Cristiano Ronaldo's Masterful 910th Goal: A Tribute to His Iconic Real Madrid Era

The relentless Portuguese star defies the limits of nature.

Cristiano Ronaldo's club performances have been a mixed bag lately. At the end of October, Al Nassr was eliminated from the Saudi King's Cup, extending their captain's trophy drought in Saudi Arabia to eight tournaments. Just days later, Al Nassr drew against Al Hilal, making their championship quest even more challenging.

But the Portuguese national team is a different story. As evident from his interviews and social media posts, playing for the national squad brings Ronaldo a sense of relief and joy. Unsurprisingly, his career is nearing its sunset, and he prefers to end it in the vibrant atmosphere of international football, something the Arabian Peninsula, despite its superstar players, cannot offer.

As "Euro-Brazilians" captain, Ronaldo knows the stakes and maximizes every moment left. Since EURO 2024, the legendary forward has scored five goals for Portugal, including a recent brace against Poland. His contributions helped Roberto Martinez's team secure first place in their group and advance to the playoffs.

Portugal's second-half performance in their 5-1 victory was exceptional. Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and Bruno Fernandes were all brilliant, with Rafael Leão — whom Ronaldo sees as his heir — standing out. Yet the match's highlight was Ronaldo’s stunning bicycle kick goal shortly before the final whistle. At 39 years old, he recreated his iconic overhead strike against Juventus nearly seven years ago. This moment must be seen to be believed.

Fifteen minutes earlier, Ronaldo had converted a penalty, earned after an intricate passing sequence by the Portuguese team. This brought his tally to 135 international goals and 910 career goals overall. The coveted 1,000-goal milestone is within reach.

In the Nations League, Portugal's No. 7 currently leads the scoring charts, tied with Romania's Denis Alibec and Slovenia's Benjamin Šeško. However, if penalties are excluded, Ronaldo stands alone at the top — a testament to his enduring greatness.

Published by Patrick Jane
18.11.2024