Cristiano Ronaldo spoke of his delight at scoring his 900th career goal during Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Nations League, stating that he knew he would “reach this number”.
Ronaldo’s record-breaking goal, which made him the first man to score 900 goals in official matches for club and country, came in the 34th minute at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward, who currently plays for Al Nassr, scored Portugal’s second goal of the match in a much-anticipated duel with fellow veteran Luka Modric.
“It means a lot,” Ronaldo said, quoted by AP. “It was a milestone I wanted to reach for a long time. I knew I would reach this number, because as I continue to play, it would happen naturally.”
I dreamed of this, and I have more dreams. Thank you all! pic.twitter.com/2SS3ZoG2Gl
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) September 5, 2024
Ronaldo, 39, appeared emotional in his celebration, as he fell to his knees and put his hands on his head. It was his 131st international goal, adding to his status as Portugal’s all-time leading scorer.
“It was emotional because it’s a milestone,” he added. “It seems like any other milestone, but only I know, and the people around me, how hard it is to work every day, to be physically and psychologically fit, to score 900 goals. It’s a unique milestone in my career.”
Diogo Dalot opened the scoring for Portugal just seven minutes into the match, but his own goal in the 41st minute gave Croatia a lifeline before the half-time interval.
Portugal and Poland are tied at the top of League A Group 1 in the Nations League after both teams won their opening matches, with Poland defeating Scotland 3-2 on Thursday.
GO DEEPER
Breaking down Cristiano Ronaldo’s 900 career goals
(Zed Jameson/MB Media/Getty Images)
