Cristiano Ronaldo has said the availability of footage of his goals gives him the edge over goalscoring legends such as Pele after the Portugal captain reached a career tally of 899 by netting for Saudi club Al Nassr.
Pele is considered the highest goalscorer of all time by some, with Fifa crediting the late Brazil legend with 1,281 goals and statistics site RSSSF putting his total at 1,284.
The Guinness World Record holder for goals amassed his haul through around 550 exhibition matches, while his total in official matches is thought to have been under 800, leading to a long-standing debate over which records are most credible.
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Ronaldo goals record
“Soon I will do 900 and, after, I will beat 1,000,” Ronaldo said on his YouTube channel, speaking to former Manchester United team-mate Rio Ferdinand.
“I want to reach 1,000 goals. If I don’t have injuries, this, for me, is the most important. It’s the best marker I can have in football, to first reach 900.
“After, my challenge is to reach 1,000 goals. [There will be] one difference: all of my goals have videos, so I can prove that.”
Ronaldo vs Messi
In official matches, Ronaldo’s 899 goals put him 61 ahead of next-nearest rival Lionel Messi, who is still active for Inter Miami and Argentina but is highly unlikely to better the career total of the top scorer in last season’s Saudi Pro League.
When Ferdinand suggested that Ronaldo’s remarks about video evidence were a reference to the likes of Pele and iconic Real Madrid forward Alfredo Di Stefano, the 39-year-old replied: “I respect all of them. All the goals [of mine] have videos. I will prove to the people, if they prefer this player… I don’t care about that.”
بالهـــدوء 🤩
والعقــــل 🧠التاريخــي يُسجــل 🐐 pic.twitter.com/4khn82MkRW
— نادي النصر السعودي (@AlNassrFC) August 27, 2024
Ronaldo remains the Saudi top flight’s most high-profile player, having joined Al Nassr at the end of 2022 on a contract said to be worth 200 million euros a year following the end of his second spell at Manchester United.
Not all of the stars to have followed him in making lucrative moves to the country have been as successful. Jordan Henderson received criticism for joining Al-Ettifaq from Liverpool in July 2023, mutually terminated his contract less than six months later and was left out of England’s squad for Uefa Euro 2024.
Portuguese winger Jota also left Celtic for Al Ittihad for £25m last season but has become an outcast at the club and is thought to be close to a return to Europe.
Ronaldo: Saudi football ‘nice’
“There was zero pressure when I moved there,” said Ronaldo. “Pressure is people in a war, who don’t have food to eat, who deal with guns during the night, the shots. This is pressure.
“I left my home when I was 11 or 12, I cried every day. Any place I play, I show my level. I knew I would show my level and improve the league.
“I knew the players would follow. Not only the financial terms, which is the main thing, you can say, but also the culture of football. I knew the culture of Saudi football was nice. I expected football [here] to change because of me. “
