Ronaldo scored his 927th career goal to help Al Nassr beat Esteghlal (Iran) 3-0 in the second leg of the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Elite on March 11, proving that he is a unique player, according to AS.
Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot in the 27th minute with a Panenka-style shot that went straight into the middle of the goal, showing that he had surpassed the physical boundaries of the football world, according to Spanish newspaper AS.
In the first leg, Ronaldo could not travel to Iran due to safety reasons and legal concerns, so Al Nassr had a difficult match with Esteghlal, drawing 0-0. However, in the second leg, the presence of the 40-year-old Portuguese player helped the Saudi Arabian team play brilliantly.
Not only did he contribute to the goal that increased the score to 2-0, Ronaldo also contributed to the two goals scored by striker Jhon Duran in the 9th and 84th minutes, helping Al Nassr have a convincing victory to qualify for the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite.
This is also Ronaldo’s big goal with the hope of winning the Asian Champions League, becoming the first player to win the most prestigious club tournament in both Asia and Europe.
“Ronaldo is defying all logic, as out of the 927 goals he has scored so far, more have come after the age of 30 than before. Specifically, 464 goals compared to 463 goals before he turned 30. This proves that Ronaldo is a unique player,” AS emphasized.
Ronaldo scored 463 goals for the Portuguese national team, Sporting CP, Manchester United and Real Madrid before turning 30 on February 5, 2015. Since then, he has continued to amaze everyone, now at the age of 40 he has scored 464 goals, including for the national team, Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester United (on his second return) and Al Nassr.
Ronaldo’s amazing records
Another incredible statistic is that since turning 30, Ronaldo has won 3 of the 5 Champions Leagues (Europe), 3 of the 6 national championships, 2 of the 5 Ballon d’Ors and 2 FIFA Men’s Player of the Year awards. He also won his first international title, the 2016 EURO with Portugal at the age of 31.
“The next question is: How much longer can Ronaldo continue playing? He is only 73 goals away from reaching the 1,000-goal mark in his career. If he can do this at the age of 40, Ronaldo is clearly a unique player,” AS concluded.