Cristiano Ronaldo knows where the goal is. He has harnessed a well-deserved reputation as one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game. Now, the superstar has reached another landmark in his amazing career – he has scored his 700th club goal.
That was a number that he looked unlikely to reach - at least with United this season - after he submitted a request to leave Old Trafford. He was deprived of a move away and is now set to stay until at least January with just under a year remaining on his contract.
According to FIFA records, only Austrian-Czech hotshot Josef Bican has scored more than Ronaldo’s 700 club goals. In total Bican scored 805 official goals in more than 514 games for Slavia Praha including friendlies.
700th goal
But last night the Portuguese star came off the bench replacing the injured Anthony Martial to score against Everton at Goodison Park to reach the incredible tally. His 700th club goal came 20 years and 2 days after his first. It’s abnormal, really.
Ronaldo has plundered in the goals for every club that he has played for. He has had spells with United, Real Madrid, Juventus and of course his first club Sporting Clube de Portugal. His latest strike takes his United tally to 144 across his two spells. The 37-year-old also scored 450 goals for the Spanish giants, 101 for the Italians and 5 for Sporting. He is super fit and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was still playing at 40. He is in better shape than most 20-year-olds. He scores the most incredible goals with his right foot, his left and literally hangs in the air like Superman to score with his head. He has proved himself across all of the top European leagues.
Reaching 700 goals is an outstanding achievement. He is one of the greatest players that has graced the game in an era when we have had himself and Lionel Messi. Many people like to compare the two but the fact is they are both incredible players in football history. Ronaldo’s latest strike has extended his advantage over Messi in total club goals scored, with the Argentina forward on 691 for Paris St-Germain and Barcelona. It seems a certainty that Messi will also reach 700 club goals this season.
Scoring charts
Last year, Ronaldo - who has won five Ballon d’Or awards - made history by going top of the scoring charts in men’s international football. His brace for Portugal against the Republic of Ireland moved him onto 111 goals for his national team, overtaking Ali Daei, who scored 109 times for Iran between 1993 and 2006. At club level, he is also the all-time top scorer in the Champions League with 140 goals - 13 more than long-time rival Lionel Messi.
United boss Erik Ten Hag has got the team playing well and they are up to fifth in the Premier League table. But he was criticized for not using Ronaldo much so far in the campaign. However, following Ronaldo’s latest strike, the coach may just turn to him because he clearly still has it in him to shine at the top level.