Cristiano Ronaldo outlines retirement plan after stunning bicycle kick

The Portugal captain scored a goal against Poland, but CR7 acknowledged he is nearing the end of his professional career.

Throughout his career, motivation has never been a problem for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese star may be 39 years old but he remains insatiable and scored a goal for the national team in a 5-1 win over Poland on Friday. That brings CR7 to five goals in five Nations League matches this year. Throughout his stellar career, he has scored a whopping 910 goals.

He remains an important player for Portugal and an impressive physical specimen – evidenced by his second goal on Friday, an acrobatic bicycle kick – but after the match the subject of his future was raised.

“I just want to enjoy it. The pension plan? If it has to happen in one or two years… I don't know,” the Portuguese captain replied.

“I'm turning 40 soon… I really want to enjoy myself, as long as I'm motivated, I'll keep going. The day I don't feel motivated, I'll retire.”

Earlier this week, Ronaldo reflected on his previously stated goal of becoming the first player to score 1,000 league goals, a milestone that would rank among the greatest achievements in any sport. He'll be 40 next February, but you still can't bet on him cutting that fantastic figure.

How many goals did Pelé score?

Brazilian legend Pelé long held the record for most competitive goals, before his tally of 762 goals was overtaken by CR7 and Lionel Messi. The iconic Brazilian led his country to three World Cup victories and was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999. Pelé was football's top scorer for more than forty years before he was overtaken by Ronaldo.

The number of goals scored by each player is tracked by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), which acts as football's global record keeper. They only include league matches for recognized teams and national sides in their database, but Pele, along with many others, has scored many more goals throughout his career.

Including friendlies and unofficial tour matches, Pele holds the Guinness World Record for most career goals. He is credited with 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, including a frankly absurd 126 in 1959.

Making comparisons between eras is a difficult and thankless task. Comparing the validity of matches a century apart is essentially impossible and ignores the dramatic changes seen in football over the centuries. What is clear, however, is that all three very much deserve their place in football folklore.