When you see those grainy highlights from 2008, don't just look at the blond highlights or the yellow boots. Look at the body. That lean, powerful, explosive frame is the gold standard for what a modern wide player should aspire to be. Before the bulk, before the trophies at Madrid, there was the Greyhound . And he was magnificent. Do you prefer the 2008 "Slim Ronaldo" or the 2014 "Buff Ronaldo"? Drop a comment below.

The later Ronaldo physiques (2011-2014) were sculpted . They were intimidating. They belonged to a striker.

The 2008 version of Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't the heavy-muscled striker of Real Madrid or the lethal poacher of Juventus. He was a greyhound . He was the perfect intersection of raw athletic explosiveness and technical wizardry. For fans of a certain age, the 2008 Ronaldo isn't just a player; he is the ultimate "What if?" of athletic physique.

But back in 2008, the world witnessed something different. We witnessed the birth of a cyborg.