The hosts took the lead early on in the seventh minute of the match through Diogo Dalot, who also unfortunately scored an own goal later in the game.
Ronaldo, who had been unable to find the net in Portugal’s five Euro 2024 matches, finally reached his landmark goal in the 34th minute.Nuno Mendes delivered a perfect cross into the box, and the unmarked 39-year-old striker made no mistake, tapping the ball in from close range to extend Portugal’s lead to 2-0.
WATCH RONALDO’S 900th GOAL
As the ball hit the back of the net, Ronaldo fell to the ground, visibly emotional about reaching yet another significant milestone in his illustrious career.
The 39-year-old superstar now has an astounding 131 goals in international football.
Ronaldo’s club career has been equally spectacular, with the Portuguese forward scoring an impressive 450 goals for Real Madrid, 145 for Manchester United, 101 for Juventus, and 68 for his current team, Al Nassr. Furthermore, he also scored five goals for Sporting Lisbon, the club where he first embarked on his professional journey.
Lionel Messi, the Argentine legend and World Cup winner, stands second on the list of all-time top scorers, having amassed a remarkable tally of 859 goals throughout his distinguished career.
Ronaldo’s latest achievement has solidified his position at top of the list of all-time goal-scorers, making him the first male footballer to surpass the 900-goal mark in official matches, taking into account his appearances for both club and country.
“It means a lot,” AP quoted Ronaldo as saying after Portugal’s win. “It was a milestone I wanted to reach for a long time. I knew I would reach this number, because as I continue to play, it would happen naturally.”
Croatia managed to reduce the deficit just before halftime when Sosa’s determined attempt took a deflection off Dalot, resulting in an own goal. However, the second half remained goalless, ensuring Portugal secured a victorious beginning to their campaign with a final score of 2-1.
