Ranking Cristiano Ronaldo’s 4 Goal of the Season winners at Man Utd

Quick Reads
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo playing in a Champions League quarter final at the Dragao Stadium. April 2009.

During his two spells at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more than his fair share of sensational goals. 

Ronaldo has scored over 140 goals across seven seasons at United and has won the club’s Goal of the Season award on four separate occasions.

We’ve ranked the four goals from worst to best, but each one of them truly showcases Ronaldo’s incredible quality and audacity to shoot from such a long way out.

4. Tottenham, 2021-22

After leaving United for Real Madrid in 2009, Ronaldo spent nine years in Spain and three years at Juventus before returning to Old Trafford.

Despite being 37 years old at the time, he still managed to score 24 goals in all competitions in 2021-22 and the pick of the bunch was his first goal against Tottenham in March 2022.

The striker received the ball around 30 yards out following a neat flick from Fred and set himself up before powering a ferocious long-range strike past Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. 

Ronaldo scored another two goals in the game to bag a hat-trick, his first since returning to the club and the 60th in his career.

“I think [Ronaldo] was at his best, very aggressive in the box,” Lloris said after the game. “It’s difficult to control him, but when you concede set pieces you need to look for that. The second goal is from a cross and we could have defended it a bit better.

“For the first goal, when you give him a little bit of space he can do what he did.”

3. Portsmouth, 2005-06

The first of two Goal of the Season winners against Portsmouth, a young Ronaldo showed that his weaker foot was still better than most players’ stronger foot.

Picking up the ball about 25 yards from goal, he took two touches and shifted the ball onto his left foot before unleashing a firecracker which flew into the back of the net.

Portsmouth goalkeeper Dean Kiely barely moved as he was beaten by the sheer speed and swerve of Ronaldo’s strike.

The Fratton Park crowd were stunned into a mixture of boos and silence while Ronaldo wheeled away in celebration, as his goal made it 2-0 to United.

Ronaldo would then add a third less than 10 minutes later en route to a 3-1 away victory.

 

2. Portsmouth, 2007-08

The 2007-08 campaign was one of United’s best-ever seasons as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side secured a Premier League and Champions League double with Ronaldo in terrifying form.

He was outdoing himself every week with stunning skills and outrageous goals, and this came to a peak when Portsmouth travelled to Old Trafford in January 2008.

An opportunity from a free kick presented itself and, despite being 30 yards out, Ronaldo looked destined to score from the moment he lined up to take it.

The ball left Ronaldo’s boot like a rocket and arrowed towards David James’ net with ferocious power, swerve and dip before landing in the top right corner.

“No goalkeeper in the world would have stopped it,” Ferguson told reporters. “It was without doubt the best free-kick I’ve seen in the Premier League.

“It was a fantastic strike, within two or three inches of the upright. Of the players who have taken free-kicks for us, the likes of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham – he was pretty good – and Eric Cantona, but Cristiano’s strike rate is phenomenal.

“It’s [a] reward for all the practise he puts in on the training pitch with the other players.”

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo scores his second goal of the game against Portsmouth, Old Trafford, 30 January 2008

READ: Cristiano Ronaldo, his Pompey FK & a decade of trying to top perfection

1. Porto, 2008-09

There are a lot to pick from, but this strike is arguably Ronaldo’s best goal ever.

The first leg of United’s Champions League quarter-final tie in 2009 saw Porto claim a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, taking an away goal advantage back to Portugal.

United had to score at the Estadio do Dragao to keep their hopes alive, but it only took Ronaldo six minutes to break the deadlock.

After receiving the ball from Anderson just shy of 40 yards from goal, the Portugal international took a touch before firing the ball towards goal.

The ball clocked an incredible speed of 64.2mph and did not waiver once as it found the top left corner. United then held on to secure the 1-0 victory and their place in the semi-final.

“It is the best goal I have scored,” Ronaldo said after the game. “It was a fantastic strike and I can’t wait to see it again on DVD. I am very happy with it.”

“I will have to trawl a long way back through my memory bank to come up with anything as good as that,” Ferguson added. “It was a sensational goal. It was a great strike and to do it so early gave us the platform to go on and win.”

Just months later, FIFA established the Puskas Award for the best goal in world football and Ronaldo’s effort against Porto claimed the inaugural prize.

The true definition of a wonder goal.

More Manchester United

‘He did the most audacious piece of skill’ – Ronaldo’s early days at Man Utd

Can you name Alex Ferguson’s 30 most-used players at Manchester United?

Ronaldo’s first cup final, when he proved he had style *and* substance

An ode to Cristiano Ronaldo’s best goal for Man Utd that no one talks about

Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United