Ronaldo Becomes First Male Player to Reach 900 Official Goals in Historic UEFA Nations League Match
Cristiano Ronaldo added another milestone to his legendary career on Thursday, scoring his 900th official goal as Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in their UEFA Nations League opener.
The 39-year-old forward scored in the 34th minute, side-footing in a cross from Nuno Mendes to double Portugal’s lead. With this goal, Ronaldo became the first male footballer to score 900 goals in official matches, further solidifying his place as one of the greatest players in the sport’s history.
Though there is no official database for all-time leading scorers in men’s football, Ronaldo’s 900-goal achievement sets him apart. Brazilian legends Pele and Romario both claimed over 1,000 career goals, but when excluding friendly matches, their official tallies likely sit in the 700s, with Pele credited with 778 and Romario with 785, according to statisticians at RSSSF.
Ronaldo’s international tally also continues to grow, with his strike against Croatia marking his 131st goal for Portugal, further extending his record as the national team’s top scorer.
Remarkably, 437 of Ronaldo’s goals have come since he turned 30 in 2015, a total surpassing the entire career tallies of stars like Didier Drogba, Thierry Henry, and Wayne Rooney. The Portuguese icon netted 450 of his career goals during his time at Real Madrid, 145 at Manchester United, 101 for Juventus, and has already scored 68 goals in less than two years with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
Ronaldo’s first goal came in October 2002, when he was just 17 years old playing for Sporting Lisbon, marking the beginning of a career that continues to redefine football history.
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