Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the most complete footballer in history.

Even at 36 years old, you can't help watching Ronaldo and revelling in his all-round ability, flitting between the elite physicality of a rugby player to the skillful deftness of a ballet dancer.

The simple fact of the matter is that Ronaldo has crafted himself into a brand of athlete that we've never been before and frankly, might never see again.

Ronaldo's undisputed greatness

Besides, you have to wonder how long the Portuguese icon will keep playing for when he's producing the sort of leaps and sprints that many twenty-somethings couldn't even muster.

We're not sitting here pretending as though Ronaldo is going to be bagging Champions League hat-tricks in his forties but if anybody can hold off father time, then it's got to be 'CR7'.

However, we're inclined to think there is a department in which Ronaldo is cruelly underrated and that's his ability to invent moves and skills that have seldom been seen in football before.

Ronaldo inventing skills

Ronaldo is often viewed as this footballing robot who is merely a magpie of what was achieved before him, whereas players like Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho are those who break new ground.

But that's simply not the case because with everything from knuckle-ball free-kicks to NBA-style headers, Ronaldo has arguably left more of an imprint on the sport than any of his forebearers.

And to make that point even clearer, we wanted to hone in on one of the underrated skills that Ronaldo has brought to the beautiful game and it's one that only appears on the rarest occasions.

Ronaldo beating defenders with his back

In fact, by our calculations, the last time we saw it was during Real Madrid's trip to Eibar in 2018.

Don't worry, we won't keep you wondering any longer because we're talking Ronaldo's unique ability to beat defenders by controlling the ball with his back - and yes, it's just as badass as you think.

Besides, while Ronaldinho might have used his back for first touches and even passes back in the day, we've never seen anybody beat defenders with that body part quite the way that Ronaldo did.

So, do yourselves a favour and check out the incredible moment of ingenuity down below:

That wasn't even the first time...

However, that moment of inspiration at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium was by no means the first time that Ronaldo showcased his ability to beat defenders with his back.

That's because Ronaldo achieved it under much more low-key circumstances during the 2010/11 season when he fooled a defender by turning his back and allowing it to deflect off him.

From where we're sat, the only thing that comes close to Ronaldo's skill is Denis Odoi's turn for Fulham on the opening day of the Championship season against Newcastle United in 2016.

However, not only does Ronaldo's first showcase of the skill predate that equally impressive moment, but we're inclined to think that the Portuguese nailed it better than anyone since then.

And hey, it's Ronaldo, what's not to love?