“A fantastic achievement” - Cristiano Ronaldo receives special praise from FIFA President Gianni Infantino after latest milestone
FIFA President Gianni Infantino extended his congratulations to Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo after he finished as the top scorer of the Saudi Pro League. In a post on Instagram, Infantino labeled his milestone 'a fantastic achievement'.
The 39-year-old became the first player in history to win the Golden Boot in four separate countries.
The caption in Infantino's post read:
"Congratulations @cristiano for breaking the Saudi League record for most goals in a season! He has now achieved this incredible distinction in four different countries during his illustrious club career! A truly fantastic achievement!"
Ronaldo has been in sensational form for Al-Nassr in his first full season with the club after joining them in December 2022. The Portuguese hero bagged 35 goals in just 31 league appearances, finishing seven goals ahead of Al-Hilal's Aleksander Mitrovic. He also broke the single-season record for most goals in a Saudi Pro League campaign, beating the mark of 34 set by Abderrazak Hamdallah in 2018-19.
He has now finished as the top scorer in England, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. He bagged his first one with Manchester United in 2007-08, scoring 31 goals in 34 games. Following that, he won La Liga's Pichichi award three times during his stint with Real Madrid (2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15). Next came Italy, where 29 goals in the 2020-21 season for Juventus saw him grab the achievement in three countries.
Former Real Madrid player claims Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo
Former Real Madrid midfielder Julio Baptista suggested that he would rate Lionel Messi slightly higher than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Brazilian claimed that the Argentine superstar was probably the greatest player of all time.
He said (via Oddspedia):
"Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are incredible players," the Brazilian said. "But I would rate Messi slightly higher. I think because they both played in the same league for Real Madrid and Barcelona it created an incredible rivalry."
"There was so much expectation of them and they have both delivered. Ronaldo is unbelievable but Messi is a genius, winning the Ballon d’Or eight times says it all. They are the best players of the last 20 years and probably in the history of football," he added.
The two superstars enjoyed a great rivalry in Spain, playing for arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. They have faced off 36 times, with the Argentine hero holding the advantage with 16 wins compared to the Portuguese icon's 11.
Their paths diverged after their stints in Spain. Ronaldo moved to Juventus before making a sensational return to Manchester United. He eventually left the club to join Al-Nassr. Messi, meanwhile, left Barcelona for a two-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain before heading west to join Inter Miami in the MLS.