Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi continue to defy age and shatter records. While Messi is enjoying a well-deserved break, Ronaldo remains active, adding to his impressive tally. His recent brace against Al Gharafa extended his remarkable scoring record after turning 30.
At 39, Ronaldo has already scored 450 goals, just 13 short of his pre-30 total. Messi, on the other hand, has amassed 309 goals since turning 30. Meanwhile, his pre-30 total is 565 goals.
Ronaldo has also broken another record previously held by Messi. He’s the first player to score 40+ goals in 13 different calendar years, surpassing Messi’s 12-year record, according to AS. This calendar year, Messi scored 29 goals.
However, when comparing their overall goal-scoring progression, Messi holds a slight edge. At 37, Messi has already surpassed Ronaldo’s goal tally at the same age. The Argentine has scored 850 goals ahead of turning 38, while Ronaldo scored 820 by that age.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr looks on during the AFC Champions League Elite match between Al-Gharafa (Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)
Both Ronaldo and Messi have been prolific scorers this year, scoring a brace in eight performances. As these two legends continue to push the boundaries of football, their rivalry continues to captivate fans around the world.
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Can Cristiano Ronaldo reach 1,000 career goals?
While Ronaldo already stated that he is not interested anymore in reaching the 1,000 career goals, he is 87 goals away from that number. So, if he maintains his rhythm he could do so in two more seasons.
However, when he received the Quinas de Platina trophy, the highest award given by Portugal’s Football Federation (FPF) to players, he said: “I now face my life living in the moment. I can’t think long term anymore.”
“I can no longer think about what I said publicly that I wanted to reach 1,000 goals. But it seems that everything is easy now, just last month I reached 900. It’s about living in the moment, enjoying the moment, seeing the response that my legs will give me in the next few years. One thousand goals is great, but if it doesn’t come, I’m already the player in history with the most goals,” he added.
