Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo with the ball during a friendly soccer match between Portugal and Ireland at the Aveiro Municipal stadium in Aveiro, Portugal, Tuesday, June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)
The Portuguese forward became the first player to reach the 900-goal mark and stated earlier that he eyes to score a staggering 1000 goals before the end of his career.
Hungry for more? Cristiano Ronaldo always is. The Portugal forward’s insatiable appetite for goals was on full display as he soared to score his historic 900th career goal. However, the legend claims that he already has bigger dreams: to reach 1000 goals.
The Portuguese forward scripted history by becoming the first men’s player in football history to score 900 goals in official matches.
Ronaldo reached the milestone by scoring his 131st goal for his beloved Portugal in their UEFA Nations League encounter against Croatia, which Portugal won 2-1.
After failing to score in the last five outings for Portugal, the 39-year-old would finally convert off a cross from Nuno Mendes, as he sent a thumping volley into the back of the net to reach his milestone.
After his match, an elated Ronaldo spoke on his record-breaking night.
“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,” stated the iconic forward.
The current Al Nassr forward was also the first to reach the 800-goal mark and is currently 62 goals ahead of his rival Lionel Messi, who is on 838 goals, as the Portuguese eyes a staggering 1000 goals before the end of his career.
Cristiano Ronaldo em entrevista com Rio Ferdinand.“Em breve vou marcar 900 gols, mas quero chegar aos 1000. Com uma grande diferença, todos os meus gols, que marquei, são filmados, tenho provas! Respeito a todos, mas tenho provas.”.
️: Reprodução pic.twitter.com/0T1sa886GL
— LIBERTA DEPRE (@liberta___depre) August 28, 2024
“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 be at 1,000 goals,” he told his former Man United teammate Rio Ferdinand for his YouTube channel, estimating that the historic mark could come around the age of 41.
“The one difference I want is that I want all 1000 goals on video, so I can prove that I have achieved the feat,” joked Ronaldo.
“If you want all my goals, I can bring videos from my training too!”
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid forward also holds the record for the most international goals, having scored 131 goals in his 209 appearances for Portugal.
Read More: ‘I Want to Reach 1000 Goals’: Cristiano Ronaldo Hungry for More As Portuguese Reaches
