Cristiano Ronaldo makes football history by scoring historic goal for Portugal in Nations League clash against Croatia
Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved another astonishing feat in his glittering career by scoring his 900th goal for club and country.
The Portugal captain scored 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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His latest goal also takes his tally to 131 goals for his country, moving him further clear of long-time rival Lionel Messi in the all-time goalscoring charts.
Ronaldo occupies the first place, with some distance, followed by Messi, with 838 goals in 1069 games.
His 900th career goal came in the 34th minute at the Estadio do Benfica, where he scored Portugal’s second in their 2–0 win with a close-range volley after collecting a cross from Nuno Mendes.
Learn more about Cristiano Ronaldo
He sprinted to the corner flag where he fell to his knees, letting out a beaming smile as he finally got his name on the scoresheet for Portugal.
Ronaldo failed to score at Euro 2024, leading many to wonder whether he should call time on his international career, but the veteran has now silenced his critics.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United icon’s incredible feat is all the more remarkable given he is still going strong at 39.
However, the superstar insists he is not done yet and now has an absurd milestone in sight.
Speaking to his former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, Ronaldo said he wants to reach the magic 1,000 goal mark.
“If I don’t have any injuries, that’s the most important thing for me, that’s what I want,” Ronaldo said.
“For me, the best goal I can achieve in football is first to reach 900 goals. Then, my challenge is to reach 1,000 goals.”
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Top 10 Goal Scorers of All Time
- Cristiano Ronaldo (900 goals in 1,236 games)
- Lionel Messi (838 goals in 1,069 games)
- Josef Bican (over 805 goals in over 530 games)
- Romario (772 goals in 994 games)
- Pelé (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 (over 575 goals, total games unknown)
- Tulio Maravilha (575 goals, total matches unknown)
Brazilian icon Pelé is considered by some to be the all-time leading goalscorer, with FIFA crediting him with 1,281 goals, but it is now widely accepted that hundreds of those goals came in friendly matches.
Referring to Pele’s goal, Ronaldo continued: “With one difference: every goal I score is filmed. So I can prove that it’s real.”
It will take something extraordinary to reach that figure, but given what Ronaldo has achieved during his glittering career, nothing comes as a surprise.
He has also shown no signs of slowing down at club level, having scored 51 goals in 49 Saudi Pro League games for Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo comfortably sits first in Portugal’s all-time top scorer rankings, followed by Pauleta, with 47 goals from 1997 to 2006.
He also holds the record for most appearances, his start against Croatia being his 213th cap for Portugal.
That figure is 67 more caps than former Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho, who retired from international football in 2022.
As for Ronaldo’s remaining goals outside of international duty, he has scored a staggering 769 during his various club spells.
His nine years at Spanish giants Real Madrid were his most prolific, with 450 goals in 438 games.
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