Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal during Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Nations League.
In his post-match interview, he shared that he always believed he would 'reach this number'.
Ronaldo’s milestone makes him the first male player to score 900 goals in official matches for both club and country.
It came in the 34th minute at Lisbon’s Stadium of Light and the goal was Portugal’s second of the match, sealing the three points in a terrific contest against Croatia, where Ronaldo faced fellow Real Madrid legend Luka Modric.
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"It means a lot," Ronaldo said. "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, who is now 39 years old, was visibly emotional in his celebration, sinking to his knees with his hands on his head.
It marked his 131st international goal, further solidifying his place as Portugal’s all-time top scorer.
"It was emotional because it’s a milestone," he explained.
"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 early, just seven minutes into the game, but Croatia drew level through an own goal in the 41st minute keeping the match competitive.
Portugal now share the top spot in League A Group 1 with Poland, who beat Scotland 3-2 in their opening match.
