Real Madrid‘s mercurial number 7 Cristiano Ronaldo scored against Roma in yesterday’s Champions League round of 16 second leg to take his tally up to 40 for the season.
Reaching that milestone means that the Portuguese goal-machine has now scored 40 goals (in all competitions) for an incredible six seasons in a row. This remarkable feat of goalscoring is even more impressive considering that he plays for a team that often finishes runners-up in domestic competition.
After a transitioning to Spanish football under Manuel Pellegrini, where he managed “only” 33 goals, Ronaldo exploded as a scorer under Jose Mourinho. The 31-year-old notched an incredible 53 goals in 2010-11, including the extra-time winner in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona.
He’s since gone from strength-to-strength, powering goals past any opponent put in front of him. From a “low” of 51 in 2013-14 to an incredible high of 61 in 2014-15, Ronaldo’s scoring has become as regular as clockwork.
Goals scored by Cristiano Ronaldo:
2010/11 = 53
2011/12 = 60
2012/13 = 55
2013/14 = 51
2014/15 = 61
2015/16 = 40
As if the sheer volume of goals wasn’t enough, the variety among them is almost unmatched. From two-yard tap-ins to 32-yard rockets, from penalties to free-kicks, back-heels, chips and a vast array of headers, Ronaldo has scored every type of goal imaginable.
His goal record is especially remarkable given how many of his efforts have come in the Champions League. In the past six seasons, the Portuguese has scored a remarkable 68 times in Europe’s premier competition, including a ridiculous 13 goals this season.
Real Madrid may be out of the La Liga title-race, but with Ronaldo scoring regularly in crucial knock-out ties, there’s every chance that they could go all the way in this season’s Champions League and claim a record 11th crown.
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