Cristiano Ronaldo, who celebrated his 40th birthday on Wednesday, has confidently asserted his status as the most complete football player in history, citing his remarkable goal-scoring record.
In an interview with Spanish outlet El Chiringuito following his brace in Al Nassr’s 4-0 Asian Champions League victory over Al Wasl, Cristiano Ronaldo declared, “When it comes to numbers, I’m the best goalscorer in history. Full stop.”
He continued, “Who holds the record for the most goals scored with their head, left foot, right foot, from penalties, and free-kicks? That’s me. I recently checked, and despite not being left-footed, I’m among the top 10 left-footed goalscorers in history. The same goes for goals with my head, right foot, and from penalties—all of them.”
Ronaldo recognized that player preferences are subjective, saying, “If you favor [Lionel] Messi, Pele, or [Diego] Maradona, I understand and respect that. But to claim that Ronaldo isn’t complete—I am the most complete. I say this with sincerity; I haven’t seen anyone better than me.”
Having scored 923 goals for both club and country, Ronaldo continues to extend his record as the highest-scoring male footballer in history, a milestone officially verified by FIFA.
Stunning numbers
Ronaldo’s transition from the wing to a more central role saw his goal-scoring prowess soar, as he netted 145 goals in 346 appearances for Manchester United between 2003 and 2009, including an impressive 42-goal haul in all competitions during the 2007/08 season.
His goal-scoring reached unprecedented heights following a record-breaking £80 million transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009. During his nine-year tenure at the Bernabéu, he averaged an astonishing 50 goals per season, cementing his status as one of the game’s greatest finishers.
In 2021, Ronaldo made an emotional return to Manchester United, but the reunion was short-lived. Just a year later, he departed by mutual consent after publicly expressing feelings of “betrayal” by the club and declaring he had “no respect” for then-manager Erik ten Hag in a controversial interview with Piers Morgan.
The Portuguese star secured a high-profile move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, where he netted 50 goals across all competitions in his first full season.
At 40 years old, Ronaldo continues to defy age, having scored 40 or more goals in all but one year since turning 25. Remarkably, his current game-time remains comparable to his prime years.
Highlighting his versatility, Ronaldo ranks among the top 10 all-time left-footed goalscorers despite being right-footed, having netted 178 goals with his weaker foot.
Additionally, he has scored 154 goals with his head, further showcasing his aerial dominance.
A master of set-pieces, Ronaldo has converted 172 penalties and 64 direct free-kicks. However, only 382 of his career goals have been solo efforts, with the rest coming from multi-goal performances.
He has scored twice in a match on 165 occasions, netted 55 hat-tricks, struck four goals in a game nine times, and famously scored five goals in a match twice—both in 2015 against Espanyol and Granada.
Sevilla remains his most frequent victim, having conceded 27 goals to the Portuguese forward. Other notable goal tallies against Spanish rivals include Atletico Madrid (25), Getafe (23), and both Barcelona and Celta Vigo (20).
With the 2026 World Cup in his sights and no signs of slowing down—let alone retiring—Ronaldo is edging closer to an extraordinary milestone of 1,000 career goals. Based on his current scoring rate, he could reach this historic landmark by the age of 41.
Source — SkySports
