Cristiano Ronaldo was commended by Pele on Sunday for “beating his record” for goals scored in official matches.
In Juventus’ 3-1 Serie A victory against Cagliari, Portuguese sensation Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to increase his career goal total to 770.
After matching Pele’s 767 on March 2, the 36-year-old said on Instagram that he could now claim the record for his 270 million followers.
“As I celebrate the goal that lifts me beyond Pele’s record and on top of the world goalscoring list, something I could never have dreamed of as a youngster from Madeira,” Ronaldo wrote, “I’m overwhelmed with excitement and pride.”
The legendary Pele of Brazil, who is 80 years old, congratulated his 5.8 million Instagram followers on surpassing his record for goals scored in official matches.
It’s no secret to anyone that I adore seeing you play, and I have a lot of admiration for you.
“The only thing I regret is not being able to hug you today.
Cristiano, this is your one-man show. Everybody travels at their own pace. And what a lovely adventure you’re on!
Including goals from unofficial matches, Pele—the only player in history to win three World Cups—has declared that he has scored 1,283 goals overall.
Ronaldo has scored 668 goals for club teams, including 95 for Juventus, 118 for Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid, and five for Sporting Lisbon. Additionally, he has 120 for Portugal.
Nonetheless, several media outlets ranked Czech Josef Bican higher than Pele and Ronaldo with 805 goals.
Romario, a former striker for Brazil, asserts that he has scored 1,000 goals in his career, including in unofficial games. Some publications give him credit for 772.