Messi-led Argentina national team to play in Kerala next year
World Cup-winning Argentinian football team led by iconic Lionel Messi will play in Kochi next year, Kerala State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman announced on Wednesday.
Portugal’s star forward Cristiano Ronaldo is looking to perform at the top level as he closes on to the 900-goal mark in his illustrious career.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is destined to go down in the history books for the contribution he has made in his 22-year career. Ronaldo has netted 763 goals at club level, 48 of which have come in during his time at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
In the international circuit, Ronaldo tops the chart ahead of football greats Pele, Lionel Messi and many more with 128 strikes under his belt.
His total tally adds up to 891 goals and leaves him nine shy of the 900-goal mark. As he continues to walk in the twilight phase of his career, Ronaldo is still motivated to carry on and perform at the biggest stage in the sport.
“I feel proud to have this age and still compete at the highest level. It’s great and it gives me motivation to carry on. If you look at my career for the last 20 years, my level is high. If you are top for 20 years, it’s unbelievable. I do that and I continue to do that. For me it’s a big achievement,” Ronaldo said in the Whoop podcast as quoted from Goal.com.
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Ronaldo has travelled across England, Spain, Portugal, and Italy and has walked away with titles in his every stint. After achieving possibly every accolade that crossed his path, Ronaldo still has the hunger to achieve more.
“My biggest motivation is to carry on. It’s not easy to be at this level. To still push, to still motivate, to carry on, to score goals, to be in good shape, to compete with the young lions that are coming and that when they play against me, they want to show me that they are stronger and faster than me. You have to prepare very well not just physically but mentally, too. This is the challenge,” Ronaldo added.
In 2024, the 39-year-old striker will compete for major honours for both the club and the country.
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