Cristiano Ronaldo is widely recognized for his exceptional heading ability and his proficiency in scoring goals with his head. His powerful and accurate headers have become a trademark of his playing style. Ronaldo’s athleticism, timing, and jumping ability contribute to his effectiveness in aerial duels, making him a constant threat in the box during set pieces and crosses. Over the course of his illustrious career, Ronaldo has scored numerous goals with his head, showcasing his versatility as a goal scorer. In this article, we have ranked the 5 best header goals of Cristiano ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 5 Best Header Goals
5. Champions League 2008 – Manchester United vs. AS Roma
The rivalry between Manchester United and AS Roma is well known to every football fan. The two teams only meet each other in Champions League. On April 1, 2008, in a Champions League quarter-final clash against Roma, Ronaldo scored a bullet header which shocked everyone in the stadium.
The special thing about the header was that Ronaldo wasn’t even in the frame when Paul Scholes chipped the ball into the box. Cristiano came out of nowhere and scored an unstoppable header into the back of the net.
4. Copa Del Rey 2011 – Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona
The Copa del Rey final in 2011 between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona took place on April 20, 2011, at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia, Spain. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game. The goal was a header from a cross by Ángel Di María.
Although it was just a normal header goal, but is one of the best header of Ronaldo’s career because it came against his arch rivals Barcelona and in the final of Copa Del Rey. With this goal, Ronaldo made his first real impression in the competition and also foiling Pep Guardiola’s ambitions of a second treble in three years.
3. Euro 2016 – Portugal vs. Wales
Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic header goal against Wales in the UEFA Euro 2016 semifinal comes at 4th place in the list of Ronaldo’s best header goals. The match took place on July 6, 2016, at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon, France.
In the 50th minute of the game, Portugal’s captain Cristiano Ronaldo scored a crucial goal with a powerful header, breaking the deadlock and giving Portugal a 1-0 lead. The goal came from a cross delivered by Luis Nani. Ronaldo rose above the Welsh defense to meet the ball and directed it into the net with his head. This goal was quite special because Ronaldo took just few steps to jump that high. It seemed like he was an NBA player.
2. Serie A 2019 – Juventus vs. Sampdoria
Ronaldo joined Juventus after leaving Real Madrid in 2018. In his stint with Juventus, Ronaldo scored a lot of goals and was also the top scorer for his club in Italy. However, it was the iconic header against Sampdoria which made his mark in Italy.
This goal was the most beautiful header ever scored in football history. Ronaldo took a 2.56m leap and was in the air for quite a long time. He out jumped every defender near him. He was defying the laws of physics and floating in the air to scored an iconinc header. Another aspect which made this one of the best header goals by Cristiano Ronaldo is that he was 36 years old that time.
1. Champions League 2013 – Real Madrid vs. Manchester United
The best header goal of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career came against his former club Manchester United when he was playing for Real Madrid. It is also the highest jump goal ever scored in the history of football. What even made this header more iconic is the fact that it was the first time that Ronaldo would be facing his former side and mentor, Sir Alex Ferguson after making a move to Real Madrid in 2009.
With a cross from Angel Di Maria, Cristiano Ronaldo took a leap of 2.93m above the ground and scored a brilliant header past David De Gea. Ronaldo’s knees reached up to the shoulders of Patrice Evra who was marking him.
