[시사신문 / 이근우 기자] Cristiano Ronaldo (37, Manchester United) has become the player with the most goals in football history.
Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in the match against Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League during the 2021-22 season at Old Trafford, Manchester, England on the 13th (Korean time), leading Manchester United to a 3-2 victory and scoring 807 personal goals.
According to the International Sports and Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF), Ronaldo was named the player with the most goals in football history, beating Josef Vikan (805 goals) from Czech Republic, who died in 2001. It is followed by Romario (Brazil, 772 goals), Lionel Messi (Argentina, 759 goals), and Pele (Brazil, 757 goals).
Ronaldo made his debut with Sporting in 2002 and scored five goals before moving to Manchester United. After returning to Manchester United this season, he has scored 136 goals, including goals scored, and 450 goals at Real Madrid (Spain) in his prime. He added 101 goals for Juventus and 115 for Portugal.
Tottenham scored 2-2 with goals from Harry Kane and an own goal from Harry Maguire in the 35th minute of the first half, but failed to add points due to Ronaldo’s hat-trick. Ronaldo achieved a hat-trick against Newcastle United on January 12, 2008 as a member of Manchester United and set the record for the longest interval hat-trick in EPL history in 14 years and 59 days.
Ronaldo also took second place in the oldest hat-trick in the EPL recorded by Teddy Sheringham (37 years 146 days) with a hat-trick at the age of 37 years and 35 days.
On the other hand, thanks to Ronaldo’s hat-trick, Manchester United have accumulated 400 victories since the start of the Premier League in 1992.