Cristiano Ronaldo, one of football’s most celebrated icons, was lightheartedly labeled a “b*****d” by former teammate Rio Ferdinand after the Portuguese star made a playful jab at Brazilian legend Pele during a recent interview.
At 39 years old, Ronaldo continues to defy expectations, performing at a high level for both his national team and Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. With his 40th birthday approaching, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner remains determined to keep playing. With an extraordinary milestone in his sights: reaching 1,000 competitive goals.
Pele, often considered one of the greatest players in history, claimed to have scored over 1,000 goals during his career. His total of 1,279 goals is recognized by the Guinness World Records. But this figure includes many goals scored in unofficial friendly matches, which modern standards do not typically count. Most official records credit Pele with 757 goals—680 at the club level and 77 for Brazil.
Ronaldo, who has already surpassed this official tally, currently stands at 899 goals for both club and country. When asked about the possibility of reaching 1,000 goals, Ronaldo confidently responded in an interview with Ferdinand, “Soon I will do 900, and after that, it will be 1,000.” A surprised Ferdinand reacted, “F****** hell, how old are you going to be then?”
Ronaldo, undeterred, replied, “41, I don’t know. If I don’t have injuries, that is the most important thing. My challenge is to reach 1,000 goals—with one difference: all the goals that I score will have video, so I can prove that.”
This comment, referencing the lack of video evidence for many of Pele’s goals, prompted Ferdinand to laugh and playfully call Ronaldo a “b******.” Ferdinand continued, “You’re talking about [Alfredo] Di Stefano, you’re talking about Pele, you’re talking about Eusebio.”
Ronaldo, with his signature confidence, clarified, “I respect all of them. My goals [will be on video]. If you want more goals, I can bring them from training too, so no problem. All the goals with video. I will prove to the people who prefer this player or that player. I don’t care about that.”
As for his future on the pitch, Ronaldo added, “I know I’m still looking good. I feel I can still dribble, shoot, score goals, jump. The day I feel I cannot produce anything, I’ll pack my bags and go away, but I feel far from that.”
With his unwavering determination and ongoing pursuit of greatness, Ronaldo continues to set new standards in the football world. Proving that age is just a number for one of the sport’s most iconic figures.
