18 years old, has grown up idolising Ronaldo, and then ended up playing in the same team as him at Manchester United.

It was reported that Garnacho looked up to Ronaldo, who was happy to give him tips and mentor the youngster during his time in Manchester. This kind of experience would be something that Garnacho would never forget, learning lessons from one of the greatest players ever. This has helped craft Garnacho into a young player with incredible potential.

Conclusion

Why is Ronaldo so good? He didn’t particularly need an introduction, but it’s clear why Cristiano Ronaldo has become one of the greatest footballers of all time. Having a drive to succeed and technical abilities that put him in the top 1% of all players has meant that he’s been able to play at the highest levels consistently for well over a decade.

Frequently Asked Questions