Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the best football
players of all time and a big share of his success can be credited to his
athletic abilities. A fleet-footed winger growing up, speed and agility were
always Cristiano Ronaldo’s strong points but his transformation into a striker
later in his professional career saw the Portuguese legend add two more
strengths to his arsenal – physicality and amazing jumping ability.

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During the early days of his career with Sporting Lisbon
and his first few years at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo’s jumping
ability was average at best. However, after improving his skill on the training
ground and gym every day, Ronaldo gradually became a force to be reckoned with
in the air. The trait started showing up during the latter stages of his first
stint at Old Trafford but only truly showed through after his move to Real
Madrid in 2009.

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Ronaldo can jump as high as 2.93 meters, though it has been
a long time since he did that incredible leap. His highest jump was recorded
against Manchester United while playing for Real Madrid in the first leg of the
Round of 16 tie in the UEFA Champions League 2012-13.

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Cristiano’s height is 6 feet 2 inches or 1.87 meters, and
his vertical jump during the goal can be measured approximately at 1.06 meters
or 41.7 inches. Jordan’s vertical jump, an NBA record, measures 48 inches. The
average vertical leap of NBA players is around 28 to 30 inches.

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The veteran striker is playing in his fifth World Cup with
Portugal, aiming to take his country to the promised victory for the first
time. He may not be as fast as he was a few years ago, but his aerial game
remains one of his greatest skills and opponents should not underestimate it.