Cristiano Ronaldo has reached a remarkable milestone in his illustrious career by netting his 900th goal for both club and country.
The Portugal captain found the back of the net against Croatia in the Nations League on Thursday night, becoming the first player ever to achieve this incredible feat.
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This latest goal brings his tally to 131 for the national team, further extending his lead over long-standing rival Lionel Messi in the all-time scoring rankings.
Ronaldo holds a significant lead with Messi sitting second at 838 goals across 1,069 matches.
His historic 900th goal was scored in the 34th minute at the Estadio do Benfica, where he volleyed home Portugal’s second goal of the night following a cross from Nuno Mendes in the 2-0 victory.
Learn more about Cristiano Ronaldo
Following the match, Ronaldo stated: « Reaching 900 goals feels like just another milestone, but only I understand the effort it takes every day to score that 900th goal. It’s a unique landmark in my career. Records don’t chase me… they pursue me! »
After failing to net any goals at Euro 2024, some speculated whether he should retire from international play, yet the veteran player has effectively silenced critics with this latest milestone.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United legend’s incredible achievement is even more impressive considering he remains active at 39 years of age.
However, the superstar has no plans to stop and has set his sights on an extraordinary new goal.
In a conversation with former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, he expressed his desire to reach the iconic mark of 1,000 goals.
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Top 10 Highest Goalscorers of All Time
- Cristiano Ronaldo (900 goals in 1,236 matches)
- Lionel Messi (838 goals in 1,069 matches)
- Josef Bican (805+ goals in 530+ matches)
- Romario (772 goals in 994 matches)
- Pele (757 goals in 831 matches)
- Ferenc Puskas (746+ goals in 754+ matches)
- Gerd Muller (734 goals in 793 matches)
- Ferenc Deak (576+ goals, total matches unknown)
- Uwe Seeler (575+ goals, total matches unknown)
- Tulio Maravilha (575 goals, total matches unknown)
« If I can stay injury-free, that’s crucial for me. I want to achieve this, » Ronaldo said.
« The most significant milestone for me in football was reaching 900 goals. Next, my challenge is to get to 1,000 goals. »
Legendary Brazilian forward Pele is often touted as the highest goalscorer in history, with FIFA attributing him 1,281 goals. However, it is widely recognized that many of those scores came from friendly matches.
While 1,000 goals may seem a lofty target, given Ronaldo’s past achievements, nothing is beyond his reach.
Ronaldo continues to perform remarkably at the club level, having scored 51 goals from 49 matches in the Saudi Pro League while playing for Al-Nassr.
He confidently stands as Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer, with Pauleta in the second spot, having scored 47 goals between 1997 and 2006.
Additionally, he holds the record for the most appearances, with his match against Croatia marking his 213th cap for the national team.
This figure puts him 67 caps ahead of former Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho, who ended his international career in 2022.
Regarding his club achievements, Ronaldo has astonishingly scored 769 goals throughout his various club careers, with his nine years at Real Madrid being the most prolific, where he scored 450 goals in 438 matches.
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