Piers Morgan lauds Cristiano Ronaldo as the Al-Nassr star finishes 2023 as the top goalscorer of the year

Journalist Piers Morgan lavished praise on Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for scoring the most goals in the 2023 calendar year. He took to Twitter (now known as X) to appreciate the forward, claiming it was another spectacular achievement in his storied career.

The British broadcaster wrote:

"BREAKING: ⁦@Cristiano scores his 54th goal this year for club & country - making him the highest goalscorer in world football in 2023. Another astounding achievement for the (goat emoji)"

With 54 goals (in 59 games), the Portugal international beat the likes of Kylian Mbappe (52 goals in 53 games), Harry Kane (52 goals in 57 games), and Erling Haaland (50 games in 60 games) to finish as the top scorer for 2023. This marks the fifth time he has got this achievement, having previously done so in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015 with Real Madrid.

Ronaldo bagged his 54th goal during Al-Nassr's 4-1 win over Al-Taawoun last night. His opponents opened the scoring before Al-Nassr scored four straight in reply, with Marcelo Brozovic, Aymeric Laporte and Otavio getting on the scoresheet. Ronaldo put the result to bed with a goal in the 92nd minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo opens up on being top goalscorer of 2023

The 38-year-old bagged his 54th of the year.

Cristiano Ronaldo vowed that he would try to finish as the top scorer of the calendar year again next year after completing the achievement in 2023. Speaking to Saudi Arabian outlet SSC following Al-Nassr's 4-1 win over Al-Taawoun, he said:

"I'm really proud. I will continue, I feel good, I feel happy. Next year, I will try to do it again. I'm very happy [to be the top scorer]. As I told you before, it's hard work and dedication."

"I have to say thank you to my team-mates, without them this would not be possible. And the fans, because they follow everywhere. And I want to continue."

Ronaldo went on to emphasise how his move to the Middle East has changed the sport, saying:

"I started the decision [for players] to come here, nobody believed what I say. But this is the past - it doesn't matter anymore."

"But the most important thing is that the players want to come, because they know the league is competitive. And the whole world now watches the league. I hope that if big players want to come, they will be very welcome."

The Portuguese superstar has played a key role for Al-Nassr as they finish 2023 in second place in the Saudi Pro League. He is the tournament's top scorer, scoring 20 goals and bagging nine assists in 18 appearances.

The 38-year-old has proven to be an influential presence in the Middle East since joining Al-Nassr in December 2022. Top stars of European football like Karim Benzema, Neymar, N'Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez have since completed the switch to Saudi Arabia.