But Saturday's Champions League final against his former club Juventus is a reminder that the Frenchman hasn't quite had it all his own way.
While a glitzy new league may inspire youngsters to take up the sport, India's hopes of becoming a soccer power rest with its development at a grassroots level, according to FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke.
Legendary Sachin Tendulkar along with his one-time opening partner Sourav Ganguly will be once again seen together along with Bollywood A Listers like Ranbir Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan and some of the other prominent actors like John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan at the opening ceremony of the cash-rich Indian Super League.
The Indian Super League trophy will go to the traditional home of Indian football as Atletico de Kolkata edged past Kerala Blasters 1-0 in the final.
Italian legend Alessandro del Piero scored his first goal at the fag end of the tournament via a superb free-kick as Delhi Dynamos rallied from two goal down to hold leaders Chennaiyin FC 2-2 in a thrilling Indian Super League football match on Tuesday.
Young NorthEast United FC goalkeeper T P Rehenesh made three spectacular saves to deny Delhi Dynamos a win as the the two sides settled for a goal-less stalemate after an entertaining Hero Indian Super League match on Wednesday.
Delhi Dynamos were better but wasteful as they paid the price for their profligacy even as Alessandro del Piero's presence failed to break the deadlock in their barren draw against FC Pune City in the Hero Indian Super League on Tuesday.
It was an evening to remember for the people residing in 'Mecca of Indian Football' as a riot of colours lit the Salt Lake skyline with much awaited Indian Super League (ISL) doing everything possible to strike the right chord with the football aficionado.
Serbian Djokovic, who 12 months ago had elbow surgery, won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2018, before lifting this year's Australian Open crown, to add to his tally of Grand Slam singles titles and reclaim top spot in the rankings.
Here is a round-up of results from the European League matches played on Wednesday
Delhi Dynamos fired three stunning goals and scored another one from the penalty spot to outplay Chennaiyin FC 4-1.
The jury is still out on whether the Indian Super League (ISL) can wake the world's second most populous nation from its football slumber but the first week of the eight-team competition has at least made people sit up and take notice.
Delhi Dynamos unveiled Brazilian World Cup winner Roberto its marquee manager-cum-player for the second season of the Indian Super League. Manu Shankar/Rediff.com reports
FC Goa played out a goalless draw against Mumbai FC in a closely-contested Hero Indian Super League fixture at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Sunday.
India's new soccer league with its cast of celebrity owners, experienced foreign managers and a sprinkling of high-profile players will kick off on Sunday, igniting hopes of waking the country from its football slumber.
Former world champions Spain will have to wait to regain their past glory but they need not discard their attractive brand of football that earned them fans and laurels, World Cup-winning defender Joan Capdevila told Reuters in an interview.
From the planet's costliest player Neymar to 'tiki-taka' kings Xavi and Iniesta to the ultimate sorcerer Ronaldinho, the FIFA Under-17 World Cup has been the cradle for many of world football's household names.
Some stellar performances by seasoned veterans and promising youngsters continued to raise the bar in Olympic sports but there was heartbreak in equal measure when corruption scandals blighted India's favourite obsession, cricket, in a see-saw year for the country's sportspersons.
With big names on the roster and promising Indians getting a chance to display their flair, the Hero Indian Super League, halfway into its first season, finds its heroes - and its duds. Take a look.
Laxmi Negi/Rediff.com caught up with the two footballers to find out more about their time in the country.
Ronaldo equals Raul Real Madrid record while Morata emulates Del Piero after scoring in five consecutive matches
A summary of Tuesday's matches in the UEFA Champions League.
Anthony Martial went from villain to hero as his second-half equaliser earned Manchester United a deserved point in a 1-1 draw against CSKA Moscow in Champions League Group B on Wednesday.
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