The 38-year-old Argentine World Cup winner brought ‌up the milestone with a left-footed strike in Inter Miami’s 1-1 draw with Nashville SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The 900th goal came 21 years after Messi scored his first in senior football for Barcelona as ​a 17-year-old in 2005.

Inter manager Javier Mascherano said Messi’s tally ⁠was “insane”.

“I’ve been lucky enough to see most, or many of the ​goals he’s scored, much closer than you all, and that’s a privilege.

“The number we’re talking about is insane, and that’s why Leo is a one of a kind,” he said.

Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, reached ​the landmark in his 1,142nd appearance for club and country.

This is nearly 100 games fewer than Ronaldo, who took 1,236 games to  reach the milestone in September ‌2024.

Portuguese ⁠forward Ronaldo has now reached 965 goals and has targeted the 1,000-mark before he quits the game.

The majority of Messi’s goals came during his spell at Barcelona, where he scored 672 times.

He added ​32 at Paris ​St-Germain and 81 ⁠for Inter Miami and scored 115 for Argentina, with whom he won the World Cup in 2022.

Messi’s ​teammates have been able to depend on him at ​crucial times ⁠with 175 of his goals coming in knockout matches, including 35 in finals.

His 129 goals in Europe’s Champions League is second only to Ronaldo’s ⁠140.

Messi’s ​milestone goal came on a bittersweet night ​for Miami, who exited the competition on away goals after the first leg of the ​tie ended 0-0.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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While Portugal’s totemic forward has made no pronouncements on his future with the national team, the 39-year-old struggled to revive former glories at the tournament in Germany.

He departed Euro 2024 without scoring apart from in shootouts.

Portugal lost 3-5 to France on penalties in their quarter-final.

This was after a goalless stalemate in which Ronaldo missed a glaring chance in extra time but converted one of the kicks in the shootout.

“It’s too soon and raw after the match to talk about that and there have been no individual decisions made,” coach Roberto Martinez said when asked if it had been Ronaldo’s last game in a Portugal jersey.

There will forever be debates about where he sits among the greatest footballers.

In or behind the exulted company of three-times World Cup winner Pele or the extraordinary talent of Diego Maradona or long-time rival Lionel Messi.

All of them won the World Cup, which Ronaldo has not, but in terms of statistics in national team colours the 39-year-old is out there on his own.

Friday’s loss to France at the Volksparkstadion was Ronaldo’s 212th cap, significantly ahead of Messi who won his 185th for Argentina against Ecuador in the Copa America on Thursday.

Ronaldo’s 130 goals for his country is also way out on its own at the head of most scored in international football, with Messi recently moving second on the list with 108.

“Cristiano is in the national team of Portugal because he deserves to be,” Martinez had said earlier in the tournament.

In terms of longevity few can match Ronaldo, who debuted for Portugal in 2003.

He was 18 years-old when he came on at halftime to replace Luis Figo in a friendly against Kazakhstan in front of roughly 8,000 in Chaves.

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Days earlier he had signed for Manchester United, convincing manager Alex Ferguson of his potential after tormenting the team’s defence in a pre-season friendly.

By the next year he was a regular for Portugal as they hosted Euro 2004, upset in the final by Greece.

He is the first to play at six European Championships and his 14 goals in 30 matches is also a Euros record.

He won the trophy in 2016 when Portugal beat hosts France in the final.

Ironically, in Portugal’s Euros triumph, Ronaldo went off early in the decider in Paris in tears with a knee injury.

If you add his goals in Euro qualifying, Ronaldo has scored 55 times in the competition, with Harry Kane next on 29.

At the World Cup, Ronaldo has played 22 times, scoring eight goals in five tournaments, while Messi has played four times more and has the appearance record.

In the 21 years Ronaldo has played for Portugal, they have not missed out on qualifying for the World Cup, with a semi-final place in 2006 their best return.

That year, Ronaldo netted the decisive penalty to beat England in the quarter-finals.

It has been an extraordinary career, highlighted by five Ballon d’Or awards, and it is not over yet… certainly not at club level.

Ronaldo top-scored with 35 goals in the Saudi league last season and has another year’s contract at Al Nassr.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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The 37-year-old captain is set to reach an agreement on a two-and-a-half-year contract, the Spanish newspaper Marca reported on Wednesday.

Ronaldo has been without a club since leaving Manchester United last week following a TV interview where he heavily criticized the club.

The U.S. broadcaster CBS has also reported on an offer from the Saudi club.

READ ALSO: Forbes: Messi is top athlete ahead of James, Ronaldo

Al-Nassr, coached by Frenchman Rudi Garcia, have former Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo and Colombian keeper David Ospina under contract.

Ronaldo is currently busy at the World Cup with Portugal having become the only man to have scored in five different editions.

