“I really have not seen anyone better than me. I believe I am the most complete player who has ever existed.”
Never anyone to play down his performance, Cristiano Ronaldo told El Chiringuito this week that he was “different” for other players.
Even if the five-fold balloon d'Or winner celebrates his 40th birthday on Wednesday, he is not going to delay.
“I could now honestly end my career and I would not regret,” he said. “However, it would be a shame, because I still make a difference. I can continue to make a difference for another one or two years.”
Only a few players have succeeded in having a meaningful impact on the upper stage in their forty, but if someone can brave the aging process, it can just be Ronaldo.
While he celebrates the big four-zero, we look at what the statistics say about his evolution over the years, and ask what the future can entail.
Dear @cristiano, from Real Madrid, we want to send you our Warmest wishes on your 40th birthday. Every Madridista is proud of the legend you are and what you represent for our history. Have a nice day with your family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/9chf1wysnd
– Real Madrid CF (@Realmadriden) 4 February 2025
A nice wine
Ronaldo has shown a remarkable consistency since he achieved his first 20-goal campaign with Manchester United, long back in 2006-07.
Indeed, in the last 19 seasons, Ronaldo scored only once less than 23 times in all competitions. That happened in 2022-23, when he was frozen by Erik ten Hag from United's Squad and left for Al-Nassr halfway through the campaign.
Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, a period about the age of 25 to 31, Ronaldo scored at least 51 goals and had at least 14 assists in six consecutive seasons for Real Madrid.
The 2014-15 season was the statistical highlight of Ronaldo at club level, despite the fact that Madrid's arch rivals Barcelona won the Treble. He scored 61 goals and gave 21 assists in 54 games in a campaign in which he celebrated his 30th birthday.
Combined for club and country, Ronaldo scored more goals, while 27 years old (67 goals in 70 performances) than he succeeded at a different age, but on average he his least minutes per goal (78.4) when he was 28 years old.
Although Ronaldo's Peak Goalscoring performances have come into his late twenties, his thirty people were generally a more productive period.
Ronaldo has looted 460 goals since he turned 30 and has scored 440 times between his 20th and 30th birthdays. He yielded 23 times as a teenager.
A similar theme arises when looking at Ronaldo's shows at large international tournaments.
Ronaldo scored 13 goals on the five tournaments (World Cup / European Championships) to take place when he was in the thirty, so Portugal led to the first of that euro 2016. That is despite the fact that he manages only one goal with the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024 combined.
He only scored seven times out of five major tournaments in his twenties, and twice as a 19-year-old in Euro 2004.
In terms of goal coring, Ronaldo is outdated as a good wine, and he has even more to reach before he hangs his boots.
The chase for 1,000
Ronaldo has 788 goals and counts at club-level-five for sporty, 145 to two spells with Man United, 450 for Madrid, 101 for Juventus and 87 with Al-Nassr.
He also has the distinction to be the leading sniper of all time in men's internationals and to pay attention 135 times in 217 senior caps for Portugal.
That figure releases him well from the second place Romelu Lukaku (85 goals in 120 games for Belgium), and 150 international goals is a milestone that he could possibly reach if he continues to play a crucial role under Roberto Martinez.
For Club en Land, Ronaldo is a maximum of 923 goals in general. When asked about his chances of reaching 1,000, he told El Chiringuito: “It would be great, but if it didn't come, I am already the player in history with the most goals.”
FIFA previously recognized former Austria and Czechoslovakia International Josef Bican as the most important scorer of all time in the men's competition, with 805 goals. Almost three years have passed since Ronaldo, which Mark has overhauled with a hat trick in the 3-2 Premier League victory of Manchester United on Tottenham.
In general, during his career, Ronaldo has on average just over 40 goals per year.
With that in mind two more years can be enough to see him the 77 he needs to hit four digits.
Happy birthday, @cristiano #mufc pic.twitter.com/dfbvepcoj2
– Manchester United (@manutd) February 5, 2025
The 40 club
Now that trade in the Saudi Pro League has been processed, Ronaldo seems very unlikely to participate in the list of people over 40 to have had an impact on the European stage.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the most striking players who have played his fourth decade. The Swede was 41 years and 166 days old when he claimed in the history of the competition in March 2023 in AC Milan's Series A defeat against Udinese and the oldest goal scorer.
Also in the Serie A, Paolo Maldini was almost 41 when he appeared his last Milan performance against Fiorentina in 2009 against Fiorentina-playing in his 30th game of a season in which the Rossoneri finished third and held a competition-high 17 clean sheets.
A few former Ronaldo teammates have also demonstrated a remarkable lifespan at the top table.
During a spell as interim manager of United, Ryan Giggs brought himself to himself as a 40-year-old in a 3-1 victory over Hull City in May 2014, 963rd and last outing for the Red Devils.
Ronaldo's former teammate of Madrid Pepe now has the honor to be the oldest outfield player to play in the Champions League, and to do this 41 years and 15 days for Porto versus Arsenal last year.
Pepe becomes the oldest score ever #ucl pic.twitter.com/9lnjgi8j8w
– UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 10, 2023
He is also the only 40-year-old to score in the Premier Club competition of UEFA, and does this for Porto against Shakhtar Donetsk in December 2023 (40, 290 days old).
Make history in 2026?
Ronaldo's Swansong on the elite phase probably seems to be on the World Cup of next year, where he could be exactly the second outfielder who appears at the competition when they are 40 or older.
Roger Milla can be seen for Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup, with his last performance at the age of 42 years and 39 days.
Milla has noticed that tournament against Russia and also has the honor to be the oldest player ever scoring on a World Cup.
Ronaldo will not be able to take that record in 2026, but he will cherish hope to be the first player in the forty who scored several goals on the FIFA's Flagship Tournament.
If Portugal goes all the way, he could also become the oldest player who ever wins the World Cup.
The Cristiano Ronaldo show. #Fifaworldcup pic.twitter.com/pni9fhb6cz
– Fifa World Cup (@Fifaworldcup) 5 February 2025
The legendary keeper of Italy, Dino Zoff, who brought the Azzurri to glory in 1982, while 40 years and 133 days old, currently owns that record. No other player has ever lifted the famous trophy at the age of 40 or older.
Lionel Messi – Ronaldo's big rival – was 35 when he played for Argentina in their Triumph 2022, who saw most spectators as his last shot at International Glory.
Ronaldo has said that he is planning to play at next year's World Cup, while 41 years old, and leading Portugal to Glorie would continue to prove that age is only a number.
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