We got to the final 2 years after he left but it’s the Bayern loss that got away, the Inter win. That year was wide open for us but the Rooney injury put us out. Ronaldo in that side for 2/3 year has us challenging Barca never mind being the second best team in the world, which we were when he left us anyway. He also wanted to leave in 08 when we were clearly the best team in the world so it could have been even worse for him so it’s not as if he saw huge potential there, Madrid were a mess and he still wanted to go.
He left us in 09, didn’t win a CL until 14. There has to be a massive what if in his head
The amount of league titles he left behind adds up as well.
Moving to Madrid which was a work a progress to join a league that Messi and Barca ruled was a huuuge misstep. The going to Juve when he could have his choice between City, Bayern, PSG etc was even worse.
For a man chasing records it could have been so much better for him. He should have seen himself as the final piece of every jigsaw and only moved when that team gave him the best chance at history that next season.