Most footballers start to wind down by the time they reach 30 and are close to planning their retirement but in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, he only got more prolific.
Ronaldo has More Goals Than Legendary Strikers After 30 Years of Age
Ronaldo has scored a whopping 376 goals since turning 30, which is more than these legendary strikers managed over their entire careers for club and country.
1. Wayne Rooney (366 career goals) 2. Didier Drogba (362 career goals) 3. Robin van Persie (322 career goals) 4. Luca Toni (322 career goals) 5. Carlos Tevez (321 career goals) 6. Francesco Totti (316 career goals) 7. Diego Forlan (310 career goals) 8. Hernan Crespo (307 career goals) 9. Marco van Basten (306 career goals) 10. Fernando Torres (301 career goals)
Still going on strong at 38 years old, Ronaldo’s goalscoring instincts have truly stood the test of time. Amazingly, Cristiano has scored 376 goals since turning 30, which is more than most players who manage over an entire career.
Since turning 30, Ronaldo has enjoyed three seasons with Real Madrid, three years with Juventus, and then had a spell with Manchester United and now at Al Nassr.
Change In Style Of Play
The Portuguese forward reinvented his game towards the end of his spell at Real Madrid as he transitioned from a winger to an out-and-out goal scorer.
Ronaldo took up more central positions in his final years in Spain and predominately played as a number nine throughout his time in Italy with Juventus.
As a result of his instincts remaining sharp and a switch of positions, Ronaldo has actually scored at a greater rate since turning 30 than he had done before.
Feels Like A 30-Year-Old
While speaking to ESPN last year, Ronaldo said that “Genetically I feel like I’m 30 years old. I take great care of my body and my mind. Something I’ve learned recently is that after 33, I believe the body can deliver if you need it, but the real battle is mental.”
Ronaldo also said that “I want to find out if I’m going to play until I’m 40, 41, or 42, but the most important thing is that my daily goal is to enjoy the moment.”
Ronaldo Keeping Up For His Country As Well
Along with maintaining his scoring record at the club level, Ronaldo has also continued to deliver on the international stage. His most prolific year for Portugal came in 2019 when he scored 19 goals in total.
Even to this day he is determined to deliver for his nation as he scored four goals in their recent Euro qualifiers. He’s even scored a couple of brilliant free-kicks this year too. Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has reaffirmed Ronaldo’s importance to Portugal, even at 38.
Martinez said, “He [Ronaldo] is very important, he has a unique experience at an international level. the manager told Record. For us, he is important because he is a reference in the locker room and he is prepared to lead [the team to Euro 2024] and be the captain of this selection.”
