Ronaldo Bagged 5 Goals for Real Madrid to Achieve Incredible Career Milestone 8 Years Ago Today

• Eight years ago today, Cristiano Ronaldo made history for Real Madrid
• He scored five goals to become Real Madrid's all-time top scorer in La Liga
• The Portuguese legend scored over 300 goals in La Liga before leaving

Cristiano Ronaldo owns many records in football, and even at 38, the Al-Nassr striker continues to prove age is just a number.

Eight years ago today, in 2015, the legendary striker scored five goals to help Real Madrid thrash Espanyol 6-0 in a La Liga encounter.

By scoring five goals, he became Real Madrid's leading goalscorer in La Liga history. The Portuguese icon reached 231 goals in La Liga that day, surpassing another club legend, Raul, who had 228 goals.

Interestingly, Ronaldo achieved that mark after only 203 games, while Raul needed 550 games. In that game, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick inside the first 20 minutes, ending a two-match 'goal drought' to start the season. Benzema scored the fourth goal of the game.

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The 38-year-old scored 36 goals in La Liga that season, four behind Luis Suarez, who scored 40 goals to win the Pichichi Trophy.

Ronaldo won his fourth Ballon d'Or that season after scoring 51 goals in 48 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

Ronaldo left Real Madrid with 311 La Liga goals, the second most in history. His longtime rival Lionel Messi has scored the most La Liga goals (474).

Madrid's 2015/16 campaign

That season (2015/16), Real Madrid had a difficult season domestically. They finished second, one point behind Barcelona. However, in Europe, they were starting the greatest run in Champions League history.

They beat Atletico Madrid to win the Champions League, their second in three seasons. They would win the next two to complete a historic 'three-peat'.

Ronaldo's exploits in La Liga made him an icon in the game.

Ronaldo's impact on Saudi League

Sports Brief also reported on the Saudi Pro League currently standing at the pinnacle of Asian football, reinforcing the Portuguese veteran's forecast that it will soon vie with Europe's leading leagues.

The SPL consistently garners the highest coefficient in Asia thanks to the achievements of clubs in the AFC Champions League. Additionally, Ronaldo's Al-Nassr arrival sparked a transformation.