Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo claimed records “haunt” him after notching his 900th career goal to seal victory for the Selecao against Croatia in Lisbon, Soccernet.football reports.
Ronaldo’s 34th minute close-range finish was his 131st for the Portuguese national team. It proved to be the winning goal, coming either side of Diogo Dalot’s opener and unfortunate own goal in the first half.
The legendary goal-machine was taken off to a rapturous standing ovation in the closing stages of the match. Speaking to Portuguese media on his landmark strike, the 39-year-old said;
“900 goals may seem like any other milestone but only I know how hard it is to work every day to score your 900th goal. It’s a unique milestone in my career. I don’t break records… they haunt me!”
Ronaldo couldn’t hold back his emotions after scoring, appearing to shed tears of joy during his celebration.
“As you know, I’m already 39 and a half years old and so you have to be very focused for things to go well,” he explained. “To be at this level requires a lot of dedication.
“So, when these little records happen, small, big, I get emotional because I know and value what I do, and my teammates, because obviously without my team-mates this would be unthinkable.”
Ronaldo and Portugal faced a challenging Euro 2024 campaign in Germany, ultimately being knocked out by France on penalties. The Selecao skipper emphasized the importance of a strong start, praising Roberto Martinez’s change in approach.
“After what happened in the European Championship, we had to give a good response and that’s what happened,” he said.
“We played well. Croatia fought really well and I think it was a spectacular game.
“I felt freer than usual in this game. The coach also gave me that opportunity and we also played, in my opinion, a little differently to how we played in the European Championship.
“We made a lot of changes, the players were freer on the pitch and when that happens, it’s better for me, I’ll be honest.
“I feel better, I feel more involved in the game and I can enjoy football more. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it at the Euros, but I like being a free player. I like to make space for my team-mates too and today was a performance that the team performed very well.”