Cristiano Ronaldo’s three years in Turin were never quite what anyone expected. There was no Champions League triumph, no fifth Ballon d’Or in black and white, and certainly no shortage of debate about whether Juventus got everything they wanted from the most famous signing in their history.
But to suggest Ronaldo’s time in Italy was anything other than spectacular would be a disservice to what he actually accomplished.
Between 2018 and 2021, the Portuguese superstar scored 101 goals in 134 appearances for Juventus, won two Serie A titles, lifted the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, and produced some extraordinary individual performances.
More importantly, he gave Italian football some moments that seemed almost impossible to explain. From a Champions League comeback against Atlético Madrid to a header that appeared to suspend the laws of gravity, Ronaldo regularly reminded Serie A that it was hosting one of the greatest athletes the sport had ever seen.
Here are the 10 moments that best defined his Juventus adventure, ranked from 10 to 1.
10. The 750-Goal Milestone vs. Dynamo Kyiv (December 2020)
2 DECEMBER 2020 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Not every historic moment needs to be accompanied by a spectacular finish. Sometimes, the significance is in the number itself.
Ronaldo reached 750 official career goals when he turned home a rebound in Juventus’ 3-0 Champions League victory over Dynamo Kyiv in December 2020. It was his 75th goal for the Italian giants, adding another remarkable chapter to a career that had already taken him through Sporting CP, Manchester United and Real Madrid.
There was an interesting detail surrounding the achievement. Ronaldo’s goal initially required a VAR check before referee Stéphanie Frappart confirmed it, meaning the milestone came with a brief wait for confirmation.
His reaction afterward was particularly revealing. Rather than simply celebrating another personal achievement, Ronaldo acknowledged the people who had helped him get there, including his teammates, managers and opponents.
“750 goals, 750 happy moments, 750 smiles in the faces of our supporters,” he wrote on social media, before thanking the players and coaches who had helped him and the opponents who had pushed him to improve.
It was a fitting acknowledgment of just how much footballing history stood behind that relatively ordinary-looking finish.
9. His First Juventus Goals vs. Sassuolo (September 2018)
16 SEPTEMBER 2018 | SERIE A
There was a strange sense of anticipation surrounding Ronaldo’s first Juventus goal. Having arrived from Real Madrid with an extraordinary reputation, the Portuguese forward was expected to make an immediate impression in Italy.
Instead, his first three appearances passed without a goal.
The wait lasted 344 minutes, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, and the pressure was beginning to become an increasingly entertaining subplot of his introduction to Italian football.
Then came Sassuolo.
Five minutes into the second half, Ronaldo finally got his breakthrough, taking advantage of a defensive mistake to turn the ball into an empty net. Fifteen minutes later, he made absolutely certain that nobody could question whether the first goal was simply a fortunate occurrence.
An Emre Can pass allowed Ronaldo to finish clinically for his second, completing a 2-1 victory.
The reaction from La Gazzetta dello Sport was telling. Its coverage played on the idea of liberazione — liberation — capturing the relief surrounding the first goal.
There was something almost amusing about the occasion. A player who had scored hundreds of goals for Real Madrid and Manchester United had spent his first month in Turin waiting for a relatively straightforward tap-in.
Once that first goal arrived, however, the floodgates were open.
8. The Champions League Volley Against Manchester United (November 2018)
7 NOVEMBER 2018 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
There was always going to be something special about Ronaldo facing Manchester United again, particularly in a Champions League match at the Allianz Stadium.
He had already established himself as one of the greatest players in the club’s history at Old Trafford. Now, wearing Juventus black and white, he had an opportunity to remind his former supporters that his extraordinary standards had not changed.
The goal was spectacular.
Leonardo Bonucci spotted Ronaldo’s movement and delivered a beautifully weighted pass over the Manchester United defence. Ronaldo watched the ball drop over his shoulder before unleashing an unstoppable first-time volley past David de Gea.
The technique was extraordinary. He had to judge the flight of the ball, coordinate his movement and generate enough power without allowing the ball to settle.
It was precisely the sort of finish that made Ronaldo so difficult to defend against throughout his career.
His celebration became almost as memorable as the goal itself. Ronaldo pulled off his shirt and flexed his famously sculpted physique in front of the Allianz Stadium crowd. He subsequently acknowledged the travelling United supporters with an apologetic gesture.
There was an unfortunate twist, though. Juventus ultimately lost 2-1 after Juan Mata equalised with a free-kick and Ashley Young’s delivery resulted in a late own goal.
Ronaldo had produced one of the night’s defining moments, but Manchester United took the points.
7. Equaling The Serie A Consecutive Scoring Record (February 2020)
22 FEBRUARY 2020 | SERIE A
Ronaldo’s reputation was built on spectacular individual performances, but his consistency in Italy was arguably just as impressive.
During the 2019/20 campaign, he embarked on an extraordinary scoring run, finding the net in 11 consecutive Serie A appearances.
