Days after missing out on the Ballon d’Or nominations for the second consecutive time, Cristiano Ronaldo reached his 900 goals milestone in the Nations League clash against Croatia on Thursday night.
The Portuguese talisman netted a cross-off Nuno Mendes in the 34th minute to double the lead for his side before an own goal from Diogo Dalot (41′) at the brink of half-time cut short the deficit to 2-1. However, a goalless second half, saw Portugal clinch all three points from their first Group A fixture.
After reaching the milestone, Ronaldo glided past the side post and bowed down, celebrating his emphatic fashion, with his teammates congratulating him with different gestures on reaching the incredible mark.
Check out Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration here:
La celebración de Cristiano Ronaldo tras su gol 900
HISTÓRICO, GOAT @Cristiano 🥹🐐🐐 pic.twitter.com/wJBniyfTBc
— REAL MADRID FANS 🤍 (@AdriRM33) September 5, 2024
“900 goals seems like any other milestone, but only I know how hard it is to work every day to score your 900th goal. It’s a unique milestone in my career. I don’t break records… they haunt me,” Ronaldo said after winning the match.
Ronaldo, 39, had given a hint that he is not satisfied yet as he is aiming to reach the 1000-goal landmark.
“If I don’t have any injuries, this for me is the most important [thing], I want that. For me, the best mark that I can have in football is to reach, first, 900 goals. After, my challenge is to be at 1,000 goals,” he told his former Man United teammate Rio Ferdinand for his YouTube channel, estimating that the historic mark could come around the age of 41.
“The one difference I want is that I want all 1000 goals on video, so I can prove that I have achieved the feat,” joked Ronaldo.
The five-time Ballon d’Or holder is currently 62 goals ahead of his Argentine rival Lionel Messi. He will be next seen in action in the second Group A match against Scotland on September 9.
Portugal are drawn with Scotland, Poland and Croatia in Group A.
