Portugal and Manchester United forward, Cristiano Ronaldo has been honoured at the 2022 Best FIFA Football Awards. Cristiano Ronaldo was recognized for becoming the highest scoring male in international football history, consequently was given A Special Award.
The Portuguese expressed his delight in receiving this award:
“I think It’s much harder to score goals at international level these days. You can’t expect to score against Saudi Arabia or Australia or any other national team in the modern era. That record is not something I think about.”
The above statement was from Ronaldo in 1997. ‘O Fenômeno’ was 21, a without a doubt striker who had 20 goals in 30 caps in his possession, but was attempting to see whether he’d one day break Pele’s 77-goal Brazil record. Ronaldo proceeded to resign as perhaps the best marksman in football history and with 62 goals for his country.
As a winger at age 21, Ronaldo had scored 12 goals in 40 appearances for Portugal. He was, in any case, a peculiarity. For sure, 49 goals in his last 47 internationals slung Cristiano go beyond Ali Daei, on to 110 overall, and made him the highest scoring male ever.
“A very special award for a unique player,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino as he handed over The Best FIFA Special Award to Ronaldo at The Best FIFA Football Awards™ in Zurich.
As per Ronaldo, it was a fantasy for him, and never contemplated beating that record, of scoring 115. The record was 109, and he’s gone past those goals. The Manchester United player said, he is so glad to get a Special Award from FIFA.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “It’s a special award for me to be the best goalscorer ever. It’s a great achievement. I’m so proud. I never thought that one day I would be the number one. It’s a great honour for me. It’s great to be the [record] goalscorer of all time.
“I have to say thank you to my old team-mates from 2004, when I started to play for the national team, until now. And, of course, I have to say thank you to my family: my wife, my kids.”
According to Ronaldo, he sacrificed to win this award.
“Without sacrifice you can’t achieve anything. I started to play at the top level when I was 18 and I’ve been at the top for 15, 16 years. It’s down to my dedication, my passion, my ambition and working hard all the time. This is why I’ve continued to be at the top of the world in terms of performance, trophies, goals, records”.
“I still have the passion for the game. Not just to score goals. It’s to entertain myself because I’ve played football since I was five, six years old. When I go out on the pitch, even in training, I’m still enjoying it and my motivation is still there. Even though I’m going to be 37 soon, I feel good, I feel motivated, I have been working hard since I was 18 years old and I continue to.
“I love the game. I still have that passion. I want to continue. People ask me sometimes how many more years I’m going to play and I say I hope to play another four, five years. It’s all mental because I think that if you treat your body [well], when you need your body it’s going to give it back.
Ronaldo also dedicated his prize to his country.
“I know I make the Portuguese people proud,” said the Manchester United forward. “This award is for them and the country as well. I have appreciated the motivation they give me since I started to play for the national team.
“It’s always a pleasure to play for your country, for your flag, for your family. It’s unbelievable. Every time I put the Portuguese shirt on I feel so emotional, so happy. It’s a great feeling.”
Ronaldo, who assisted Portugal with winning the UEFA EURO in 2016 and the UEFA Nations League three years after the fact, now wants to lead them to one of several trophies missing from his phenomenal records: the FIFA World Cup™.
“We know we have a difficult two games – I hope we will have two. It will be tough. Everything is possible. We know the draw was difficult but it’s part of the business, part of football. Football is a challenge. I hope we will be ready for the battles.”
One more achievement Ronaldo accomplished at the Best FIFA Awards was being voted the FIFA FIFPro World XI for the seventeenth year in progression.
“I have to say thank you to all of them for voting for me to be there, and it’s great motivation for me to continue and to make people happy, especially the fans around the world and my family. And I will continue because I’m still capable and happy to keep pleasing people.”
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