17.06.2021 » Cristiano Ronaldo is obsessed with scoring goals
To say that Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenon is nothing short of an understatement and after terrorising opposition defences for both Portugal and some of the biggest clubs in world football, he is showing no signs of slowing down. Especially as the Juventus forward has picked up another record recently and after scoring a pair in Portugal's opening fixture of this summer's Euro 2020, he has now scored 10 goals in the history of the European Championships. A brace that saw him move clear of France's legendary Michel Platini and while the 1984 European Championship winner scored all his nine goals in one single tournament – the year of his victory, Cristiano Ronaldo has provided the sport with more of a five-star approach...
Cristiano Ronaldo - EUROs highlights:
The chase is coming to an end...
The 36-year-old has now scored in five successive editions of this UEFA governed tournament and after becoming the most feared marksman in this competition, there is now one more prize left in his sights.
After helping the Portuguese national team to glory at Euro 2016 in France, it would be difficult to write off the holders being only the second side to win back-to-back versions of the European Championships.
However, it is not a team accolade that is in the spotlight over the next few weeks, instead it is another measure of personal glory and one that comes in the shape of scoring the most ever goals in international football.
When it comes to international goals, 110 will be the magic number and with 106 already to his name, just four more are required for Cristiano Ronaldo's pursuit to overtake the current record holder Ali Daei (109 goals).
The Iranian forward, who is perhaps better known for his exploits in the Bundesliga a generation or so ago, racked up an impressive 109 goals at international level and for many, this is a record that looked likely never to be beaten.
Then again, this consensus was formed before one of the world's best ever players graced the field of play and with the Juventus star now within in touching distance of the accolade, it is more a case of when rather than if, he moves past Daei.
While there is also something to be said for the quality of opposition that Iran's most fearsome forward scored against and with a large majority of his goals being secured Asian minnows, it does devalue his feat slightly.
Because you can only score against who or whom is in front of you, this should not do the former Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin player too much a disservice and for anyone to score 109 goals at international level is mightily impressive.
Cristiano knows no limits...
With that said, the quality of opposition that Cristiano Ronaldo has gone up against since Euro 2004 has been much more of a test and to score as many goals as he has, against largely European foes, must be highly commended.
Of course, at 36-years-old, much has been made of a potential next move at club level and with Europe being largely conquered during the past two decades, a move to the United States could be rather appealing.
Should a franchise be fortunate enough to snare his signature over the summer, an increase in betting activity would surely follow and punters would certainly glance at the MLS odds with a lot more regularity.
At the same time, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star will still feel that he has something to offer on European shores and although he may move on from Juventus, a stateside switch may still be a year or two away.
Especially if he can reach 110 international goals and even if he were to somehow miss out on the accolade by the end of Euro 2020, there is still the small matter of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next winter.
Not to mention a litany of World Cup qualifiers before then and with more than enough games to grab those remaining goals, it would take an incredibly brave men or woman to bet against him achieving his next target.
Should he finally arrive at the destination of 110 as planned, then there can be no argument that this player is certainly one of a kind and although it is bizarre that Lionel Messi was around at the same time, the Argentine has yet to win an international tournament for himself.
Which for those who love the age-old argument of who is better, the achievement of scoring the most goals in international football will only add more weight to the case of the infamous Portuguese superstar.
Not to mention, this is a man who could easily play beyond the age of 40 and who is to say that even if not this summer, he goes on to lead Portugal to another European Championship or a first World Cup success in the future...
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Portugal is on June 19, against Germany. You can watch Germany vs Portugal, Brazil vs Peru, Argentina vs Uruguay, England vs Scotland, Sweden vs Slovakia, and Croatia vs Czech Republic, all matches provided from our football streaming live game pages.
Portugal next game:
Portugal vs Germany kick-off time (19-06-2021):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 00:00
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 23:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 21:30
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+2: 18:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 18:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 17:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 13:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 12:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 09:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / uefa.com / si.com / bbc.co.uk
