Cristiano Ronaldo has marked a historic achievement by scoring his 900th career goal in Portugal’s 2-1 triumph over Croatia. At 39, Ronaldo stands as the first player ever to reach this milestone. His emotional reaction was evident as he celebrated with tears in his eyes, dropping to his knees after converting a Nuno Mendes cross from close range during the match in Lisbon.

In a recent announcement on his new YouTube channel, Ronaldo expressed his goal of reaching 1,000 career goals before retiring. “I’ll soon hit 900, and then my aim is to surpass 1,000,” he said. “I’m determined to achieve this milestone. Staying injury-free is crucial for me. I want to set this record as it would be the pinnacle of my career. Plus, every one of my goals is documented on video, so there’s solid proof.”

Although Pele is often cited as the greatest goalscorer with a total of 1,281 goals according to Fifa, this figure includes goals scored in exhibition and amateur games. His official count in competitive matches is 762, leading to ongoing debates about record validity.

Ronaldo’s goal tally includes 118 in 292 appearances for Manchester United, five for Sporting Lisbon, 450 in 438 games for Real Madrid, 101 during three seasons at Juventus, and 27 in his second stint at Old Trafford. After moving to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Nassr, he has netted 68 goals in 74 matches. On the international front, he has accumulated 131 goals in 212 games for Portugal.

Despite his extraordinary record and the Euro 2016 victory with Portugal, Ronaldo faced criticism for his lack of goals at this summer’s Euros, where Portugal was knocked out by France in the quarterfinals.

In the Nations League match against Croatia, Ronaldo’s goal was Portugal’s second of the night, following an initial strike by Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot. Although Dalot also scored an own goal, Portugal managed to secure a 2-1 win.