Source: dpa/NAN

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The development marked a bitter end to the Portugal captain’s second spell at Old Trafford after he said he felt betrayed by the club.

An interview this month — in which Ronaldo also said he did not respect manager Erik ten Hag — had put him on shaky ground at the club.

He had rejoined the club in August 2021 after winning eight major trophies with them from 2003 to 2009.

Manchester United said last week they would address Ronaldo’s comments only after establishing the complete facts and added last Friday that they had initiated “appropriate steps” in response.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.

“The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future,” Manchester United said in a statement.

“Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch.”

Last month, Ten Hag said Ronaldo had refused to come on as a substitute against Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

This was when the forward walked down the tunnel with a few minutes of the game remaining after being put on the bench.

The 37-year-old was then not part of the squad which faced Chelsea the following Saturday before returning to the fold.

Ronaldo later said in the interview he regretted leaving early against Spurs, but added his decision to walk off came because he felt “provoked” by Ten Hag.

Ronaldo said in a statement on Tuesday that he loved the club and the fans.

“… That will never ever change,” he added. “However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge. I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future.”

Raphael Varane, Ronaldo’s French team mate at Manchester United, said last week that the Portuguese’s comments had affected the club’s players.

Many of them are also at the World Cup in Qatar.

Ronaldo confirmed on Monday that an awkward handshake between him and midfielder Bruno Fernandes that was caught on camera and went viral was the result of a joke.

He said the joke was between the Portugal and Manchester United teammates.

Ronaldo added that he did not believe his actions would affect Portugal’s squad, adding that he felt great about the country’s chances of winning the World Cup.

Portugal kick off their campaign against Ghana on Thursday.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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Real Madrid captain Benzema was a strong favourite for the top award on Monday after inspiring the Spanish giants to a LaLiga and UEFA Champions League double last term.

Ahead of a November to December FIFA World Cup, a change in the format saw the Ballon d’Or awarded based on performances over a regular season for the first time.

It rather used to be over the calendar year.

France international Benzema would have been a leading candidate in either case.

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But he was the clear winner after scoring 44 goals in 46 matches and earning a fifth European crown in the 2021/2022 campaign.

Although his haul was topped by Robert Lewandowski (50) —- then of Bayern Munich and now of FC Barcelona —- 10 of Benzema’s goals came in the Champions League knockout stages.

He tied a Cristiano Ronaldo single-season record.

Vinicius Junior netted the decisive strike in the final against Liverpool.

But Benzema had already established himself as the world’s best with hat-tricks against both Paris Saint-Germain, PSG, and Chelsea.

Adding 15 assists, Benzema’s total of 59 goal involvements last season fell just shy of Kylian Mbappe’s Europe-wide high of 60 (39 goals, 21 assists).

Benzema had been nominated for the Ballon d’Or on 10 previous occasions but only cracked the top 10 for the first time in 2021.

He finished fourth as Lionel Messi – not nominated this year – claimed a seventh award.

Source: dpa/NAN

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Messi reclaimed the honour from mixed martial arts fighter, Conor McGregor.

The 34-year-old Argentine forward earned 130 million dollars in the last 12 months, according to Forbes,to stand top of the earners as he was in 2019.

While Forbes make estimates on earnings from wages and sponsorship deals, they are widely considered to be accurate.

Second on the list is NBA star LeBron James of the LA Lakers, with 121.2 million dollars and third is Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo (115 million dollars).

Tennis ace Roger Federer is seventh on the list, while McGregor fell out of the top 10.

Source: Dpa/NAN

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The Portugal international, 37, and Rodriguez, 28, were expecting twins.

Their baby girl survived, and they said her birth “gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness.”

“Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you,” they wrote.

In a statement on social media, they said: “It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away.

“We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time.”

The pair had announced the pregnancy in October.

United tweeted: “Your pain is our pain. Sending love and strength to you and the family at this time.”

Teammate Marcus Rashford tweeted: “Thoughts are with you and Georgina brother I’m so sorry.”

Ronaldo’s former side Real Madrid said the club, its president and board of directors “are deeply saddened” adding: “Real shares in the family’s pain and wishes to send them all of our warmth.”

Manchester City, Leeds United and the Premier League have also tweeted messages of condolence.

Ronaldo has a son Cristiano Jr, who was born in 2010 and twins Eva and Mateo who were born in 2017.

He also has a daughter with Rodriguez – Alana Martina, who was born in 2017.

Source: BBC

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The 37-year-old’s treble was his second in his past three Premier League appearances.

It took him to 21 goals for the season, going through the 20 barrier for a 16th consecutive campaign.

Ronaldo moved to 99 Premier League goals in his career, and Manchester United could only thank him for sparing them a potentially embarrassing afternoon.

