"Next year I'll try to do it again" - Cristiano Ronaldo sets ambitious target after finishing 2023 as world football’s top scorer with 54 goals
Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo has set himself the ambitious target of trying to repeat his exploits of scoring 54 goals for club and country next year.
Ronaldo became the top scorer in world football in the calendar year 2023, scoring 54 goals for Al-Nassr and Portugal. He scored 44 goals in 51 games across competitions at the club level for the Knights of Njad. He also netted 10 times in nine games for Portugal in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his final goal of 2023 in Al-Nassr's 4-1 at Al-Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday, December 30 via a penalty. After the game, he spoke to SSC Sports about his excellent year and set an ambitious target for next year, saying (via Goal):
"I'm very happy, it was a good year for me as an individual and as a collective. I scored so many goals, I helped the team a lot at Al-Nassr and for the national team. I feel good, I feel happy and next year I will try to do it again."
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in January this year and led them to a second-place finish in the Saudi Pro League behind Al-Ittihad. They are second in the table this season after 19 games, seven points behind Al-Hilal.
He also helped Portugal qualify comfortably for the UEFA Euro 2024 as they won all 10 of their qualifying games, conceding just two goals.
Gareth Bale hails Cristiano Ronaldo's brilliance
In the Netflix docuseries Captains of the World, former Wales captain Gareth Bale hailed former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. He praised the Portugal captain's brilliance, speaking about his individual and team achievements.
Bale said (via Cristiano Xtra):
“The achievements that Cristiano has achieved, the number of trophies and individual awards he has won and the number of goals he has scored are a pleasure to behold.
"His statistics are a compelling evidence of his brilliance, the achievements he has attained, the number of titles he has won, and the number of goals he has scored; it's an enjoyment worth watching.”
Bale and Ronaldo shared the pitch 157 times at Real Madrid, combining for 41 goals. They won numerous trophies together, including four UEFA Champions League trophies.