Cristiano Ronaldo: The Trailblazing Icon
Cristiano Ronaldo topped the world in goals scored in 2023. Now, at the age of 39, the Portuguese superstar is confidently conquering new heights.
Pioneer Ronaldo
The year 2023 in the Gregorian calendar concluded with a significant milestone for Cristiano Ronaldo: he scored 54 goals, more than any other colleague worldwide.
Ronaldo is the goal-scoring king of 2023
Ronaldo scored more than 2 goals compared to Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe; the gap with Erling Haaland was 4 goals; surpassing Romelu Lukaku by 14 goals.
Ronaldo’s achievements include 44 goals for Al-Nassr club, along with 10 strikes for the Portuguese national team.
Two legends, Pele and Diego Maradona, retired at the age of 37. Ronaldo Nazario retired at 35, after his body became burdensome due to excess weight. Zinedine Zidane retired from his football career at the peak of 34, following an outstanding World Cup 2006.
Ronaldo’s biggest rival, Lionel Messi, scored 1 goal in his first 6 matches in the MLS (Major League Soccer) at the age of 36.
In contrast, in 2023, at the age of 38, Ronaldo continued to maintain motivation, hunger for success, and consistently scored goals on every stage.
Ronaldo always maintains motivation and ambition
After leaving Manchester United for Al-Nassr, Ronaldo was not merely an ambassador for Saudi Arabian football, as part of Vision 2030, but it was about conquering new territories.
In a completely different culture, a different football atmosphere, with a desert climate not easy to adapt to, Ronaldo was hardly affected. He continued to score goals consistently.
Special Like Ronaldo
In the summer of 2023, Karim Benzema decided to leave Real Madrid to play in Saudi Arabia. He hesitated a lot before joining Al-Ittihad, with an annual salary of 100 million euros.
Benzema was excited to arrive in Mecca (or Makkah), considered the holy land of Islam, about 70 km from Jeddah. But he wasn’t himself anymore.
In Saudi Arabia, Benzema played inconsistently and was uncomfortable with life. He even considered leaving the Persian Gulf.
Many players struggle in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo doesn’t
Roberto Firmino was not successful during his time in Saudi Arabia. His former teammate, Jordan Henderson, was quick to leave Al-Ettifaq after six months to join Ajax.
These examples illustrate Ronaldo’s professionalism and adaptability in any football environment.
He completely changed the history of Al-Nassr – notably winning the Arab Club Champions Cup – and created new values for Saudi Arabian football.
Throughout his career, Ronaldo has always had at least one title in every place he played, including a short stint with the Sporting Lisbon youth team. Along with 5 Ballon d’Or awards, he has countless individual accolades.
On February 5th, Ronaldo turned 39. There are no signs of him stopping. CR7 has ambitions to pursue: titles with Al-Nassr and EURO 2024 with Portugal.
Ronaldo and Messi: Football Revolutionaries
Ronaldo and Messi: Football Revolutionaries
Both Ronaldo and Messi left Europe for new horizons, revolutionizing football from Saudi Arabia to the MLS.
Ronaldo and his most impressive goals in 2023
Ronaldo and his most impressive goals in 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo, nearing the age of 39 but still giving his all on the field. More importantly, CR7 became the top goal scorer in 2023 with 54 goals.
