In Portugal’s match against Croatia, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first football player to score his 900th career goal. He achieved this milestone during a UEFA Nations League match hosted in Lisbon. Nuno Mendes delivered a perfectly timed cross, allowing Ronaldo to score from close range. He placed the ball past Croatia’s goalkeeper, Livakovic.
Lionel Messi remains his closest competitor, having scored 838 goals so far.
Ronaldo reached this achievement right after commentators criticized his recent EURO Cup performance. Despite playing five games, the 39-year-old failed to score.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner began his professional career with Sporting CP, scoring five goals in 28 matches. In 2003, Sir Alex Ferguson signed him to Manchester United. Cristiano Ronaldo played for the club for six years and scored 145 goals.
When he moved to Real Madrid in 2009, his career skyrocketed, and he won several trophies. He consistently scored goals, securing two La Liga titles, four FIFA Club World Cups, and five UEFA Champions League trophies. Over nine years, Ronaldo became Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer with 450 goals. After transferring to Juventus in 2018, he netted 101 goals in four years.
Following his time at Juventus, Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United for two years, scoring 29 goals before moving to Al Nassr in 2022. Since joining the Saudi Arabian team, he has made 74 appearances and scored 68 goals.
“It means a lot. I wanted to reach this milestone for a long time. I knew I would get there because, as I continue playing, it happens naturally,” Ronaldo said in an interview after the match.
Additionally, Ronaldo spoke openly about his career and future goals with former teammate Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel. While hitting 900 goals was a monumental achievement, he made it clear that he now aims for an even greater challenge: reaching 1,000 career goals.
“I want to reach 1,000 goals. If I stay injury-free, this remains my most important goal. For me, achieving 900 goals was crucial, but now my challenge is to hit 1,000,” he stated.
