Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time leading goalscorer, needs just one more goal to reach 900 in his career for club and country and says he is setting the bar at 1,000 to undoubtedly put his stamp on the game.
In an interview with former England star Rio Ferdinand published on his YouTube channel, Ronaldo, 39, spoke about how he wants to keep his level of play high while also extending his goalscoring record.
“I want to score 1,000 goals,” said the Al Nassr and Portugal star, estimating that he could reach this historic mark at around the age of 41. “If I don’t have any injuries, that’s the most important thing for me, that’s what I want. For me, the best mark I can achieve in football is to score 900 goals first. After that, my challenge is to score 1,000 goals.”
Ronaldo spoke openly with Ferdinand, his former teammate at Manchester United, about topics such as the quality of play in the Saudi Pro League, his passion so far and the resulting criticism.
Ever competitive, Ronaldo was quick to point out what sets his goals apart from those of other all-time goalscorers, including legends like Pelé and Alfredo Di Stéfano, who played in an era before cameras.
“All my goals are on video,” he said. “They are all on video. Listen, I respect all of them (Pele and Di Stefano). And if you want more goals, I can bring them from training too. And I will prove it to people afterwards. You prefer this player or he is the best. I don’t care.”
When asked how he has been adjusting to playing in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo said it has been relatively easy considering the challenges he has had to endure since his early rise to the limelight.
“No country is perfect, so it was easy for me to settle in and I really enjoy being there,” he said. “In my opinion, the league is very, very good.”
As for the criticism he received for his tears after missing a crucial penalty for Portugal in their match against Slovenia with a place in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Euros at stake, Ronaldo said it was part of the scrutiny that comes with being “the most followed player in the world”. Portugal won the match 3-0 on penalties.
The tears, he said, were the result of the pressure he had put on himself since he was eleven years old.
“When you’re passionate about what you do, you don’t have to worry about how you feel,” he said. “I failed because I put pressure on myself since I was 11. ‘Cristiano, you’re the best player in the world,’ I always think.
“But when I missed the penalty, I felt guilty towards myself, towards the fans, towards my family; not because of other things people say.”
Although he is aware that his career is nearing its end, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could not predict when he would finally end his football career.
“I don’t know when I’ll be finished,” he said. “When you play more, you learn many, many things. One thing I’ve learned is to enjoy the moment. Because you don’t know what will happen tomorrow. I know I still look good. The day I feel like I can’t do anything anymore, I’ll pack my things and leave. But that’s a long way off.”
