Ronaldo holds a record that even Messi respects

Cristiano Ronaldo is nearing the 1,000-goal mark in his career, yet many are unaware that the Portuguese icon holds another remarkable record.

Ronaldo continues to live and breathe football, getting closer to an extraordinary milestone no one has reached before: 1,000 career goals.

Many believe Pele might have reached that number including friendlies, but Ronaldo’s goals all come from official matches and are well documented with clear footage.

During the October national team gathering, the Portuguese star impressed the world again by scoring twice against Hungary, thereby becoming the top scorer in World Cup qualifying history with 41 goals.

Ronaldo keeps setting new records, not only for his scoring ability but also for his incredible longevity. In the match against Hungary, he demonstrated that his left foot, his weaker foot, is actually one of the most dangerous weapons in modern football.

At present, Ronaldo ranks fifth among players with the most goals scored using their left foot this century, and notably, he is the only right-footed player in the top 10..

Leading the list is Lionel Messi with 744 left-footed goals, an almost untouchable record, as well as his second place in the ranking of greatest goal scorers in football history.

Following him are Hulk with 258 goals, Mohamed Salah with 243, and Antoine Griezmann with 191, all elite forwards known for their skillful left foot, often taking free kicks and penalties.

What surprises many is that Cristiano Ronaldo holds the fifth spot, a right-footed playerwith 181 goals scored using his left foot. However, his ranking may soon be challenged by Erling Haaland, who has 179 goals with his dominant foot and is closing in fast.

Other names in the top 10, all famous for their left foot, but unlikely to catch Ronaldo, include Lukas Podolski (164 goals), Angel Di Maria (157), Arjen Robben (146), and Olivier Giroud (136), who holds the record for most goals in the history of the French national team.

It’s clear Ronaldo is among an elite group of prolific scorers, underscoring the versatility and diversity of his goal-scoring style.

Moreover, Ronaldo holds the record for the most headed goals in football history with 156. He has also successfully converted 177 out of 211 penalties, along with 63 goals from direct free kicks.

To date, Ronaldo has scored 611 goals with his right foot, a testament to his status as one of the most complete forwards ever. It is unlikely anyone will ever match Cristiano Ronaldo’s achievements.

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