Hyderabad: Portugal's legendary footballer Cristiano Ronaldo amassed his 900th goal of his illustrious career in the UEFA Nations League group stage match against Croatia in Lisbon on Thursday. With this exceptional achievement, he became the only player to score 900 or more goals in the history of the sport.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who didn't feature in the nominations list for this year's prestigious award ceremony, tapped in a volley from a Nuno Mendes cross in the 34th minute of the first half to double Portugal’s lead in the 2-1 win. Ronaldo got emotional after the goal as he raced towards the corner and celebrated the goal by holding out his arms, placing his hands on his face and dropping to the ground.
It was the 39-year-old’s 131st goal for Portugal that extended his record for most international goals. The Portugal captain already has 769 goals in his kitty while playing for clubs across the world. His arch-rival Lionel Messi has the second most 842 goals to his name, while Brazilian legend Pelé is third in the list with 765 goals.
I dreamed of this, and I have more dreams. Thank you all! pic.twitter.com/2SS3ZoG2Gl
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) September 5, 2024
"It means a lot," Ronaldo said after the game, according to the Associated Press. "It was a milestone I wanted to reach for a long time. I knew I would reach this number because as I continue to play, it would happen naturally."
"It was emotional because it’s a milestone. It seems like any other milestone, but only I know, and the people around me, how hard it is to work every day, to be physically and psychologically fit, to score 900 goals. It’s a unique milestone in my career," he added.
Ronaldo, who plays for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, was also the first men’s player in history to score 800 goals (Club + Country). Ronaldo’s latest milestone adds to his highly decorated career, which includes holding the record for most Champions League goals (141).
Ronaldo, who created a record for getting the quickest 1 million subscribers on his newly launched YouTube channel, told his former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand that he is aiming for the 1000th career goal landmark.
"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. For me, the best mark that I can have in football is to reach, first, 900 goals. After, my challenge is to reach 1,000 goals," Ronaldo said on his YouTube channel.
