In 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo had one of his best, if not the best, years of his whole career. He started off the year by delivering eight goal contributions for Real Madrid in his first 10 matches. A very good start, but as soon as February came around and the knockout stage of the Champions League kicked off, he upped his level even more. He scored a brace against Atlético Madrid to send Real Madrid to the Copa del Rey final, scored four goals and provided two assists in the round of 16 of the Champions League against Schalke 04, and he went eleven straight games without failing to find the back of the net.

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In the UCL quarterfinals, he scored a goal in the first leg but was forced to sit out in the second leg and in Real Madrid’s triumphant Copa del Rey final due to an injury. Real Madrid still managed to qualify for the semifinals against Bayern Munich, in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace in the second leg.  Even though he was dealing with patellar tendinosis, Cristiano Ronaldo still managed to push through the injury and play in the Champions League final. In the most important game of the season, he came up clutch, scoring a goal and assisting Marcelo to win “La Décima”. This was his second Champions League title, capping off a record-breaking 17 goals in 11 Champions League matches in the 2013/14 season.

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Cristiano Ronaldo then travelled to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, but it quickly became evident that his injury was taking a toll on him, as he didn’t play well enough for his standards and Portugal were knocked out in the group stage. Despite this, he still managed to score and provide an assist in the tournament.

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After a very-much needed break, Cristiano Ronaldo started the 2014/15 season by winning the UEFA Super Cup, scoring a brace in the final and being named man of the match. He then had an absolutely monstrous first half of the season, as he scored in twelve consecutive games for Real Madrid, including two hattricks and a poker. He scored a mind-boggling 31 goals and provided 12 assists in just 22 appearances, averaging nearly two goal contributions per game.

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He capped off the year by winning the FIFA Club World Cup in December and was rightfully awarded the 2014 Ballon d’Or on the 12^th of January in 2015. Cristiano Ronaldo finished 2014 with four new titles, his third European Golden Boot and his third Ballon d’Or, accomplishing one of the greatest years the game of football has ever seen.

Featured image: Anish Morarji (CC BY 2.0)