Plenty of footballers start to wind down by the time they reach 30, but in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, he only got more prolific.
Still going strong at 38 years old, Ronaldo’s goalscoring instincts have truly stood the test of time. Amazingly he has scored 376 goals since turning 30, which is more than most people manage over an entire career.
Since turning 30, Ronaldo has enjoyed three seasons with Real Madrid, three years with Juventus and has then had spells with Manchester United and now Al Nassr.
The Portuguese forward reinvented his game towards the end at Real Madrid as he transitioned from a winger to an out-and-out goalscorer.
Ronaldo took up more central positions in his final years in Spain and was predominately played as a number nine throughout his time in Italy.
As a result of his instincts remaining sharp and a switch of positions, Ronaldo has actually scored at a greater rate since turning 30 than he had done before.
“Genetically I feel like I’m 30 years old,” Ronaldo told ESPN last year. “I take great care of my body and my mind. Something I’ve learned recently is that after 33, I believe the body can deliver if you need it, but the real battle is mental.
“I want to find out if I’m going to play until I’m 40, 41, or 42, but the most important thing is that my daily goal is to enjoy the moment.”
Along with maintaining his scoring record at club level, Ronaldo has also continued to deliver on the international stage. His most prolific year for Portugal came in 2019 when he scored 19 goals in total.
Even to this day he is determined to deliver for his nation as he scored four goals in their recent Euro qualifiers. He’s even scored a couple of brilliant free-kicks this year too.
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has reaffirmed Ronaldo’s importance to Portugal, even at 38.
“He [Ronaldo] is very important, he has a unique experience at an international level,” the manager told Record.
“For us, he is important because he is a reference in the locker room and he is prepared to lead [the team to Euro 2024] and be the captain of this selection.”
Ronaldo has scored a whopping 376 goals since turning 30, which is more than these legendary strikers managed over their entire careers for club and country.
