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Pundit Dietmar Hamann does not believe Cristiano Ronaldo has a chance of reaching 1000 career goals before his retirement. The 39-year-old forward is still going strong and has spoken about his desire to reach the milestone before hanging up his boots.
Ronaldo became the only male player in history to score 900 career goals, doing so in a UEFA Nations League win over Croatia in September. For a player who is undoubtedly the greatest goalscorer in international football, it was fitting that he reached the milestone in Portugal's colors.
Since scoring his 900th goal, Cristiano Ronaldo has made it clear that he intends to score at least 100 more goals before he retires. Former Liverpool man Hamann does not think the forward, who will turn 40 in February, has enough time to reach his desired tally.
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Speaking with Flashscore, the pundit pointed out that the frantic pursuit of goals has made the forward put his needs above those of his teams. He said:
"Cristiano Ronaldo can sense his career is coming to an end soon, which is probably why he acted the way he did against Scotland. His ego has made him the player he is today. But, I wasn't a big fan of his antic in the Euros - he put his interests ahead of Portugal's interests.
"Ronaldo has scored a few goals in the Nations League, but does he make them a better side? I'm not sure, they're a massively talented team who could win these games without him. Ronaldo is at a point in his career where he needs to start prioritising the team instead of himself.
"I'm not sure how much of the say the manager has in team selection, which is a big issue. I'd be very surprised if Cristiano Ronaldo reaches 1000 career goals, I don't think he can go on for that long."
Ronaldo has now reached 907 career goals after his last-minute penalty goal in Al-Nassr's win over Al-Shabab in the Saudi Pro League on October 18. The Portugal captain has already scored nine goals for his club this season and scored in three of his last four games for his country.
Cristiano Ronaldo leads the line for Al-Nassr in Champions League tie
Cristiano Ronaldo will aim to continue his pursuit of the 1000-goal mark as his Al-Nassr side faces Esteghlal FC in the AFC Champions League Elite. The 39-year-old was named in the starting XI for his club in their third match of the competition on October 22.
Ronaldo was left out of the opening game of the competition against Al-Shorta in September, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw. He was called upon for the second game against Al-Rayyan, where he scored the winner after Sadio Mane's opener in a 2-1 win.
Stefano Pioli is keen to have his captain play a major role, particularly after his inspiring goal against Al-Shabab last time out. The Real Madrid legend will hope to find the net in the game, which is taking place in Dubai due to security concerns in Iran.
