In his own mind, there’s no doubt about it. Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest scorer in soccer history. So says the Portuguese superstar on the cusp of his 40th birthday.
Ronaldo, who turns 40 on Wednesday, made the proclamation in a recent interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta.
“I am the greatest scorer in history,” Ronaldo told La Sexta, per the Associated Press. “Although I am not left-footed, I am in the top 10 in history for goals scored with the left foot. These are numbers, I am the most complete player who has ever existed.
“I play well with my head, I take good free kicks, I am fast, I am strong, I jump… I have never seen anyone better than me.”
The case for Ronaldo
So does he have a case? Some significant numbers are in his favor. Per TalkSport, Ronaldo’s 923 total career goals in 1,254 games are the most in the sport’s history. That includes his 135 goals in 217 career international games for Portugal that are also the most in soccer history.
Ronaldo is most compared with his contemporary rival Lionel Messi, who sits second behind Ronaldo with 850 goals in 1,081 career games — 73 fewer goals in 173 fewer games played. On average, that gives Messi the edge, with 0.786 goals per game, compared to 0.736 for Ronaldo.
But for the total numbers, Ronaldo is unparalleled, and he used those numbers to back up his case against the game’s other all-time greats.
“I’m talking about numbers,” Ronaldo said, per ESPN. “I think I’m the most complete player to have existed. In my opinion, I think it’s me. I do everything well in football. With my head, free kicks, left foot. I’m fast, I’m strong.
“One thing is taste — if you like Messi, Pelé, Maradona, I understand that and I respect that — but saying Ronaldo isn’t complete. … I’m the most complete. I haven’t seen anybody better than me, and I say it from the heart.”
Who really is the GOAT?
So does being the greatest goal scorer by total goals scored make Ronaldo the greatest player in soccer history? Scoring goals is obviously the primary objective, but it’s certainly not the only factor to consider.
Ronaldo has an impressive record of winning with seven European league titles and five Champions League titles while playing for Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus. His five Ballon d’Or awards are the second-most all-time. He’s scored in five different World Cups as the only man to do so. But he’s failed to win a World Cup, a fact that stands as the biggest strike against his impressive legacy.
For comparison’s sake again, Messi is the all-time Ballon d’Or winner with eight. He has 12 European league titles to his name, including 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona. He’s a four-time Champions League winner. And he has one significant achievement that Ronaldo does not. Messi won a World Cup with Argentina in 2022, a victory that pushed him over the edge as the game’s all-time great in the minds of many.
So who’s truly the GOAT? Fortunately, for the sake of sports debate, there’s no definitive answer in a sport that’s as widespread as soccer.