He put Manchester United two up early on, but Norwich hit back through Kieran Dowell and Teemu Pukki.

But the former Real Madrid and Juventus star lashed a free-kick winner through the grasp of Tim Krul in the 76th minute.

David de Gea sprinted from his line to expertly block Pukki’s attempted dink over the goalkeeper in the third minute, and Norwich would soon regret failing to take that golden chance.

Ronaldo saw a fizzing 20-yard shot saved by Krul in the seventh minute.

But seconds later the Manchester United man did better, with Anthony Elanga dispossessing Ben Gibson in the penalty area and squaring for an easy close-range finish.

Manchester United kept pressing against opponents who at that point appeared ripe to be picked off.

Ronaldo got their second in the 32nd minute when he headed a corner-kick from the right by Alex Telles past Krul.

Norwich surprisingly got one back in first-half stoppage time when Pukki’s cross from the left was nodded in at the far post by an unmarked Dowell.

Incredibly, having been outplayed for so long, Norwich got level after 52 minutes.

That was when Pukki tucked past De Gea after Dowell played him in and the striker stayed just onside.

Manchester United lacked coherence in attack and were out of sorts throughout.

De Gea had to save well from Milot Rashica to keep the hosts on level terms, but then up stepped Ronaldo from 25 yards to save the day.

Source: dpa/NAN

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This was after just six days after doubts were raised about his injury absence for the Manchester derby and at the end of a week marked by tabloid speculation over his relationship with interim manager, Ralf Rangnick.

The 37-year-old delivered a reminder of just why Manchester United chose to bring him back to Old Trafford.

The five-times Ballon d’Or winner headed the winner nine minutes from time before he was promptly taken off to ecstatic cheers.

It was the 807th goal of his career, laying claim to professional football’s all-time leading scorer record.

With the whole stadium chanting ‘Viva Ronaldo’, the atmosphere at Old Trafford, which has endured a disappointing season, was back to the heady days of September.

This was when the forward scored twice against Newcastle United on his return to the club.

The result moves Manchester United two points above Arsenal and back into fourth place, although the Gunners have four games in hand starting with Sunday’s home match against Leicester City.

Pundits, like former United captain, Roy Keane, had questioned whether Ronaldo truly was injured for the 4-1 loss at Premier League leaders City while his decision to fly back to Portugal for his rehab also raised questions.

When asked before the Tottenham game whether Ronaldo was happy with his situation, Rangnick said: “ I don’t know. I haven’t asked him if he’s happy at Manchester and at this club.”

But the way the team celebrated his goals and the look of determination, almost anger, on the 37-year-old’s Ronaldo’s face after each goal, sent a clear message.

Midfielder, Paul Pogba, said: “Everybody knows Cristiano – there’s no need to talk about him. That’s what he does.

“He didn’t play in the last game, but he comes back and scores three goals. Everybody’s happy.

“Ronaldo was brilliant. I think that’s all we needed – a reaction. We scored beautiful goals.

“Even when we conceded a goal, we came back and scored again. The mentality was there again today.”

Ronaldo put Manchester United ahead in the 12th minute with a spectacular long-range blast from over 20 metres out after he had collected a clever flick from Fred.

But a Harry Kane penalty brought Tottenham level in the 35th, after a cross from Dejan Kulusevski had struck Alex Telles’ arm.

Three minutes later, though, the Portugal forward restored United’s advantage, slotting home after Jadon Sancho broke the offside trap and set up Ronaldo with a low cross.

Tottenham restored parity in the 72nd with an own goal by United captain Harry Maguire who slid in to inadvertently divert a low cross from Sergio Reguilon past David De Gea.

But Ronaldo, who had twice tested keeper, Hugo Lloris, after the break, settled the contest with a powerful header from an Alex Telles corner.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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However, Spurs fans began to turn on manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

United, who lost 5-0 to rivals, Liverpool, in the Premier League last Sunday, recovered to take an important three points after a week of speculation about the future of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Tottenham suffered a fifth league defeat in their opening 10 games as supporters first booed the team off the pitch at half-time and then sang ‘You don’t know what you’re doing” at Nuno when Lucas Moura was substituted for Steven Bergwijn.

Ronaldo opened the scoring for United on 39th minute, beating Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Llloris with a superb volley from an angle after a floated cross from Bruno Fernandes.

United added a second after 64 minutes when Fernandes robbed Oliver Skipp of possession in midfield and teed up Ronaldo to play a through ball to Cavani who dispatched his shot into the net with ease.

Substitute Marcus Rashford completed the scoring as he beat the offside trap to add a late third goal.

United climbed to fifth on 17 points from 10 games, while Nuno’s Spurs, who failed to trouble United goalkeeper David De Gea, are eighth.

Source: Reuters/NAN

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