Ronaldo Achieves 900 Goals Milestone, But Pele’s ‘Record’ Remains Untouched
Riyadh, 6th September 2024: He came, he saw, and he conquered. Cristiano Ronaldo showcased his brilliance once again, darting into the penalty box to volley in Nuno Gomes’ cross, marking his 900th career goal.
With this milestone, Ronaldo became the first male player in history to reach 900 official goals, surpassing his rival Lionel Messi. Now, his sights are set on an even more extraordinary target—1,000 career goals.
“After reaching 900, my goal is to hit 1,000,” Ronaldo joked with his former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel. “I want all 1,000 goals on video, just to prove I’ve done it!” he added humorously. “And if you want more goals, I’ve got plenty from training sessions too!”
However, Ronaldo’s achievement, while monumental, is not without some debate. Officially, he may be the first to reach the 900-goal mark, but according to some historical records, he isn’t the top goalscorer of all time.
That honour goes to the Brazilian football legend Pele, who holds the Guinness World Record for Most Career Goals, with an astonishing 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including a staggering 126 goals in 1959 alone. The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) counts only official goals in their rankings, and by this measure, Ronaldo reigns supreme. However, Pele’s tally includes goals from both official matches and unofficial friendlies.
Another twist in football history is the lesser-known Brazilian player Artur Friedenreich, who allegedly scored 1,329 goals between 1909 and 1935, though many of these matches were poorly documented, and only 354 goals are recognized by the IFFHS.
Further complicating the picture is the statistics from the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (NSF), uses a different methodology to count goals. According to RSSSF, three more players reached 900+ goals before Ronaldo: German Erwin Helmchen (989+ goals), Austrian/Czech Josef Bican (950+ goals), and England’s Ronnie Rooke (934+ goals).
Despite these debates, when it comes to official records, Ronaldo’s achievement stands unmatched.
To clarify, here are the top 10 highest official goalscorers in men’s football history:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, 2002-present) – 895 goals
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina, 2004-present) – 838 goals
3. Pele (Brazil, 1957-1977) – 762 goals
4. Romário (Brazil, 1985-2007) – 755 goals
5. Ferenc Puskás (Hungary, 1943-1966) – 724 goals
6. Josef Bican (Austria, 1931-1955) – 722 goals
7. Jimmy Jones (Northern Ireland, 1947-1964) – 648 goals
8. Gerd Muller (Germany, 1964-1981) – 634 goals
9. Robert Lewandowski (Poland, 2008-present) – 630 goals
10. Joe Bambrick (Northern Ireland, 1926-1943) – 629 goals
Already the top official goalscorer in history, Ronaldo’s pursuit of 1,000 official goals remains a remarkable ambition. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star also holds the record for the most international goals, with 131 in 209 appearances for Portugal.
