Cristiano Ronaldo has broken his silence after exceeding Pele's record for the most goals in a professional career, assuring fans that his story is "far from over" after notching up another major milestone.
The Portuguese notched up a first-half hat-trick for Juventus against Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday, to further his lead at the summit of the league's goalscoring charts.
The feat has taken the 36-year-old to 770 goals in all competitions across a trophy-laden career - but he has only now opened up on breaking Brazil legend Pele's disputed record of 767, having exceeded his official number of 757 earlier this year.
What has Ronaldo said?
“The last few weeks were filled with news and stats considering me the world’s top scorer in football history, overcoming Pele’s 757 official goals," the forward wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram.
"Although I’m thankful for that recognition, now it’s time for me to explain why I didn’t acknowledge that record until this moment.
“My everlasting and unconditional admiration [for Pele] led me to take into account his 767 score, assuming his nine goals for Sao Paulo State Team, as well as his single goal for the Brazilian Military Team, as official goals.
“The world has changed since then and football as changed as well, but this doesn’t mean that we can just erase history.
“Now I can’t wait for the next games and challenges! The next records and trophies! Believe me, this story is still far from being over. The future is tomorrow and there’s still a lot to win for Juventus and Portugal!"
What does Ronaldo's future hold?
The player's promise that he is yet to close the book on his career will only add further fuel to the fire surrounding his future, as his time with Italian giants Juventus continues to remain the subject of intense speculation.
The Bianconeri's underperformance in Europe following Ronaldo's arrival has led to rumours that he may be allowed to exit Allianz Stadium, or even moved on to make way for fresh blood.
But CEO Fabio Paratici has shot down suggestions he will depart following their Champions League exit in midweek and the player himself took to Instagram earlier this week to reaffirm his commitment to the club.
