After an acrimonious departure from Manchester United and lackluster World Cup performance with Portugal, many soccer experts thought Cristiano Ronaldo’s days as an elite goal scorer were over. But the 38-year-old soccer superstar proved his doubters wrong by winning the 2023 Globe Soccer Maradona Award for being the top goal scorer this past calendar year.
Ronaldo scored an impressive 54 goals in 2022, edging out young rising stars like Erling Haaland. When asked if he was surprised to win the award after his Manchester United troubles, Ronaldo told reporters: “It comes as a surprise because if you go back and look at what happened in Manchester and what happened in the national team, people would have written me off.
But Ronaldo was motivated to bounce back. He credits his coaching staff at new club Al Nassr, especially manager LuÃs Castro, for pushing him to have an excellent season in Saudi Arabia’s top league. “The truth is that I focused, I had a good pre-season with Al Nassr and the coaching staff led by LuÃs Castro were very important in motivating me to have an excellent season,” Ronaldo stated.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner admitted he drew motivation from people doubting he still had world-class goal scoring ability at age 38. “I know I still have a lot of potential, I know I can offer a lot to Al Nassr and to Portugal,” Ronaldo asserted confidently after accepting the award.
Ronaldo specifically cited surpassing “young animals like Haaland” as a proud accomplishment. The Manchester City phenom Haaland tallied 41 goals across all club competitions last year. “I’m proud. And I’ll be 39 soon! I like when people doubt again about me, and then I’m successful. I don’t get affected by the criticism,” Ronaldo said.
The Maradona Award adds to an impressive trophy haul for Ronaldo in 2023. He also won Fans’ Favorite Player and Best Middle East Player for his debut season with Al Nassr. Ronaldo admitted feeling disappointed about losing the Globe Soccer Award for Best Men’s Player to Haaland, but said he remains proud of his year.
Ronaldo’s Move to Saudi Arabia Paying Dividends
After Ronaldo’s controversial interview last November criticizing Manchester United and manager Erik ten Hag, his departure from the club seemed inevitable. Ronaldo saw limited playing time and grew frustrated being relegated to a bench role.
With no attractive offers from elite European clubs, Ronaldo took a lucrative deal to join Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Some soccer pundits claimed it signaled Ronaldo accepting the twilight of his legendary career.
But the numbers prove Ronaldo remains a dangerous goal scorer even in his late 30s. His 14 goals in 12 Saudi Pro League matches played a key role in Al Nassr sitting atop the table. Ronaldo recently credited manager LuÃs Castro for getting the most out of him.
“The coach really understands me,” Ronaldo told reporters last month. He knows what I need to do and my capacity and condition. I’m very happy to work with him.”
At 38 years old, Ronaldo has defied expectations of declining skills. He proved detractors wrong by topping Europe’s brightest young talents in goals scored for 2023. While unlikely to challenge Lionel Messi for a record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo has shown he still has that killer goal-scoring instinct.
