Those who said life begins at 40 could have said so because of this legend, Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, gifted to the world by Portugal. He turned 40 on Wednesday to join the exclusive club of players who, at that age, are/were still scoring goals.
On Monday, two days before the milestone age, CR7, as he is popularly known, was on the score sheet twice for his club in an Asian Champions League match against UAE’s Al-Wasl.
Two days after turning 40, he scored in his Saudi Club, Al-Nassr’s 3-0 win against Al-Feiha, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s total career goals have now hit 924.
He is not thinking of retiring yet as he is still a regular for Portugal, with his eyes fixed on the 2026 World Cup.
If he continues to play for country and makes the team for the first World Cup to be played in three countries USA, Mexico and Canada in 2026, he would have set an unassailable record of playing in six World Cups. That is if Lionel Messi doesn’t make the Argentine team.
For now Ronaldo, Messi and Lothar Matthaus hold the record of the most appearance in World Cup. Ronaldo and Messi, two perennial rivals who started the same year have appeared in all World Cups since their first in 2006 while Matthaus appeared for Germany in 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998.
As one who says he loves scoring goals, Ronaldo is hoping that there will be many more goals to come, with his eyes set on reaching 1,000 before he considers retirement.
For now he is relishing his entrance into the Club 40. And he celebrated it with several photos on his X handle (formerly Twitter) with this post: “A win and first goal after 40!”
The father of five is proving that age is nothing but a number. This is because at 40, his target is to help Al-Nassr secure a trophy.
A peep into Ronaldo’s profile as recorded by Wikipedia shows that he captains both the Saudi Pro League club Al- Nassr and the Portugal national team.
He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, has won numerous individual accolades throughout his career, such as five Ballon d’Or awards, a record three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Awards, four European Golden Shoes, and was named five times the world’s best player by FIFA, the most by a European player.
He has won 33 trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, the UEFA European Championship and the UEFA Nations League.
Ronaldo holds the records for most appearances (183), most goals (140) and most assists (42) in the Champions League, most appearances (30), assists (8), goals in the European Championship (14), international appearances (217) and international goals (135). He is one of the few players to have made over 1,200 professional career appearances, the most by an outfield player. He has now scored 924 official senior career goals for club and country, making him the top goal scorer of all time.
No wonder he keeps behaving like an Agama lizard which fables say had to praise itself when it fell from a height by shaking its head as nobody praised it for the feat.
Ronaldo believes he is the greatest scorer in football history, irrespective of what others, especially Messi’s fans think.
“I am the greatest scorer in history. Although I am not left-footed, I am in the top 10 in history for goals scored with the left foot. I am the most complete player who has ever existed. I play well with my head, I take good free kicks, I am fast, I am strong, I jump… I have never seen anyone better than me.”
He made this statement in an interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta. And can anyone blame him for believing in himself? It is said if you don’t blow your own trumpet, no one else will.
Others who continued playing after turning 40 include Paolo Maldini, widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time.
He won 126 caps for Italy but had retired from the national team before their 2006 World Cup triumph. At club level, he ended his playing days at the age of 41 in 2009.
Another player in this category is the Italian regarded as a one-club player, Francesco Totti who made his Roma debut as a 16-year-old in 1993 and never left the Giallorossi.
He made his final appearance for the club on 28 May 2017, just over eight months after hitting 40.
Former England striker Teddy Sheringham was 42 when he hung up his boots at the end of the 2007-08 season, while at Colchester United.
He holds the record for the oldest goal scorer in Premier League history, having scored for West Ham against Portsmouth aged 40 years and 268 days.
Brazil legend Romario, regarded as one of the finest goal scorers played his final official game for Rio de Janeiro- based side America Football Club in November 2009, aged 43.
Gianluigi Buffon is Serie A’s record appearance holder and the most capped goalkeeper of all time. He was 45 when he retired from football in August 2023.
Sweden’s all-time top scorer with 62 goals in 122 appearances, Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired from football during his second spell at AC Milan, aged 41.
On the African continent, players who played till 40 and over include Roger Milla, Kalusha Bwalya, Bruce Grobbelaar, Esan El-Hadary and finally, George Weah, the only African to win the Ballon d’Or who turned out for Liberia at the ripe old age of 51 – making him the oldest international player on record.
