Cristiano Ronaldo’s 700th goal sees the Juventus and Portugal star join Pele in an exclusive club
There have been some absolutely ruthless goalscorers over the years but few can compare with Cristiano Ronaldo.
The debate regarding whether he or Lionel Messi should be named the “greatest of all time” will forever rage on but, sometimes, it’s best just to sit back and admire their individual brilliance.
On top of his six league titles and five Champions Leagues, as well as European Championship and Uefa Nations League winner’s medals, individual brilliance is something Ronaldo has never lacked and now, he’s broken through yet another personal barrier.
His goal during Portugal’s 2-1 defeat to Ukraine on Monday makes him just the sixth player to score 700 or more career goals for club or country, joining legends such as Romario (772), Pele (767) and Gerd Muller (735) on that esteemed list.
This is just the latest in a long line of achievements for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner who, even at 34 years old, continues to make the records tumble. That said, given his age, Ronaldo will do well to score the 106 goals required to catch former Austria and Czechoslovakia international Josef Bican as the record holder.
Ronaldo’s 72nd-minute spot-kick wasn’t enough to stop Portugal falling to their first defeat in Euro 2020 qualifying this season, although they should still be a safe bet to qualify from Group B as runners-up to Tuesday’s opponents.
At club level, the former Real Madrid and Man Utd man has already netted four goals in eight games across all competitions for Juventus, who once again top the Serie A table and sit joint-first in Champions League Group D.
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