Cristiano Ronaldo scores 900th career goal: The numbers behind incredible milestone
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Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo achieved an impressive feat in the world of football on 5 September, by scoring his 900th career goal. His remarkable performance sets him apart as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
The 39-year-old player scored the deciding goal in Portugal's 2-1 win against Croatia. He made a precise finish in the box after receiving a pass from Nuno Mendes. This type of goal is familiar to fans who have followed the striker's career, especially during his time playing in Madrid.
The achievement led Ronaldo to react emotionally, causing him to cry on the ground while celebrating. In a recent conversation with his ex-teammate Rio Ferdinand, the Portuguese star had mentioned that his ultimate goal in his career was to reach 1,000 goals.
The retired soccer player, who previously played for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, is now only 100 goals shy of reaching that goal. He has scored a total of 131 goals for his national team and 769 goals at the club level in a total of 1,236 matches.
However, what other statistics are there to support this impressive record of scoring goals, and is he nearing becoming the top scorer in the history of the sport?
Long-lasting Career Milestones
Ronaldo scored his first goal in 2002, when he was just 17 years old. He scored two goals in a 3-0 win for Sporting. He totaled five goals for the club and his last goal was in December 2002. Ronaldo then transferred to Manchester United for the 2003/04 season.
When Ronaldo first started playing for United, he showed a lot of potential but also experienced some struggles. Sometimes he tried to show off his fancy skills too much, which could be frustrating. It wasn't until November 1, 2003, that he scored his first goal for the club in a 3-0 win against Portsmouth. He went through a rough patch where he didn't score for 27 games, from December 2002 to November 2003, which remains the longest goal drought of his career.
The winger met and exceeded expectations during his time at United, scoring 118 goals in 293 matches in his first period at the club. Memorable moments included impressive goals against Fulham in 2006/07, Portsmouth in 2007/08, Porto and Arsenal in 2008/09, and a powerful header in the 2008 Champions League final. He now holds the record for the most goals scored in the tournament's history, with 140 goals.
During the summer of 2009, Ronaldo signed with Real Madrid for a record-breaking fee of around £80m, sparking the start of his most successful scoring phase in his career.
The Portuguese player scored more than one goal in every game for Los Blancos, with a total of 450 goals in 438 games. He also helped the team win two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, and four Champions Leagues. His best season was in 2011/12, scoring 69 goals in 69 matches for both club and country.
During 2018, Ronaldo transferred to Juventus, where he netted 101 goals in the following three seasons before returning to United in 2021. His second stint with the team was not as successful, as he scored 27 goals in 54 games before making a move to Al-Nassr. Currently, he has scored 68 goals for the Saudi club.
Ronaldo's Goal-scoring Secrets
The 39-year-old has an amazing collection of goals that is notable not only for the number and how often he scores, but also for the variety of goals he is able to achieve. He can score from close range with his thigh, from long distance with powerful shots, and with skillful free-kicks that dip and dazzle. The Portuguese player truly has a diverse skill set when it comes to scoring goals.
Not surprisingly, he has scored 574 goals using his preferred right foot, while 173 were scored with his left foot, one with his thigh, and even one with his elbow. Additionally, he has scored 151 goals with his head, as reported by The Athletic.
Ronaldo has successfully scored 164 penalties and 63 free-kicks. These set pieces account for 63 of his 131 goals scored from beyond the penalty area. Additionally, he has scored 605 goals from within the penalty area.
Throughout his tenure at Real Madrid, the Portuguese player was praised for scoring many crucial goals. His statistics support this claim, as he has scored a total of 211 goals from the 76th minute onwards. Furthermore, he has also netted 23 goals in championship finals.
Ronaldo has scored 66 hat-tricks during his career. Out of these, 10 are considered 'perfect' hat-tricks where he has scored with a header, left foot, and right foot in the same game. He has also scored four goals in a single game nine times and five goals in a match on two occasions.
He has netted 437 goals in his thirties, and found the back of the net 440 times in his twenties!
Ronaldo: All-time Top Scorer?
Determining who is the highest scorer in the game is a challenge, as there are conflicting claims from Pele and Romario about tallying up more than 1,000 goals each.
Nonetheless, when excluding the friendly matches and other unofficial games that the Brazilian pair participated in, they are believed to have scored 778 and 775 goals each, according to the BBC.
Other athletes who may have set the record are German player Erwin Helmchen, who said he scored 989 goals, and Josef Bican, who is believed to have scored approximately 950 goals. However, a lot of these goals were scored in local leagues and informal competitions, so there is discussion about whether they should be officially counted.
It is a fact that Ronaldo made history by being the initial player to achieve 800 top-tier goals. He accomplished this feat by scoring a second goal in a 3-2 victory over Arsenal in December 2021. On the other hand, Messi, who has been Ronaldo's rival for a long time, has currently scored 867 career goals.
Will He Score 1,000?
Ronaldo will be celebrating his 40th birthday in February, and based on how many goals he's been scoring for Al-Nassr lately, he might have a chance to reach 1,000 goals if he continues playing until he is at least 41.
He managed to score 57 goals in total during the 2023/24 season, with 50 of them being for Al-Nassr. If he continues at this same pace, he could potentially hit 1,000 goals by the conclusion of the 2025/26 season.
