by Hayden Krzyzanowski
When you think of soccer players, the first couple that usually come to your mind are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and usually whoever is making the headlines at the time. It used to be Neymar, but now it’s split between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Messi and Ronaldo have been staples of the sport for years, and it’s scary to think they’re getting close to retirement. The age of soccer fans will eventually end, but we should all be grateful for being able to watch these two legends of the game play with our eyes. That being said, one of these two hit a huge milestone, and he’s not slowing down yet.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal in his professional career, reminding us of his goal-scoring ability. He may be playing in the Saudi Pro League now, but his legendary skills and aura are what many fans remember him for. As of September 20, Ronaldo has hit 902 goals, a record that many fans would think is impossible considering the only ever player to break 1,000 goals is Pele, but many of those are unconfirmed. Ronaldo is recognized as FIFA’s top goal scorer of all time.
In a UEFA Nations League match, Ronaldo smashed one into the net as Portugal beat Croatia, making history. His celebration was something that we’d all expect from the forward, with his featured “Sui,” which means “yes” in Portuguese.
His goal tally is as follows: 132 goals in 232 appearances for his national team and 763 goals in 1,007 club appearances with Sporting CP, Manchester United (two stints), Real Madrid, Juventus, and currently Al-Nassr. He’s expected to continue with Al-Nassr in hopes of breaking the 1,000-goal mark, but also to eventually play with his son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. We’ve seen the pulling power of athletes with their children. LeBron James and Bronny are the biggest examples in the sports world recently, and I fully expect the same from Ronaldo when it’s time. Ronaldo Jr. is currently with the Al-Nassr U18 side and will receive a call-up to the first team in due time. The 14-year-old is a goal-scoring machine, with over 100 goals scored across the last couple of seasons, taking after his dad at multiple clubs, including Al-Nassr and Manchester United.
Ronaldo has recently been sidelined by an illness, but he’s set to return to action at the end of the month when Al-Nassr plays Al-Rayyan in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite on September 30. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
