Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been one of the most influential footballers in the world over the past decade, has now been referred to as the best goalscorer in the history of the game.
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Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has clarified some old quotes of his on the Portuguese international, and explained why he believes the 33-year-old is the beautiful game's most deadly finisher ever.
"I said a couple of years ago that he had peaked physically and a lot of people understood what I was trying to say as: 'He's peaked and that's it, he's about to retire.' I never meant that," Balague told Sky Sports.
"What I meant was he had peaked physically so he had to change his game.
"That's what he's done in the last couple of years. He's become a striker, a No. 9.
"Cristiano has played almost 900 games professionally and he averages 0.7 goals a game.
"For me, he's the best goalscorer in the history of the game.
"He's doing it at a time when everyone is supposed to know his strengths and how to stop him collectively, when everything is studied to the detail.
"Still, he manages to score."
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Ronaldo has played 715 games at club level, scoring 544 goals and assisting a further 190 strikes.
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