Former Real Madrid striker, Carlos Santillana, believes Cristiano Ronaldo will break all goal-scoring records for the Los Blancos.
The Spanish legend is third on Madrid’s all-time goal-scoring list with 289 goals in over 17 years at the Bernabeu. Ronaldo is only in his fifth season at Real, but is with 245 goals already closing in the club’s top three goal-scorers Santillana, Alfredo di Stefano (305) and Raul (323).
The 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or winner has an unmatched rate of 1.03 goals per match, and Santillana insists Ronaldo won’t take long to catch all three Real legends.
“Ronaldo will catch them all — first me, but then (Alfredo) Di Stefano, Raul, everyone,” he said.
“Madrid will benefit, with the goals, the points, the knockout games … He will break all records, I’m convinced.”
During the recent El Clasico, Ronaldo surpassed Ferenc Puskas, who had scored 243 goals, and sits now in fourth position in the club's all-time charts.
The Portuguese has scored in his last 10 successive games and is with 13 goals also en-route to break the Champions League record for most goals in a single season (14).
“Cristiano Ronaldo can reach them all,” Santillana continued.
“It’s normal (for him). At my time it was unthinkable for a player to hit 50 goals in a season.”
Recently, Ronaldo became Real Madrid’s first player to score 40 plus goals in five consecutive season, and with 45 at this stage he is well on track to reach his personal best of 61 goals for the Los Blancos in all competitions in 2011-12.
Santillana also praised the intense rivalry between Ronaldo and Barcelona forward, Lionel Messi, who both seem to push each other to greater highs. The two have split the past six FIFA Ballon d’Or Awards between them and continue to one-up each other’s goal-scoring displays.
“What Messi and Ronaldo are doing is crazy,” Santillana added.
“You have to enjoy it.”