Cristiano Ronaldo reached an unprecedented milestone on Thursday, scoring his 900th career goal during Portugal’s UEFA Nations League match against Croatia.
This record breaking goal makes him the first footballer to score 900 goals. The 39-year-old was also the first men’s player in history to score 800 goals for club and country, according to the Olympics.
Longtime rival Lionel Messi sits in second place with 842 goals, while Brazilian legend Pelé is third with 765 goals, according to ESPN.
Ronaldo’s latest milestone adds to his highly decorated career, which includes holding the all-time records for most championship league goals (141).
Thr Portuguese born player forward netted his 131st international goal for Portugal, bringing the score to 2-0 in the second half.
In an emotional celebration, Ronaldo dropped to his knees by the corner flag, overwhelmed with tears as he marked the historic moment.
His remarkable journey began over two decades ago, on October 7, 2002, when he scored his first competitive goals for Sporting Lisbon as a 17-year-old in a 3-0 victory over Moreirense.
Since then, he has played for some of the world’s top clubs, including Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and his current team, Al-Nassr. Throughout his career, Ronaldo has shattered numerous records, with his latest achievement adding another chapter to his illustrious legacy.
During his nine seasons at Real Madrid, Ronaldo became the club’s all-time leading scorer with 450 goals in 438 appearances. His time at Juventus and a second stint at Manchester United added 101 and 27 goals, respectively, to his tally.
After joining Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo has continued his scoring exploits, netting 68 goals since his arrival
While Ronaldo leads the official goal-scoring charts, some claims by Brazil’s football legends Pele and Romario suggest they each surpassed 1,000 career goals, but these figures include non-official matches.
According to the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF), Pele scored 778 goals, and Romario tallied 785 in official games. Ronaldo’s long-time rival, Lionel Messi, has scored 867 official goals so far
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Despite being 39, Ronaldo remains determined to achieve even greater heights.
In a recent YouTube channel, with Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo expressed his desire to reach the 1,000-goal milestone, saying, “I want to reach 1,000 goals. If I don’t have any injuries, this for me is the most important (thing), I want that.”
He emphasized that his motivation now comes from his love for the game, not just winning trophies, stating, “Scoring 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.”
Ronaldo further added, “I don’t break records… they haunt me,” reflecting his relentless pursuit of greatness on the pitch
Following his 900th goal, Guinness World Records shared a tribute on social media, quoting a BBC post: “900 career goals for Cristiano Ronaldo. Incredible. #BBCFootball.”
