Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed he could miss out one huge target when he does eventually hang up his boots.
The Portuguese superstar turns 40 in February but has never been one to let age get in his way, having previously spoken of his ambition to reach 1,000 career goals before retirement.
Ronaldo has scored 10 goals in 15 appearance in all competitions for Al Nassr this season[/caption]
Ronaldo became the first male player to notch a total of 900 goals for club and country when he scored in Portugal‘s 2-1 win over Croatia in the UEFA Nations League in September
Since then, he has continued to add to his tally, having found the net a further eight times for club side Al Nassr and his national team.
With the 39-year-old already making headway in his pursuit of the ultimate career milestone, it has looked as though nothing could stop him from recording yet another incredible goalscoring feat.
Despite this however, Ronaldo himself has now appeared to cast doubt over whether he will manage to reach his end goal.
Speaking after being awarded the Platinum Quinas trophy by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), the Al Nassr captain refused to look too far into the future.
He said: “I now face my life as living in the moment. I can’t think long term anymore.
“I said publicly that I wanted to reach 1,000 goals, but it seems that now everything is easy, just last month I reached 900.
“It’s about living in the moment, seeing how my legs will respond in the next few years. If I reach 1,000 goals, that’s fine, but if I don’t, I’m already the player with the most goals in history.”
Despite his advanced years in football terms, Ronaldo has rarely discussed his playing days coming to an end, instead focusing on making yet more football history.
He has previously shared his ambition to play at the 2026 World Cup, which would make the him the first player to feature in six different editions of the showpiece event.
Cristiano Ronaldo received the Platinum Award, the most prestigious award at the Quinas de Ouro gala. pic.twitter.com/Aeab2065yQ
— The CR7 Timeline. (@TimelineCR7) November 12, 2024
But Ronaldo’s latest comments marked a change in tone, especially on a night where he received the ultimate recognition for his incredible achievements.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner picked up the Platinum Quinas trophy, the highest honour available to Portuguese players.
As well as being the all-time record goalscorer in football history, Ronaldo’s 133 goals for Portugal is the most form any player on the international stage.
Having captained his country to Euro 2016 glory, the Real Madrid legend was presented his award by Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, alongside FPF Preisdent Fernando Gomes.
On being awarded the accolade, Ronaldo said: “It is an honour to receive this trophy. I see it as a beginning.
“Thank you to the FPF for this award, marking a long journey filled with hard work.
“At 18, my dream was to earn my first cap. Then I went to 25, 50, and why not 100? A round number, three digits, and then I started thinking about 150, 200, and it’s a tremendous feeling.”
And despite his surprise retirement hint, Ronaldo’s later social media post may reassure fans that the end is not in sight just yet.
Taking to Instagram to share a photo of himself with the trophy, Ronaldo wrote: “It is an honor to receive this award for my National Team career.
“There is still a lot to conquer! Thank you, Portugal.”
Portugal’s iconic captain will be hoping to take further steps towards his ultimate career goal over the coming week, as he prepares to take on Poland and Croatia with his national team in the Nations League.
