When did Cristiano Ronaldo make his debut? Year and opponents for first game of CR7’s career

As Cristiano Ronaldo turns 40 years old, the football world looks back on one of the greatest careers in the history of the sport.

Very few professional athletes in any discipline compete at a high level at the age of 40 and beyond, and Ronaldo is doing just that as he continues to score important goals for club Al Nassr and the Portugal national team.

MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time goal-scoring record

Throughout the years, Ronaldo has been subjected to new leagues and new competitions, going all the way back to when he made his professional debut in his home country of Portugal as a teenager.

The Sporting News looks back at the early days of Ronaldo’s career, as well as every single appearance he made in a new competition throughout his playing days at various stops, from Sporting CP to Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and in Saudi Arabia.

MORE: All the latest soccer action | Cristiano Ronaldo news

When did Cristiano Ronaldo make his professional debut?

Ronaldo began his career with Portuguese club Sporting CP, advancing through the club’s youth system before making his professional debut as a 17-year-old.

Ronaldo’s first-ever senior appearance came on August 14, 2002, when he came off the bench against Inter Milan in a UEFA Champions League qualifying match. Ronaldo entered midway through the second half, coming on to replace Tonito for 32 minutes of action in a 0-0 draw at home.

With Sporting eliminated by Inter in the return leg two weeks later thanks to a 2-0 loss, Ronaldo would get his first start for the club on September 19, hooked at halftime of a 3-1 defeat to Partizan Belgrade in the UEFA Cup (now known as the Europa League).

When did Cristiano Ronaldo score his first career goal?

Ronaldo’s big moment would come in his first league start for the club, when he scored a brace against Moreirense on October 7, 2002 for his first two professional goals in his first career 90-minute appearance.

Still just 17 years old, Ronaldo would score the second and third goals of the game, giving Sporting a 3-0 victory. He put Sporting 2-0 up in the 34th minute, just three minutes after Vitaliy Kutuzov’s opener, and then put the game away in the 95th minute with a header off a free-kick.

Those marked two of the five career goals Ronaldo would score for Sporting before he would join Manchester United at the end of the season.

When did Cristiano Ronaldo debut for the Portugal national team?

With over 200 international appearances and over 130 international goals, Ronaldo is considered one of the most decorated footballers of all time.

It all began with Portugal on August 20, 2003 when Luiz Felipe Scolari handed the 18-year-old his international debut with 45 minutes off the bench in a 1-0 friendly win over Kazakhstan at home.

He would earn his first international start shortly after, in the October 2003 window, by playing the first 45 minutes of a 5-3 win over Albania. Incredibly, Ronaldo wouldn’t log a goal contribution in that barn-burner, but he wouldn’t have to wait much longer to get on the scoresheet for the first time.

Ronaldo earned his first assist in a friendly against Sweden in April of 2004, coming off the bench to set up a 91st-minute equalizer by Nuno Gomes to snatch a 2-2 draw. His first goal would come on a bigger stage, scoring a consolation in Portugal’s opener against Greece at Euro 2004.

While that match would end in a 2-1 defeat, Ronaldo would play a significant role in Portugal’s run to the Euro 2004 final, scoring the opener and assisting their second in a breakout performance against the Netherlands in a 2-1 victory in the semifinals.

Other Cristiano Ronaldo debuts

Having played for clubs in five different nations across his illustrious career, Ronaldo has competed in a litany of competitions all over the world. He has competed in three of the five major European leagues (English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, and Italian Serie A) as well as the highly regarded Portuguese league from his first professional season.

Add in his enormous background for Portugal, and there are very few major global competitions, especially in Europe, in which Ronaldo has not participated.

Interestingly, Ronaldo has not scored many times in his competitive debut for new competitions, but it usually didn’t take long to start banging in the goals.

A full list of Cristiano Ronaldo debuts in every professional competition