Cristiano Ronaldo made history once again by becoming the first men’s football player to score 900 goals in official matches. The milestone was reached during Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Croatia in Lisbon, where Ronaldo netted a volley in the 34th minute to put Portugal 2-0 up. Portugal went on to win the game 2-1.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is now 58 goals ahead of his closest rival, Lionel Messi, who has 842 career goals. Legendary Brazilian striker Pelé ranks third on the all-time list with 765 goals.
Ronaldo’s record-breaking journey includes 131 international goals in 209 appearances, also the most by any player in history. In club football, Ronaldo has scored 769 goals across stints with Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and his current team, Al Nassr.
Despite his historic achievement, the 39-year-old Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down. In a recent conversation with Rio Ferdinand, he expressed his ambition to reach 1,000 goals, predicting it could happen by the age of 41 if he remains injury-free.
Ronaldo also emphasized the significance of modern documentation, saying, “All the goals I have scored, they have video.” He acknowledged past legends like Pelé and Di Stefano but made clear that his legacy, backed by video evidence, would stand the test of time.
