5 records that prove Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest footballer of all time

#3 Only player to score 50 plus goals in Premier League, La Liga and Serie A

Cristiano Ronaldo has been a prolific goal scorer in England, Spain and Italy

Cristiano Ronaldo has proven his credentials in several European leagues. While loyalty is always a good trait for a footballer to have, there is nothing better than proving yourself in different leagues. Often world-class footballers fail to adapt to foreign leagues. However, Cristiano Ronaldo was built to shine wherever he went.

Ronaldo is the only footballer to have recorded more than 50 goals in three of Europe’s top five leagues. At the time of writing, the goal machine has bagged 88, 311 and 81 goals in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, respectively.

Moreover, he is also the sole footballer to have scored more than a hundred goals in three different countries. It is a vital record that puts Ronaldo a step ahead of Lionel Messi as he has delivered in multiple leagues across Europe.

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#2 Most international goals

Hungary v Portugal - UEFA Euro 2020: Group F

Cristiano Ronaldo is a beast when it comes to international football. Ronaldo has scored 115 goals in 183 outings for Portugal. Iranian legend Ali Daei held this record for around two decades before Ronaldo broke it a few months back.

When Ronaldo scored his 110th international goal against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier on September 2, he wrote another chapter for himself in football’s history books. He has also registered 10 hat tricks for Portugal.

Unlike the UEFA Champions League top scorer record, Ronaldo has a substantial lead over active players when it comes to most international goals. Lionel Messi is 35 goals behind the Portuguese marksman.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time leading goalscorer

Manchester United v Atalanta: Group F - UEFA Champions League

If there’s any record that puts an end to a debate, it’s this one. Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time leading goal scorer in the history of football. He has scored 794 times, overtaking Pele’s long-standing record of 765 goals.

The Portuguese goal-machine got hold of this record when he scored against Verona in Serie A on February 21, 2021. That was his 766th goal, and he has already added almost 30 goals in nine months. Unlike Pele, Ronaldo was a late bloomer and is still going strong.

As in many cases, Lionel Messi is the only threat to Ronaldo’s record. The Argentine magician has scored 755 goals. Ronaldo will be determined to maintain the same level so that can take a significant lead before the legends decide to retire.