Real Madrid secured a vital 5-1 victory over Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday, a crucial result to boost their UEFA Champions League prospects. Vinicius Junior played a starring role in the win, scoring twice to reach 100 goals for the club—a milestone that Cristiano Ronaldo had also achieved years earlier.
In his seventh season with the club, Vini continues to prove his value as a key player for Real Madrid. At just 24 years old, he has won 14 major tournaments, including two Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles. Last year, he was honored by FIFA with The Best award for the first time in his career, a testament to his steady evolution over the years.
During his first three seasons at Madrid, the Brazilian winger scored a modest 14 goals. However, with the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti as head coach in the 2021-22 season, he earned a regular spot in the starting lineup and began to see a significant increase in his output. Since then, he has consistently netted over 20 goals per season, and he already has 17 goals this term, with many months of the campaign still remaining.
With his two goals against Salzburg, Vinicius reached the 100-goal mark for Real Madrid in 291 appearances, averaging nearly a goal every three games. While these are outstanding numbers by any standard, they still fall short of the remarkable pace set by Cristiano Ronaldo during his time at the club.
Vinicius Jr. from Real Madrid celebrates after scoring a goal.
Ronaldo’s impressive numbers at Real Madrid
After six successful years at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2009, at the age of 24, for the start of the 2009-10 season. He wasted no time settling in, quickly establishing himself as the team’s undisputed leader on the field.
In his first season in Spain, Ronaldo netted 33 goals, followed by 53 in his second year. By his third season, he had already reached the 100-goal mark, achieving the milestone in just 105 games—a remarkable feat, averaging almost a goal per match.
Over the years, Cristiano continued to elevate his performance. By the time he left Real Madrid in 2018, he had become the club’s all-time top scorer, with 450 goals in 438 appearances—an extraordinary average of 1.03 goals per game.
Other stars to reach 100 goals for Real Madrid
Beyond the legendary figures of Real Madrid’s history—such as Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Emilio Butragueño, and Raul Gonzalez—several players in recent years have also reached the 100-goal milestone for the club.
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While none of them matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s blistering pace, their achievements remain impressive. The player who came closest to CR7’s speed was Brazilian forward Ronaldo, who reached 100 goals in 164 games. Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain both accomplished the feat in 210 appearances. The most recent player to surpass the 100-goal barrier before Vini was defender Sergio Ramos, who reached the milestone in 2020 after 656 games with Real Madrid.
