Serie A: Ronaldo scores hat-trick, breaks all-time record of Pele
Cristiano Ronaldo scored an incredible hat-trick as Juventus defeated Cagliari 3-1 in Serie A on Sunday. With this, the reigning champions bounced back from their recent Champions League exit. Notably, Ronaldo went on to break the record of Brazilian maestro Pele for goals scored in "official matches". The latter congratulated Ronaldo on attaining the historic feat. Here is more on the same.
How did the match pan out?
Ronaldo gave a befitting response to recent criticism that came after a disappointing show against Porto. He opened the scoring for Juventus in the 10th minute with a top-notch header, before hammering a right-footed shot-off penalty (25'). Seven minutes later, he fired a left-footed shot to mark the second-fastest hat-trick of his career. Eventually, Giovanni Simeone gave a consolation goal to Cagliari (61').
Ronaldo surpasses Pele with a 57th career hat-trick
In the match against Cagliari, Ronaldo went on to score a hat-trick inside 32 minutes. This turned out to be his 57th career hat-trick. The Juventus striker went on to score his 770th career goal. After the match, Ronaldo took to Instagram, stating that he could now claim the record, having matched Pele's all-time feat of 767 goals earlier this year.
Pele congratulates Ronaldo on Instagram
Congratulating Ronaldo, Pele posted a picture of himself and the Portugese star on Instagram. "Life is a solo flight. Each makes his own journey. And what a beautiful journey you are having! I admire you a lot, I love watching you play and this is no secret to anyone. Congratulations on breaking my record of goals in official matches," wrote Pele.
Here's the Instagram post of Ronaldo
Unique feats scripted by Ronaldo
As per Opta, Ronaldo has now scored 87 goals in March for clubs and Portugal, a record for him in a single month. Interestingly, the Juventus star has scored in each of 18 stadiums he played in Serie A, so far.
Ronaldo now owns 668 club goals
Till now, Ronaldo has scored 668 club goals; five for Sporting Lisbon, 118 for Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid and 95 for Juventus. He also owns 102 goals for Portugal, making it an aggregate of 770 goals. Meanwhile, Pele, who helped Brazil win three World Cup titles, officially scored 767 career goals. However, he claims to have scored over 1,000, including unofficial matches.
