The Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo is well on track to finish the year as the leading goal scorer in the world.
Al Nassr skipper has been in sublime form lately and has scored 53 goals in the year for both club and country.
With his goal scoring exploits doing the rounds in the footballing world for more than 15 years, his quality in terms of making a goal often goes unrecognized.
Ronaldo has made 15 assists this year as well which took his overall goal contributions to 68 for 2023 and that too in just 58 matches.
Competing with players that are almost a decade younger than him, Cristiano Ronaldo is the prime example of how an athlete should treat his body in order to extend his playing career and produce impactful performances in games as well.
The likes of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland have all been left behind in the race for this year’s golden boot.
While Kane managed to score 52 goals (57 matches) for club and country this year, Mbappe also has the same statistic (53 matches) in his bag.
No one has scored more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo in 2023 🐐 #CristianoRonaldo pic.twitter.com/ypSx4sk4yG
— Ronaldo fantasy (@FantasyRonaldo) December 27, 2023
Haaland still has a chance to top the goal scoring charts but will have to be match fit first following a niggle keeping him out of action in Manchester City’s FIFA Club World Cup triumph as well. He also did not feature in the club’s 1-3 win in the Premier League against Everton this week. Haaland has 50 goals in 60 matches, 3 less than CR7.
Both Mbappe and Haaland have also said that Ronaldo has always been one of their idols growing up which speaks volumes about the kind of impact he leaves on young players.
Admirable Longevity
While people are seen playing for lower league sides or getting retired from the sport at 38, Ronaldo claims he isn’t finished yet and continues to produce astounding numbers day in and day out.
At the age of 37, Ronaldo was Manchester United’s top scorer in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
Being dropped from the Portugal national team during the FIFA World Cup 2022 by coach Fernando Santos, everyone had thought that the 5-time Ballon d’Or winner’s national duties are all but over. However, new coach Roberto Martinez brought him back into the fray and saw Ronaldo go beast mode.
His crucial goals helped the side gain qualification for next year’s UEFA European Championships as well.
All in all, Cristiano Ronaldo’s work ethic and dedication towards making himself a better player everyday is unparalleled.
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