Real Madrid legend Marcelo shares feeling as Cristiano Ronaldo scores 900th career goal during 2-1 win over Croatia
Marcelo had a special message for his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo after the latter netted his 900th career goal. The milestone strike came in Portugal's 2-1 UEFA Nations League Group A1 win over Croatia on September 5.
Ronaldo found himself at the end of a Nuno Mendes cross from the left flank in the 34th minute, finishing it off with a first-time right-footed finish inside the box. He wheeled off to celebrate the goal but instantly sank to the ground; his hands on his face, seemingly overcome with emotion.
After the match, Ronaldo uploaded several photos on his Instagram account with the caption: "We walked into the Nations League on the right foot! We keep going 🫶🏻"
Marcelo was among a number of superstars to comment on the post. He wrote:
"Orgulho [Translation from Portuguese: Pride/proud]
Marcelo has been one of Ronaldo's closest friends on and off the pitch since their time together at Real Madrid. The two shared the pitch 332 times and recorded 33 joint goal participations from 2009 up until the Portuguese legend's move to Juventus in 2018.
While Ronaldo is now at Al-Nassr, Marcelo (36) has been playing for his childhood club Fluminense since Feb 2023 after a six-month stint at Olympiacos.
A breakdown of Cristiano Ronaldo's 900 career goals
Cristiano Ronaldo is the first man to reach 900 senior career goals in the sport. The next best on the list, Lionel Messi, trails him by a margin of 62 goals, while Pele sits in third with 762 strikes to his name.
Here is a brief breakdown of the 900 goals the 39-year-old has scored in 1,236 matches for club and country:
- Sporting Lisbon: 5 goals in 31 matches
- Manchester United: 145 goals in 346 matches
- Real Madrid: 450 goals in 438 matches
- Juventus: 101 goals in 134 matches
- Al-Nassr*: 68 goals in 74 matches
- Portugal: 131 goals in 213 matches
It is worth mentioning that Ronaldo's goals and caps for his country are both records in men's international football. He recently talked about his desire to reach 1,000 career goals, describing it as his 'next challenge' after he scored his 900th goal.