"I've wanted to get there for a long time" - Cristiano Ronaldo after reaching 900 goal milestone in Portugal win
After scoring his 900th professional goal, Cristiano Ronaldo stated that he has been aiming to reach the historic landmark for a long time. The prolific goalscorer bagged his record-breaking strike in Portugal's UEFA Nations League game against Croatia on Thursday, September 5.
Ronaldo is among the most prolific scorers in the sport's history, holding the record for the most goals in men's international football. However, his recent exploit comes as the result of a journey over two decades in the making and will be a proud moment for the star.
The Portuguese legend became the first player in history to score 900 professional goals on Thursday.
After the game, Ronaldo was asked what the achievement means to him. He replied (via CR7 Timeline on X):
"It means a lot. I've wanted to get there for a long time. I knew I would get there... as I continue to play. It's important to highlight the excellent football performance of both teams. Portugal played very well. We knew how to suffer. We were deserved winners. It was an excellent game."
Portugal scored a 2-1 win against Croatia in the encounter. Diogo Dalot opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Cristiano Ronaldo doubled their advantage in the 34th minute. Dalot scored an unfortunate own goal in the 41st minute, but Portugal held on for the win.
Cristiano Ronaldo emotional after achieving 'unique milestone'
While celebrating the landmark goal, Ronaldo covered his face with his hands and knelt on the ground. The Portuguese talisman didn't perform his usual 'Siu' celebration and was asked about it after the match.
The 39-year-old shared that it was an emotional moment for him and described the occasion as a "unique milestone." Ronaldo said:
"It was emotional. It seems like any other milestone, but only I know how hard it is to work every day to score your 900th goal. It's a unique milestone in my career."
Ronaldo found the back of the net in the 34th minute after connecting with an inch-perfect cross from Nuno Mendes.
Cristiano Ronaldo's 131st strike for his country came after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign where he failed to score in an international competition for the first time in his career. He will be pleased to be back amongst the goals for his country and will be keen to return to the lineup when they face Scotland on Sunday, September 8.