On Monday, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) officially recognised Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s top scorer for the 2023 calendar year.
Cristiano Ronaldo (38) scored a total of 54 goals, including 10 for the Portuguese national team and 44 for Al Nassr during the 2023 calendar year. This makes him the world’s top scorer this year, ahead of Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.
But it has clearly not been easy for the five-time golden ball winner, who has come a long way.Cristiano Ronaldo, who made his return to Manchester United, came in for criticism in England and was badly treated by Erik ten Hag. During the Qatar 2022 World Cup, the five-time golden ball winner decided to immediately terminate his contract with the club that revealed him to the world.
During the same period, CR7 saw Portugal knocked out of the World Cup by Morocco in the last 16.Sadly, the images of this harsh ordeal made their way around the world. Free of any contract, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to accept Al Nassr’s lucrative offer to join the Saudi Pro League. And it turned out to be the best decision he ever made.
At Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo is back with a smile on his face and the love of the club’s directors and fans. At 38 years of age, he has continued to score goals, and although his first season in Saudi Arabia was not exactly a success, he has broken all records on a personal level. This season, Ronaldo is the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League, despite the arrival of a number of younger world stars such as Karim Benzema, Sadio Mané, Neymar and Mahrez.
He managed to score 54 goals in 59 appearances during the 2023 calendar year. That makes him the world’s top scorer for the year, ahead of Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Erling Braut Haaland.
FIFA finally recognises Cristiano Ronaldo as the top scorer of the year
A few days ago, it was rumoured that the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) would not recognise Ronaldo as the top scorer of 2023, given that his goals during the Arab Club Cup, a competition not recognised by the body, had been counted.
But after the final match at Al Nassr, where Cristiano Ronaldo extended his lead over Kylian Mbappé (52 goals in 53 matches) and Harry Kane (52 goals in 57 matches), FIFA immediately recognised the former Real Madrid star’s prowess.In an article listing the records broken during the 2023 calendar year, FIFA mentions Cristiano Ronaldo’s number of goals and recognises him as the year’s top scorer.
“Cristiano Ronaldo scored more goals for his club than anyone else in 2023: 54 in 59 matches. He is ahead of Kylian Mbappé (52 in 53), Harry Kane (52 in 57) and Erling Haaland (50 in 60),” reads a statement on FIFA’s official website.
Now that’s clear! Cristiano Ronaldo is showing doubters that he still has a lot to prove. He led Portugal during the Euro 2024 qualifiers, finishing as the second-highest scorer behind Romelu Lukaku. At 38, Cristiano Ronaldo is not finished, and the Al Nassr fans are saying it loud and clear. He will still be very important in the second half of the season, when he will help Al Nassr lift the Saudi Pro League.
Leave a Reply