Cristiano Ronaldo creates football history by hitting landmark figure for Portugal in Nations League clash against Croatia
Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved yet another staggering feat in his glittering career with his 900th goal for club and country.
The Portugal skipper was on target against Croatia in the Nations League on Thursday night to become the first man in history to reach the astonishing figure.
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Ronaldo has scored his 900th career goalCredit: GettyHis latest strike has also taken his tally to 131 goals for his country, putting further distance between him and long-time rival Lionel Messi on the all-time goalscoring charts.
Ronaldo sits in first place by some distance, with Messi in second on 838 goals from 1069 games.
His 900th goal of his career came in the 34th minute at the Estadio do Benfica, where he volleyed home Portugal’s second in their 2-0 win from close range after getting on the end of Nuno Mendes’ whipped in cross.
Read more On Cristiano RonaldoHe sprinted to the corner flag where he dropped to his knees, letting out a beaming smile at finally getting on the score sheet for Portugal.
Speaking after the victory, Ronaldo said: “900 goals seems like any other milestone, but only I know how hard it is to work every day to score your 900th goal.
“It’s a unique milestone in my career. I don’t break records… they haunt me!”
Posting a rallying cry on Instagram to his compatriots, there were a number of famous names who posted their thoughts in the comment section.
Former Chelsea captain John Terry wrote: “Phenomenal,” while his ex-Manchester United teammate David de Gea joked: “Just 900?” His partner, Georgina Rodriguez, celebrated the achievement on her Instagram story.
Ronaldo failed to score at Euro 2024, leading many to wonder if he should call time on his international career, but the veteran has now silenced his haters.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United icon’s incredible feat is all the more remarkable given he’s still going strong at 39 years of age.
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Ronaldo dropped to his knees after hitting the landmark figure against CroatiaCredit: Getty
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No other footballer in history has scored more officials goals that the five-time Ballon d’Or winnerCredit: GettyHowever, the superstar insists he is not done yet and has an absurd milestone now in his sights.
Speaking to former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, Ronaldo declared he wants to hit the magical mark of 1,000 goals.
“If I don’t have any injuries, this for me is the most important, I want that,” Ronaldo said.
Who are the top ten highest goalscorers of all time? Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi the top two as legend Josef Bican is surpassed
“For me, the best mark that I can have in football is to reach, first, 900 goals. After, my challenge is to be at 1,000 goals.”
Brazil icon Pele is considered the highest goalscorer of all time by some, with FIFA crediting him with 1,281 goals, but it is now widely accepted that hundreds of those goals came in friendly matches.
Referencing Pele’s alleged haul, Ronaldo continued: “With one difference, all the goals that I score, they have video. So I can prove that it’s [real].”
It will take something extraordinary to crack the figure, but given what Ronaldo has accomplished in his glittering career, nothing comes as a shock.
Top 10 highest goalscorers of all time
Cristiano Ronaldo (900 goals in 1,236 games)Lionel Messi (838 goals in 1,069 games)Josef Bican (805+ goals in 530+ games)Romario (772 goals in 994 games)Pele (757 goals in 831 games)Ferenc Puskas (746+ goals in 754+ games)Gerd Muller (734 goals in 793 games)Ferenc Deak (576+ goals, total games unknown)Uwe Seeler (575+ goals, total games unknown)Tulio Maravilha (575 goals, total games unknown)He has also shown no signs of slowing down at club level, either, having scored 51 goals from 49 Saudi Pro League games for Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo sits comfortably in first place as Portugal’s greatest-ever goalscorer, with Pauleta in second with 47 goals from 1997 to 2006.
And he also holds the record for most appearances, with his start against Croatia his 213th cap for Portugal.
The figure is 67 caps ahead of former Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho, who retired from international football in 2022.
Read More on talkSPORTAs for Ronaldo’s remaining goals outside of international duty, he’s scored a mind-blowing 769 at his various club stints.
His nine years at Spanish giants Real Madrid were his most prolific, bagging 450 goals in 438 games.
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