Cristiano Ronaldo Sets His Sights on 1,000 Goals – the Toughest Target of His Career?
At just 39 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo is already an all-time leading scorer for club and country with over 900 goals to his name. Despite being closer to the end of his storied career, the Portuguese legend revealed in an exclusive interview that he’s now setting his sights on 1,000 goals. With an estimated age of 41 as a realistic target to reach this mark, would this be the ultimate crowning achievement for Ronaldo?
"I want to reach 1,000 goals, [it’s] the most important [thing] for me," Ronaldo candidly told his former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand. "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." These unrelenting goals are not unprecedented, with Ronaldo still churning out impressive numbers since joining Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr.
So, what drives an athlete of Ronaldo’s stature to seek such a lofty goal?
"Listen, I respect all of them [Pele and Alfredo Di Stefano]," the five-time Ballon d’Or winner emphasized. "And if you want more goals, I can bring them from training, too. And I will prove to the people after. They prefer this player, or this is the best one. I don’t care about that."
Is this not just about settling for second best or pushing the boundaries of human achievement in this sport? By achieving this gargantuan goal, Ronaldo will once again etch his place among the all-time greats. To put this into perspective, it’d be like Lionel Messi averaging over 40 goals a season till the end of his career!
Speaking candidly about adapting to his new league, Ronaldo praised the quality and passion of the Saudi Pro League players. As for his performance, he’s been making history, even in this season’s opening matches. Remember, this is the same athlete who transformed the Manchester United game alongside Wayne Rooney and Carlos Teves.
Criticism often hovers around Ronaldo like the proverbial cloud of thunder – especially following his emotional display in Portugal’s penalty shootout win against Slovenia.
"Yes, I cry, because when I miss the penalty, I felt bad with myself, the fans, family – not because of other stuff that people say. When you have passion for what you’re doing, you cannot be worried about how you’re feeling," he added wisely.
It’s not every athlete who takes the flack and still produces at this lofty level. Despite the doubters and scrutinizers, Ronaldo remains ever more driven by his own set goals. This unwavering zeal is perhaps the very engine that has powered his incredible 15-year run of success in his career.
Ronaldo revealed that he can’t predict exactly when he’ll retire, but he assured Ferdinand that his body is still fit. "When you play more, you learn many, many things. One thing that I’ve learned is, enjoy the moment, because you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. I know I’m still looking good. The day that I start to feel I don’t produce nothing, I’ll pack my bags and I’ll go away. But it’s far from that."