Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved an astonishing number of goals in his career. With sixty hat-tricks, 60 assists, a ‘cruise missile’ free-kick, and an overall goal-scoring rate of nearly eighty per cent, the Manchester United footballer may have already surpassed his career high of 800 goals. However, the question remains: could Ronaldo reach the 900 goal milestone before turning 40?
Ronaldo’s goal-scoring rate
Cristiano Ronaldo has continued to score goals for club and country despite reaching his thirties, and his recent form has been the subject of much speculation. The Portuguese is currently leading Serie A, and his goal-scoring rate this season has been the highest in the league since 2006. But before you get too excited, Ronaldo’s impressive goal-scoring rate is still a question of some debatability.
It has taken Ronaldo nearly two years to reach the milestone of one hundred goals. That is a remarkable rate of growth, considering that he went from zero to one hundred goals in just 662 days. He is likely to continue to do so, as he has already passed the 400 goal mark. Nevertheless, one thing is clear: the Portuguese forward isn’t finished yet. His goal-scoring rate before approaching 40 years is among the highest in history.
While Messi’s hat-trick was a record, Ronaldo has also established some world records. His goal-scoring record before approaching forty years is the highest among active players. He has scored eighty-three goals in a single season, one more than Lionel Messi. And he has capped his career with a hat-trick! The most amazing thing about Ronaldo is that he has never been injured in his career.
With such a high goal-scoring record before turning thirty, there are few reasons why the rumours that he’ll be released from Manchester United are overblown. His goal-scoring rate before approaching forty years has consistently exceeded expectations. At United, he has become a fixture. However, rumors about his lack of game time are a little overblown. The Portuguese has signed a contract with the club after an unsuccessful spell at Real Madrid.
In a UEFA article published on 5 October 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo equaled Alfredo Di Stefano’s record. As of this date, Ronaldo’s goal-scoring rate is at the highest level for a single season. However, it remains to be seen if Ronaldo can keep this record in the future. If he does, he’ll easily surpass his personal record of forty goals.
While his goal-scoring rate may be an issue for some, it should not deter you from applauding his amazing goalscoring rate. Ronaldo’s goal-scoring rate has increased steadily throughout his career. Since leaving Manchester United at the age of twenty-four, he has averaged one goal in every 2.5 games. If you’re interested in finding out more about Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal-scoring rate, you’ll find that it is the highest among active men’s players.
Many top-level strikers retire at mid-thirties. However, this doesn’t mean that Ronaldo can’t still contribute to the game at his age. In fact, it’s unlikely he’ll stop playing football after he’s turned thirty. If anything, he’ll continue to have plenty to offer at the highest level until he reaches his forties.
His 60 hat-tricks
One of the most enduring records of all time is the number of hat-tricks a player has scored. Mike Richter has more than sixty hat-tricks in his career. During his career, he’s been credited with scoring 900 goals and 60 hat-tricks, making him the all-time leader in hat tricks. Before reaching the age of 40, he had scored a hat trick in three different games, including a four-goal performance against the Flyers.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest hat-trick came against Norwich City last week. The Portuguese superstar had scored two goals in the first half, but Norwich responded with two. However, he doubled his tally with a header from a corner. Now, he has eighty-three goals in a season. This record was previously held by Lionel Messi.
Bossy had hat-tricks in five out of seventy games in the 1980s, and he did so during the Playoffs in eighteen of his career. During this period, the Islanders won their fourth straight Stanley Cup. Bossy finished his career with 39 hat-tricks in regular season and five in the postseason. In the 1980-81 season, he had nine hat-tricks and had two hat tricks in the same game.
The infamous Wayne Gretzky did not make it to the top of the list before his 40th year. His hat-tricks in the regular season were among the most prolific in NHL history. He had four in the 2008-09 season, which put him in the league’s top four hat-trick leaders. After this season, he accumulated 900 goals before turning forty years old.
Pastrnak scored hat tricks in three regular season games. The first was against the Maple Leafs on Oct. 13 while the second came against the Maple Leafs on Nov. 10. The third one was against the Rangers on March 27. Both were home victories. But it was his two hat tricks against the Islanders in the playoffs that truly made him stand out.
Gretzky’s record-breaking season also has the distinction of being the first player in NHL history to score 60 hat-tricks in his first postseason. The first came on Jan. 4 against the Avalanche. His second came against the Blue Jackets on Feb. 18. And while he’s far from being the first player to do it, he is certainly one of the most notable.