The streak began against Sassuolo in December 2019 and continued through Juventus’ February victory over SPAL. By the end of it, Ronaldo had scored 15 goals across those 11 appearances.
It placed him alongside Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella, both of whom had previously managed the same consecutive-appearance achievement.
However, there was a particularly entertaining Italian football subplot.
Batistuta took to social media to congratulate Ronaldo, but could not resist adding a little cheeky criticism. Ronaldo had been rested for Juventus’ game against Brescia, and the former Fiorentina striker noticed.
“Congratulations Cristiano for the record! The only thing is that resting makes it easier,” Batistuta joked.
The exchange was picked up by Italian sports outlets, including Sky Sport Italia, and provided a wonderfully nostalgic connection between two generations of Serie A goalscorers.
It also highlighted just how relentlessly Ronaldo was being measured against the greatest forwards to have played in Italy.
6. His First Italian Trophy: Supercoppa Match-Winner vs. AC Milan (January 2019)
16 JANUARY 2019 | SUPERCOPPA ITALIANA
Ronaldo did not move to Juventus simply to score goals. He arrived to win trophies, and it did not take long for him to deliver his first piece of silverware in Italy.
The 2018 Supercoppa Italiana brought Juventus and AC Milan together in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with Ronaldo facing another opportunity to make himself the difference in a major final.
The decisive moment arrived in the 61st minute.
Miralem Pjanić spotted Ronaldo’s movement and floated an excellent pass towards the Portuguese forward, who got behind the Milan defence and guided a header beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma.
It was not the most spectacular goal of his Juventus career, but it was an important one. Juventus won 1-0, securing their eighth Supercoppa Italiana and giving Ronaldo his first trophy in Italian football.
The Italian media embraced their new superstar’s latest achievement, with the Re d’Arabia (King of Arabia) description capturing the excitement surrounding his match-winning performance.
There was also an interesting historical dimension to the occasion. Juventus had moved ahead of Milan in the competition’s honours list, taking sole possession of the record with their eighth victory.
Ronaldo had been in Turin for only six months, but he was already delivering exactly what Juventus had purchased him to deliver: decisive contributions when trophies were on the line.
5. The Long-Range Thunderbolt Against Genoa (June 2020)
30 JUNE 2020 | SERIE A
Ronaldo’s spectacular athleticism and finishing ability were well established by the time he arrived in Turin, but there was something particularly satisfying about watching him produce a goal that combined his physical power with his individual brilliance.
His strike against Genoa in June 2020 was a perfect example.
Juventus were already dominating the contest at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris when Ronaldo received the ball outside the penalty area. Rather than looking for a teammate or slowing the attack, he drove forward and created the space to unleash a tremendous effort.
The shot flew into the net, leaving Mattia Perin with virtually no chance.
It was the second goal in a 3-1 victory that also featured spectacular finishes from Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa.
In fact, the quality of Juventus’ goals was such that the club’s own match report described the three strikes as a collection of outstanding efforts.
Ronaldo’s contribution was particularly memorable because it showcased another side of his attacking game. He was not simply waiting inside the penalty area for opportunities to arrive. He could manufacture his own shooting opportunity, carry the ball forward and finish from distance.
That versatility was a major part of what made him such a nightmare for Serie A defenders.
4. Breaking Juventus’ 95-Year-Old Single-Season Goalscoring Record (2019/20)
2019/20 SEASON | ALL COMPETITIONS
Some records are impressive because of the numbers involved. Others become even more significant because of the history required to break them.
Ronaldo’s 2019/20 campaign belonged to the latter category.
He finished the season with 37 goals across all competitions, establishing a new single-season goalscoring record for Juventus.
The previous benchmark was 35, set by Hungarian forward Ferenc Hirzer during the 1925/26 campaign.
That record had survived for 95 years, spanning generations of Juventus legends and some of the greatest goalscorers in Italian football history.
Then Ronaldo arrived and surpassed it.
What made the achievement particularly impressive was the context. Juventus were navigating a difficult period of adjustment under Maurizio Sarri, whose tactical ideas did not always produce the fluid attacking football supporters expected.
Ronaldo, however, continued delivering goals.
He scored 31 times in Serie A alone, equalling the Juventus single-season league record, while his contributions across the other competitions pushed his overall tally to an unprecedented 37.
The contrast between Hirzer’s achievement in the 1920s and Ronaldo’s in the modern era is fascinating. Almost a century separated the two campaigns, yet the same club had been waiting for someone to surpass that extraordinary benchmark.
Ronaldo ultimately did it in just his second season in Italy.
For all the discussion about whether Juventus were getting value from their expensive superstar, this was an undeniable piece of individual history.
3. Reaching 100 Juventus Goals Faster Than Anyone in Club History (May 2021)
12 MAY 2021 | SERIE A
Ronaldo’s Juventus career was approaching its conclusion when he reached one of the most significant milestones of his time in Turin.
Against Sassuolo, he scored his 100th goal for the club in just 131 competitive appearances.
That was an extraordinary return, particularly considering the expectations that accompanied his arrival from Real Madrid.
