Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have found what he was looking for with his move away from Manchester United: Goals.
There has been one thing which has driven Cristiano Ronaldo‘s storied career forward, an insatiable appetite for scoring goals.
This is a player who stands tall as Real Madrid’s record goalscorer, and also ranks among Manchester United’s top 15 all-time scorers, despite spending most of his career away from Old Trafford.
Ronaldo is also the world’s all-time leading international scorer, and the all-time Champions League scorer.
Ronaldo has moved on at Al-Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United one year ago after his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
He was unhappy with his role under Erik ten Hag, and this partly boiled down to a lack of game time, and goals.
Ronaldo scored only three times in 2022/23 before his exit, well behind schedule from his 24 Red Devils goals in 2021/22.
His next choice of club proved controversial. Many top European clubs were scared to take the gamble on Ronaldo, with all the additional attention he brings, so he took his talents elsewhere.
Ronaldo signed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, where he has led a revolution of players following him, from Karim Benzema to Neymar to Sadio Mane.
Ronaldo scores 50 goals in 2023
Last night Cristiano Ronaldo scored in Al-Nassr’s 5-2 victory away at Al-Shabab, and hit a remarkable milestone in the process.
He has now scored 50 goals in this calendar year for club and country, still a regular starter under a Portugal side rejuvenated by manager Roberto Martinez.
Ronaldo marked his achievement with a message on Instagram, which read: “Great victory and I’m thrilled to announce my 50th goal in 2023, all thanks to the unwavering support of my teammates, fans, and my family! 🔥 There’s still room for a few more this year .”
His message was ‘liked’ by former Manchester United teammates Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire and Alejandro Garnacho, among others.
Whatever your opinion of his move to Al-Nassr and standard of opposition, it is an amazing achievement to score 50 times in one year, especially considering he is 38-years-old, especially considering several of these goals have come in Euro 2024 qualifying for Portugal.
Cristiano Ronaldo career goals
Ronaldo has a staggering 869 goals in his career to date. He will almost certainly reach the 900 mark, and don’t bet against him aiming for the 1,000 barrier.
Perhaps Manchester United might have got a bit more out of him. Perhaps Ronaldo should have stayed patient. But at the time of his exit, both club and player appeared in full agreement it was the right move.
Cristiano Ronaldo has plenty to play for in 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo will have a few personal goals in mind for next year, beyond simply scoring as many as possible.
Euro 2024 is on the horizon, which may be his final international tournament, or least his last European Championships.
And then there is the newly announced and confirmed showpiece friendly set for February 1 when Al-Nassr take on Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
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