Cristiano Ronaldo on Sunday broke Brazilian football great Pele’s record for most goals in official matches after his hat-trick against Cagliari helped Juventus win the Serie A match 3-1. The total number of goals scored by Ronaldo is now 770.
The Juventus star took to Instagram to acknowledge the record and thanked his supporters, teammates, his friends and family, adding that the could not have done it without them.
“There’s no player in the World who hasn’t been raised listening to stories about his [Pele’s] games, his goals and his achievements, and I’m no exception. And for that reason, I’m filled with joy and pride as I acknowledge the goal that put’s me on top of the World’s goalscoring list, overcoming Pelé’s record, something that I could never have dreamed of while growing up as a child from Madeira.
“Thanks to all of those who took part of this amazing journey with me. To my teammates, to my opponents, to the fans of the beautiful game all over the World and, above all, to my family and close friends: trust me when I say that I couldn’t have done it without you,” Ronaldo wrote along with an image of himself and Pele with the words ‘New History Chapter Starts Now’ superimposed on it.
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The 36-year-old’s goals include 668 for club sides—five with Sporting Lisbon, 118 for Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid and 95 for Juventus. He has also scored 120 for Portugal.
Three-time World Cup-winning legend Pele congratulated Ronaldo for breaking his record. He also took to Instagram to post a picture with the Portuguese footballer as a “symbol of a friendship that has existed for many years”.
“@cristiano , life is a solo flight. Each makes his own journey. And what a beautiful journey you are having! I admire you a lot, I love watching you play and this is no secret to anyone. Congratulations on breaking my record of goals in official matches. My only regret is not being able to give you a hug today. But I leave this photo in your honor, with great affection, as the symbol of a friendship that has existed for many years,” Pele wrote.
Pele is the only player in history to win three World Cups and has claimed to have scored 1,283 goals in total, including in unofficial matches.