The finish itself was typical Ronaldo. He controlled a long ball, used a clever touch to evade Marlon and drove the ball beyond Andrea Consigli.
But there was something else happening that made the evening particularly unusual.
Paulo Dybala also reached 100 Juventus goals during the same match.
Two of the club’s most recognisable attacking players had achieved the same milestone on the same evening, with Juventus winning 3-1.
The Italian press understandably made a big deal of the coincidence. Football Italia highlighted the shared achievement, while Ronaldo himself made a point of congratulating his Argentine teammate.
His Instagram message was particularly revealing:
“Always a special feeling to reach 100 goals for my team. Proud of this number, happy to have helped Juve and happy to have seen Dybala also reach his 100th goal.”
He finished with a reminder that there was still work to do, telling Dybala that they needed to maintain their concentration with so much still at stake.
There was also an interesting historical footnote. Ronaldo was actually the second-fastest player to reach 100 Juventus goals, with Omar Sivori having done it in 124 appearances.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo’s 131-game achievement was remarkable, and he remains the only Juventus player to have reached 100 goals within his first three seasons at the club.
2. The Gravity-Defying Header Against Sampdoria (December 2019)
18 DECEMBER 2019 | SERIE A
There are spectacular goals, there are unbelievable goals, and then there is whatever Ronaldo produced against Sampdoria.
Even by his extraordinary standards, this was something else.
Juventus were visiting Sampdoria in December 2019 when Alex Sandro delivered a cross towards the far post. Ronaldo attacked the ball, launched himself into the air and somehow remained suspended long enough to direct a powerful header beyond Emil Audero.
The numbers were ridiculous.
Ronaldo made contact with the ball at a height of 2.56 metres, approximately 8 feet 5 inches, after jumping 71 centimetres off the ground.
At 34 years old, he was producing an athletic feat that would have been extraordinary for someone considerably younger.
The Italian press could hardly believe what they had witnessed.
La Gazzetta dello Sport’s coverage captured the sense of disbelief surrounding the goal, while the wider Italian football media quickly turned to comparisons with basketball.
Sampdoria manager Claudio Ranieri was particularly impressed.
Speaking after the match, Ranieri described Ronaldo as looking like an NBA player.
“He was in the air for an hour and a half!” the former Leicester City manager joked.
It was a remarkable compliment coming from an experienced coach who had seen generations of exceptional footballers.
Ronaldo’s reaction was equally entertaining. He later posted an image of himself celebrating the goal with the caption CR7 Air Jordan, playfully comparing his leap to the legendary basketball superstar Michael Jordan.
The goal was more than a viral moment. It was a demonstration of the physical preparation, coordination and athleticism that had allowed Ronaldo to remain at the top of European football for so long.
1. The Ultimate Comeback: Hat-Trick Against Atlético Madrid (March 2019)
12 MARCH 2019 | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
If there is one performance that explains why Juventus spent so much money bringing Ronaldo to Turin, it is this one.
The Champions League was the ultimate prize behind his arrival, and the Round of 16 encounter against Atlético Madrid provided an opportunity to demonstrate exactly why he had become synonymous with European football’s biggest nights.
Juventus had lost the first leg 2-0 in Madrid. Diego Simeone’s team had been typically disciplined, physical and difficult to break down, leaving the Italian champions facing an enormous challenge.
Ronaldo, however, had other ideas.
He opened the scoring in the 27th minute, rising above Juanfran to meet Federico Bernardeschi’s cross with a powerful header.
Early in the second half, he repeated the trick, this time meeting João Cancelo’s delivery to make it 2-0 on the night and level the aggregate score.
The comeback was now within reach.
Juventus continued pushing, and Federico Bernardeschi eventually won a penalty after being brought down by Ángel Correa. Ronaldo stepped forward and converted with the sort of composure that had become his trademark.
Three goals. One extraordinary comeback. Atlético eliminated.
The performance was particularly significant because it came against a team that had made defensive organisation its defining characteristic under Simeone.
Ronaldo had scored all three goals himself, overcoming a two-goal first-leg deficit and sending Juventus into the quarter-finals.
The Italian newspapers responded accordingly.
Tuttosport famously splashed MARZIANI! (Martians) across its front page, describing the extraordinary nature of Juventus’ performance.
La Gazzetta dello Sport’s coverage used the expression Ira di Dio (Wrath of God), while Corriere dello Sport went with the emphatic MOSTRUOSO (Monstrous).
It was a remarkable collection of headlines for a remarkable performance.
There was also a particularly interesting statistical connection: Ronaldo’s hat-trick was his eighth in the Champions League, further strengthening his reputation as the competition’s ultimate goalscoring force.
Juventus had signed him to deliver nights like this. For one unforgettable evening in Turin, he justified the entire project.
Purveyor of footy since the 90s. Favor the Premier League and old school Serie A with a touch of Bundesliga. More than a touch. Professional writer for 20 years, covering every sport but now focused on the Premier League and world football. You won’t be able to guess my favorite team.