Speaking of Cristiano Ronaldo, since his CR7 Shoes Released Today…

As Barcelona open up the window for Madrid to climb back into the early La Liga contention, the key for Madrid will not lie in new manager Ancelotti. They will be unable to depend on massive signing Gareth Bale to rescue their hopes…although the Welsh wonder will definitely have to pull his weight before the jokes start to fly about the massive amount of money Madrid may have wasted (wait…they might already be flying). Madrid have already realized that Benzema is not the savior for their current league and CL campaigns, although the French striker will hope his abysmal form is only temporary. The only hope for Los Blancos will be to place all of their hopes firmly on the back of their Portuguese star: Ronaldo.

CR7 is a victim of some of the worst luck in the history of world football. If he had played during any other time period or if he had somehow avoided the biggest stage in the world while Messi currently owns the spotlight, Ronaldo would be seen as the most dynamic player to have ever graced the pitch. He may even be seen as the greatest player to have ever played the game. The Portuguese captain has also witnessed the greatest confluence of club and national teams since the introduction of a pig’s bladder with a game involved with kicking. But, for this Madrid squad, Ronaldo can be the game-changer that will make this Madrid squad be etched in the record books for the rest of time.

Ronaldo is already looking at his international accolades and realizing that his window for anything besides a European Championship rapidly closing. Portugal will barely squeak in during the 2014 World Cup and they will not be expected to do anything except sell CR7 jerseys. If Ronaldo wants to bring home any major awards or add some serious trophies to his haul, he will take a massive step by leading Madrid back to the Liga apex and making a run through the Champions League. However, missing out a trophy this season might push him too far below the magic of Messi that he may only be remembered by the current generation of fans.

Ronaldo is an amazing player. He really has the talent and skills to turn this season into something truly special for Madrid. Considering how close Ronaldo has always been to getting into the conversation about the best player of all time, he needs this season to make his mark on this game more permanent. If he is not careful, he will find his entire career overshadowed by a Barcelona product and German emergence on the European stage. Will CR7 become more than Nike’s greatest marketing campaign ever? Or will he only be remembered by those of us lucky enough to see him dominate for 90 minutes?